Toms Kotor Montenegro Cruise Port Guide Part 1 of 2

Tourist Sites in Kotor City: 1) Old Town walking tour maps 2) Churches, squares, historic
buildings, palaces, 3) Hiking trails to Our Lady of Health (Remedy) and St. John Fortress.
Compelling Reasons to visit Kotor, Montenegro:
• A spectacularly beautiful port with a gorgeous “sail in” through the Bay of Kotor surrounded by steep
mountains lined with historic buildings, churches, towers, docks, and marinas along the shore. It’s on
the list of the 25 most beautiful bays in the world.
• The region has “Outstanding Universal Value” combining natural beauty of mountains and bays with the
culture and history of fortified and open cities, settlements, palaces, and monastic ensembles integrated
into the cultivated terraced landscape on the slopes of high, rocky hills. (UNESCO description)
• Culture: For centuries, Kotor had an important role in spreading Mediterranean cultures to the Balkans
• History: Kotor has a rich history as a heavily fortified commercial port since Medieval times. It was one
of the most important trading centers in this area of the Adriatic Coast.
• People: The people are hard working, friendly, intelligent, and welcome visitors.
We were on a 23-day cruise in 2017 to 9 countries and 17 ports. As we sailed away from Kotor, the widely held
view among passengers was that Kotor Montenegro was our best port of call. I asked why people liked Kotor.
The answer was, “It’s beautiful, there is a lot to see, the people are friendly, intelligent, and welcoming. This is
a great port to visit, I want to come back to spend more time in Montenegro.” Tom Sheridan
Table of Contents
Subject Pages
History and location of Kotor Montenegro 2
Scenic “Sail-In” through the Gulf of Kotor 3-4
Map of defensive fortifications around Old Town Kotor 5
Kotor Old Town Map with a list of 69 points of interest 6-7
Using GPS coordinates to find locations and view Google street-level photos 8
Walking route from Cruise Ship Docks to North River Gate 9
Photo of City Walls from Scurda River Bridge, Main (Sea) Gate entrance to Old Town 10
The South Gurdic Gate, Walking tour of Old Town, Clock Tower 11
Old Town Walking Tour Map 12
Pima Palace, St Tryphon Cathedral, Maritime Museum, Karampana Fountain/well 13
St Nicholas Church 14
St Luke’s Church, Church of St Mary of the River (The Blessed Ozana), Trail-Head to St. John Fortress 15
Photos of colorful and inviting, shops, cafes, and restaurants in Old Town 16-17
Google maps have excellent, 360 degree photos of Old Town 18
Hiking trails to the fortress and churches on the mountain, Church of Our Lady of Health (Remedy) 19
St John Fortress, Castle of St John 20
St John Church 21
Google Map of Hiking Trails 22
User Feedback, Copyright Notice, Terms and Conditions for use of Toms Port Guides 23

CAVEAT
Information contained herein is believed to be accurate. PLEASE verify the information you use for your travel
plans. Opinions expressed are my own. This port guide is protected by copyright law - see the last page of this
guide for legal notices.
Tom Sheridan
I would like to thank Carol Mills and Avril Cude for their help on this port guide.

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History of Montenegro
The name “Montenegro” is a combination of “monte” which means “mountain” and “negro” which means
“black.” Montenegro was named for the dense tree cover on the mountains that make the mountains look black.
For centuries, Montenegro was a territory or district of different countries. The political landscape changed over
the years and the parent country for Montenegro changed several times. It was part of Yugoslavia from 1918
until 2006 when Montenegro declared independence as a new country.
Location: Montenegro borders
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the North-West
Serbia on the North-East, and
Kosovo and Albania and on the South-East
Kotor (Kotop) is the cruise port for Montenegro. It is south of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Location of Montenegro (Map Below)

Unesco describes Kotor as having “Outstanding Universal Value”

The “Outstanding Universal Value” of this region is the combination of natural beauty of mountains and bays
with the culture and history illustrated by the quality of architecture in fortified and open cities, settlements,
palaces, monastic ensembles, and their integration to the cultivated terraced landscape on the slopes of high,
rocky hills. For centuries, Kotor played an important role in spreading Mediterranean cultures into the Balkans.
See the UNESCO gallery of photos by professional photographers at
http://whc.unesco.org/?cid=31&l=en&id_site=125&gallery=1&maxrows=42

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The scenic entrance to Kotor is shown on the map below.

