1,350 steps, a cathedral from 1166 and a cable car

The Old Town is small enough to cross in minutes; the walls behind it are the real climb. Do the fortress early and the lanes after lunch.

1. Climb to San Giovanni at opening

The path to San Giovanni Fortress has about 1,350 steps and rises 280 m. A 2026 guide gives opening at 07:00 from May to September. I'd be on the steps before the cruise passengers.

2. Expect to pay for the walls

One 2026 guide puts the walls ticket at about €15; another says the entrance is near the Square of Arms. I couldn't confirm the official price, so carry cash and a card.

3. Look up at 4.5 km of walls

The city walls run about 4.5 km above the town. UNESCO added them to its list in 2017, as part of the Venetian Works of Defence.

4. Visit Saint Tryphon's cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon dates from 1166, older than Venice's rule here by two and a half centuries. I'd go inside when the square is quiet.

5. Find Cats' Square

Cats are Kotor's unofficial symbol, and the town has a Cats' Square (Trg od mačaka) and a cat museum. It's ten minutes I'd spend.

6. Ride the cable car to Lovćen

The Kotor–Lovćen cable car opened in 2024 and takes 11 minutes up to the national park. It's the view of the bay without the serpentine road.

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Ham from Njeguši, ink risotto and krempita

1. Order pršut and Njeguši cheese

Njeguški pršut is ham dry-cured and smoked over beechwood in Njeguši, the village above the bay. It comes with njeguški sir, a firm mountain cheese.

2. Eat black risotto by the sea

Crni rižot is risotto coloured with cuttlefish ink. Galion, on the water outside the walls, is listed for grilled fish and seafood risotto.

3. Have mussels alla buzara

Buzara is shellfish cooked in white wine, garlic and olive oil. Konoba Scala Santa, in the Old Town, is named for it by one guide.

4. Finish with Kotor krempita

Kotorska krempita is a custard-cream cake. I'd buy a slice rather than a dessert menu.

Carnival in February, Boka Night in August

1. Check Winter Fest dates in late November

The municipality's 2025 programme ran Kotor Winter Fest from 1 December 2025 to 1 February 2026. The 2026–27 dates weren't published when I checked.

2. Expect the Winter Carnival in February

The 2025 carnival ran 15–23 February. The 2027 dates aren't out.

3. Mark Boka Night for late August

Bokeška noć falls on the penultimate Saturday of August, by the municipal programme. That would be 21 August 2027; the date isn't published yet.

4. Avoid July if you need a car park

KotorArt starts on 13 July, Statehood Day, and the 2025 children's theatre festival ran 2–10 July. Summer is when I'd leave the car at Benovo.

Venice for 377 years, UNESCO since 1979

1. Read the walls as Venetian

Kotor was under Venice from 1420 to 1797. The walls and the fortress are the work that UNESCO listed in 2017.

2. Know why the town is protected

The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor went on UNESCO's list in 1979. That's why the Old Town stays closed to cars.

3. Notice how small the town is

The Old Town settlement counted 1,360 people in the 2023 census. The whole municipality has about 22,000.