It takes about an hour for a cruise ship to sail 25 miles (40 km) from the Adriatic Sea through the Gulf of Kotor
to the dock in center city Kotor (Kotop). During the sail in, you are surrounded by steep mountains lined with
historic buildings, churches, towers, docks, marinas, and fishing areas along the shore.

This Google Earth View illustrates the dramatic landscape with steep hills along the waterway.

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Kotor is described as a “Mediterranean Fjord”. It’s beautiful, but it’s not a fjord. Fjords were formed during the
Ice Age as glaciers moved through mountains to the sea carving deep valleys along the waterway.
Plan ahead to be near a window, on the outside deck, or your balcony as your ship sails into and out of the port.
Two photos below of our sail into Kotor by my good friend Carol Mills.

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The Old Town of Kotor is heavily fortified. There are massive city walls along the Scurda River (MOAT) and along the Harbor. The mountains
behind Kotor have multiple lines of defensive walls, with fortresses, churches, a castle, etc. The map below shows the first line of defensive walls as
a yellow dashed line. Many tourists hike the steps along the ruins of these walls for spectacular views of the area.
There are three gates to enter Old Town Kotor through the walls; namely, the North (River) Gate, the Main (Sea) Gate, and South (Gurdic) Gate.

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PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND INSTITUTIONS
39) Town Clock Tower 1602
40) Prince’s Palace 17th-18th C
41) Old Town Hall 1904 (Former Napoleon’s Theatre 1810)
42) Venetian Arsenal 1420
43) Town Hall
44) Historical Archives
45) Cultural centre “Nikola Djurkovik” (Venetian Military Hospital 1769)
46) Faculty of tourism and hotel management
47) Music School
48) Concert Hall (Holy spirit Church 17 th-20th C)
49) Cinema (Church of our Lady of Angels)
50) Library
51) Bokelian Navy Head Office
52) Venetian Barracks 1765
53) Austrain Prison 19th C
54) Karampana Fountain 17th C
55) Open-air theatre
56) Info-tourist centre
57) Post Office
58) Gallery

PALACES
59) Drago Palace 15th and 17th C (Regional Institute for Culture & Heritage)
60) Grgurina Palace 1732 (Maritime Museum)
61) Pima Palace 17th C
62) Buca Palace 14th C
63) Bizanti Palace 17th C
64) Beskuca Palace 1776
65) Bjeladinovic family House 19th C
66) Macchin House
67) Lombardic Palace
68) Grubonja Palace (Old Pharmacy 1326)
69) Vrachien Palace 18th C
As you can see from the map and legend above, there are an incredible number of historic places to see, visit,
and photograph in Old Town Kotor. Use this map to plan your walking tour and carry it with you on your shore
excursion. Also, you may want to join a group tour with a local guide who explains the history of Old Town and
calls your attention to details you might otherwise miss.

Terminology – Names of Tourist Attractions Can Be Confusing

Kotor is a medieval city that has been shaped by multiple cultures and people speaking different languages.
Hence, multiple names are used for the same site.
North Gate and the River Gate are different names for the gate on the Scurda river (moat). The Church of Our
Lady of Health and Our Lady of Remedy are the same building. “The Square of Arms” is also called “Trg od
oružja”. And, of course, the Fortress of St John is the same as the Fortress of San Giovanni.
To the extent possible, I cite multiple names that are used for the same site.

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 GPS Coordinates
GPS coordinates are a powerful tool to find tourist sites on Google maps and to see street-level photos. I
provide GPS coordinates for important locations for use with Google maps and GPS enabled devices. The
format for GPS coordinates is Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds ddd° mm' ss.ss” N ddd° mm' ss.ss” E.
Copy and paste GPS coordinates from this guide into Google or Microsoft Bing maps
Or type GPS coordinate numbers and periods into the map search box replacing the symbols for degrees,
minutes, and seconds with spaces.
For example: The North (River) Gate GPS coordinates = 42°25'35.2"N 18°46'19.9"E
Type 42 25 35.2 n 18 46 19.9 e to find the North (River) Gate on Google maps

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Walking distance from the cruise ship docks to the three entrance gates to Old Town Kotor.
Cruise Ship Docks GPS = 42°25'31.8"N 18°46'06.1"E
NOTE: When all the dock space is taken by cruise ships, arriving ships will tender passengers into this dock area.
North (River) Gate GPS = 42°25'35.2"N 18°46'19.9"E
Main (Sea) Gate GPS = 42°25'29.1"N 18°46'10.6"E
South (Gurdic) gate GPS = 42°25'19.3"N 18°46'17.1"E
Google Satellite Map of Cruise Ship Docks

Walking Route from Cruise Ship Docks to North (River) Gate

When you walk across the Scurda River bridge near the cruise ship docks, you’ll have an excellent view of the
City Walls along the river. This is a great location for photos of the city walls.
To “preview” this photo shoot, enter GPS = 42°25'33.1"N 18°46'06.6"E into Google maps and view the street
level photo using the technique as described for the North Gate street level photo.

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 Google street-level photo of Kotor City Walls from Scurda River Bridge

Main (Sea) Gate entrance Google street-level photo at

GPS= 42°25'29.1"N 18°46'10.6"E (Photo Below left)

Photo by Carol Mills (Above at Right) of the Main Gate.

Most people enter Old Town through the Main (Sea) Gate because it is closest to the cruise ships.
It’s a 2 minute, 160 m, 0.1 mile walk from the Cruise Ship Docks to the Main Gate.

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The South (Gurdic) Gate is at GPS = 42°25'19.3"N 18°46'17.1"E
It’s an 8-minute, 600 m, 0.37 mile walk from the Cruise Ship Docks to the South Gate.
Google Maps Street-Level photo of South Gate Below

Walking tour of Old Town Kotor

You can tour on your own or with a guide. Walking tours are
inexpensive and you can learn about the history from your guide.
Below, I describe a “typical” walking tour from the Main Gate.
You enter the main gate to Arms Square. It’s the main and largest
square in the town with many restaurants, cafes, shops, and
historic monuments, buildings, with four streets into town. For
gorgeous 360o photos, see Trg od oružja - Square of arms
and Trg od oružja - Square of arms
39) Clock Tower (1602) GPS = 42°25'29.3"N 18°46'11.7"E
Photo at right by Carol Mills.
The pyramid in front of the tower is the pillory with holes for the
head and hands to secure a person for torture and public abuse.
Flour Square GPS = 42°25'27.3"N 18°46'14.0"E
For a 360o photo, see Trg od brašna - Square of flour
62) The Buca Palace
The Buca palace was owned by one of the most important
families in Kotor. The original palace was built in 14th C. It was
damaged extensively by earthquakes and rebuilt after 1667.
NOTE: Virtually every square in the city is lined with outdoor
seating for restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. There is no excuse to be
hungry or thirsty in Old Town.

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61) Pima Palace in Flour Square Google Street Level Photo at GPS = 42°25'27.3"N 18°46'14.0"E

61) The Pima Palace (above) dominates the square. The

balcony rail metal work was done by Kotor blacksmiths. The
coat of arms of family Pima supported by angels, is above the
portal. For a 360 degree photo of Pima Palace and Flour Square,
see Trg od brašna - Square of flour
28) St Tryphon Cathedral (photo at right by Carol Mills)
GPS = 42°25'27.0"N 18°46'16.3"E
The square in front of the Cathedral has several important
buildings including the building of Municipality, Bishopric, Historical Achieves, and the Institution for
Protection of Cultural Monuments..
51) The Bokelian Navy Square
60) The Maritime Museum is in the former Grgurina Palace 1732
Exhibits include models of ships and weapons (swords and guns). Adult admission = 4 euros
See http://www.museummaritimum.com/eng/eng.htm
For a 360 degree photo view of Museum Square, see Trg od muzeja - Museum square
54) Karampana Fountain 17th C
GPS = 42°25'29"N 18°46'16"E
It can be difficult to find. It’s directly
south of the Maritime Museum in a small
square shown as C on the walking tour
map. It’s in a group of shops, cafes, and
small restaurants.
When you are looking at the front
entrance to the Maritime Museum, the
fountain square is on your left. At one
time, Karampana fountain/well was the
only source of fresh water in the town
(photo at right).
For a 360 degree photo view, see
Česma Karampana - Karampana fountain

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 Photos below by Carol Mills.
29) St Nicholas Church

Be sure to visit St Nicholas

Church located on St Luke’s
Square. Entrance is free.

There are no pews because

standing is a sign of respect.

The interior is impressive as

shown by these photos.

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30) St Luke’s Church (Photo Below)

See Trg Sv Luke - Square of St Luca

for a 360o photo view of St Luke Sq.

31) Church of St Mary of the River (The Blessed Ozana) GPS = 42°25'33.3"N 18°46'18.4"E
Google street-level photo at right above.
If you look carefully on the right side of the church in this photo, you will see an archway in the distance. That
is the trail-head entrance to the hiking trails along the fortifications on the mountains to the Church of Our Lady
of Health (Remedy) and St John Fortress.
For a 360 degree photo view of the church, see Crkva Blažene Ozane - Church of St Ozana
The church was built in 1221 on the
foundation of the old Christian Episcopal
basilica from the sixth century. Researchers
determined this church had been a baptistery
and discovered frescoes from the fourteenth
century. The church contains relics of Saint
Ozana. Hence the name of Blessed Ozana.

Google Street-Level Photo at right

at GPS = 42°25'33.1"N 18°46'19.5"E
This is the trail-head next to the Church of St
Mary of the River (The Blessed Ozana)
Note the trail map at the right of the arch
showing the hiking trails to the fortifications
on the mountain and the Church of our Lady
of Health (Remedy) and St John Fortress.

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Old Town is inviting and colorful as shown by these photos by Carol Mills

You’ll find many shops to visit.

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There are colorful and inviting cafes, restaurants and bars throughout the town.

Take time to explore Old Town. It’s clean, comfortable, inviting, and fun!!!

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For excellent 360 degree photos of Old Town Kotor, see Google Maps at this link
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?
hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&ie=UTF8&mid=19TlHIOvMoh9ukQCRshZCY5IL8sk&ll=42.42478601398757%2
C18.77188524

Each circle on the map has an outstanding 360 degree photo of that area. This is a must visit website.
Go to the website to see the map and click on the photos you wish to see.
View all of them. These are INCREDIBLE PHOTOS OF OLD TOWN!!!
Familiarity with a cruise port is the key to planning a shore excursion for your priorities
Throughout this guide, I have provided maps, photos, and descriptions of things to see and do. Photos are
particularly useful to help you “see” the tourist sites because “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
Hopefully, this information will help you plan your shore excursion for your priorities. There are an incredible
number of things to see, do, photograph, experience, and enjoy in Old Town Kotor.
I hope you enjoy your visit to Old Town Kotor,
Tom Sheridan

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Hiking Trails to the Fortress and Churches on the Mountain
Caveat: I am not a hiker nor an expert on hiking. However, I have reasonable knowledge of maps, GPS
coordinates, and how to find places on Google, Bing, and OpenStreet maps. I’ve published two web-pages on
maps and use of GPS coordinates.
See my map user guide at http://www.tomsportguides.com/map-user-guide.html and
My GPS user guide at http://www.tomsportguides.com/world-gps-maps.html
There are two Trail-Heads in Old Town Kotor to access trails to the Fortress

Trail-head #1 is located near 31) The Church of St Mary at GPS = 42°25'33.1"N 18°46'19.5"E
I have shown detailed photos of Trail-Head #1 on page 15 of this guide.
Trail-head #2 is located near 69) Vrachien Palace 18th C at GPS = 42°25'25.6"N 18°46'17.5"E
For a 360 degree photo of Trail-Head #2, see Zanatska ulica - Craft street Viewing this photo will help
you recognize the square and Trail-Head #2 as you walk to it.
The main points of interest on the trails are:
Church of Our Lady of Health (Remedy) GPS = 42°25'27.6"N 18°46'22.7"E
Google street-level (photo below) at these GPS coordinates.

The church was built in 1518 by survivors of the 14th C plague. The church became a site for pilgrimages.

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 Kotor Fortress (St John , San Giovanni Fortress) GPS = 42°25'19.3"N 18°46'29.5"E
Google street-level (photo below) at these GPS coordinates.

Castle of St John (San Giovanni) GPS = 42°25'19.7"N 18°46'29.4"E

Google street-level (photo below) at these GPS coordinates.

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 St John (San Giovanni) Church GPS = 42°25'20.8"N 18°46'33.3"E
Google street-level (photo below) at these GPS coordinates.

As you can see from these photos, hiking the trails allows you to explore and photograph historic ruins, the
mountains, and view/photograph the harbor and Old Town from this high elevation.
Hiking is for people who are physically fit and enjoy walking. I’m not physically fit nor a hiker so I don’t have
personal experience nor recommendations on hiking these trails. Depending on your mobility, fitness, and
endurance, this may or may not be appropriate for you.
The steep and rocky hike involves ~ 1350 steps to St John Fortress.
• Depending on your physical condition, mobility, and stamina it takes ~ 20-30 minutes to the Church of
Our Lady of Health (Remedy). You are climbing a vertical distance of ~ 220 feet.
• It’s another 40-60 minutes to St John Fortress and the Castle next to the fortress where you are climbing
an additional vertical distance of ~ 500 feet. Going all the way to the Fortress can be exhausting
because you are walking 1350 steps and climbing 720 feet vertically up the mountain. That’s like
walking up the stairs of a 72-story building!!!
For most of the hike you are walking on steps or a trail next to the defensive walls in the mountains. The trails
follow the irregular pattern of the fortification walls connecting the buildings. In some areas the footing may be
unstable. Some of the steps and rocks tend to move. Take care of where you step. Also, if it rains, it can be
slippery.
Morning is usually the best time for a hike because it is cooler. In the summer, plan on starting the hike before
9 am. Carry the water your need. There may be some locals on the mountain selling water and drinks.

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Most people enter at Trail-Head is #1. You pay 3 euros for a pass and receive a trail map. The office that sells
permits is open 8 am to 8 pm. If you begin hiking earlier, you won’t buy a pass but you won’t get the trail map.
Many people hike on their own. Some hike with a guide.
There are many articles and websites on hiking. Search the web for “hiking trails in Kotor Montenegro”,
“hiking to the fortress in Kotor”, or “Climbing city walls in Kotor”.
See http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/05/12/climbing-up-to-kotors-castle-of-san-giovanni/
The trails close to Old Town are judged to be relatively low risk. Beginning at the Church of Our Lady of
Health, the trails are classified as moderate to high risk as shown in red color on the map below. The highest
risk area is walking and climbing next to the old fortification walls near the fortress and St John Church.

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 User Feedback Is Welcome
Goal
My guides are designed to help you plan a great cruise vacation by providing information such as where the
ship docks, location of tourist sites, public transit, walking tour maps, things to see and do, travel issues unique
to the port, etc. Knowledge of ports is important when planning shore excursions because you have to make
many decisions and commitments long before your ship docks. I believe the information in this guide is
accurate, however you are responsible to verify accuracy of the information that you use to plan your vacation.
Information on cruise ports frequently changes such as bus routes, admission fees to sites, rental car locations,
etc. Cruise Critic is the best source for up-to-date, detailed information on travel details for shore excursions,
reviews of cruise ships, etc. There are many knowledgeable people on Cruise Critic who are willing to share
their expertise and travel experience. I highly recommend www.CruiseCritic.com; it's free to join.
Why feedback is important
User feedback helps me make corrections and improve the format and content in my quest to produce the
“ultimate” port guides. I welcome offers to collaborate with me or provide materials for use in my guides.
PLEASE Help “spread the word” about my website
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Copyright Notice & Terms and Conditions for Use of My Guides

My port guides and everything on my website www.TomsPortGuides.com is copyrighted by Thomas Sheridan
with all rights reserved, and protected by international copyright laws.
PERMITTED USE: Personal, non-commercial use of my port guides and/or material from my website.
I allow individuals to take my guides apart for personal, non-commercial use. Many cruisers carry a map or a
few pages from my guide on a shore excursion. That's OK. I also allow people to post my guides on websites
they set up for fellow travelers to share information on shore excursions such as the websites set up by Cruise
Critic members for the Roll Calls. That's OK. My guides are for use and enjoyment of individual travelers.
PROHIBITED USE of my port guides and/or material from my website.
NO person, company, organization, website, etc. is permitted to use material from my website for a commercial
purpose, to sell, require a membership to download my port guides, or use any of my copyrighted material for a
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NO person, company, organization, website, etc. is permitted to distribute excerpts from my guides or material
from my website as electronic, digital, or paper copies. My Port Guides must be kept intact, as downloaded
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NO Cruise Ship employee, representative, contractor, port lecturer, etc. is permitted to distribute excerpts from
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intact, as downloaded from my website, with this copyright notice. A blatant example of violation of my
copyright was a cruise ship docked in Copenhagen where the shore excursion desk personnel removed maps
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Fortunately, a friend of mine on that ship complained to the purser and the ship stopped violating my copyright.
If there is any question about use of my guides, contact me at TomsPortGuides@Gmail.com
Tom Sheridan

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