Kotor Old City Walls and the Fortress of Kotor
The Kotor old city walls are one of the main attractions of any visit to Kotor in Montenegro. These ancient stones offer a connection with the town’s history, and are set against the dramatic backdrop of Montenegro’s stunning Bay of Kotor.
The city walls not only encircle the Old Town of Kotor but they also stretch high into the mountains, with sections providing breathtaking views of the area.
There are various ways to experience the old city walls, from the ease of ground-level Kotor’s Old Town, to the steep ascent to St. John’s Fortress. You can even take a mountainside hike along an ancient trail for maximum panoramic views.
In this guide I’ll cover the various options from my own trip to Kotor’s old city walls so that you can decide which is best for you.
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How much does it cost to climb the city walls in Kotor?
The cost to climb the paid-for section of the city walls (fortress) in Kotor is €15 (as of late 2024).
However, there are alternative ways to see and experience different parts of the walls for free. Read on to find out how.
How to get to the Kotor Fortress walls
To take the walk up to to the Kotor fortress, one of the most popular parts of the old city walls, you need to start in the gorgeous UNESCO listed Old Town of Kotor.
The two official entrance points are:
- Near the North River Gate, behind the Church of St. Mary Collegiate.
- The more southerly entrance, next to Konoba Scala Santa restaurant.
Both entrances have signs indicating the way up to the start of the walk and both eventually meet each other on the same route up.
What are the walls like?
When you look up at the mountainside Kotor fortress walls from the Old Town, you might initially struggle to pick them out. The stone ruins slowly appear as your eyes adjust to the scenery which works to camouflage them against the rocky backdrop.
Give your eyes time to adjust and you should start to see the form of the walls more clearly.
If you take on the climb you can visit the Church of Our Lady of Remedy on the way.
The Kotor fortress on the mountain is essentially just ruins. It’s got a rustic charm about it, but the views impress more than the structure.
That’s hardly surprising when you realise that Kotor suffered an earthquake in 1979 which significantly affected the old walls.
It’s thought that the mountainside site of St John’s Fortress, (which is also known as San Giovanni fortress) might date as far back as pre-historic times.
The fortress has been through various incarnations throughout history, including coming under Venetian and Austro-Hungarian control.
The walkways are made of many stone stairs and involve a steep ascent, so take water and wear comfy trainers.
Pro Tip: Kotor gets very busy, especially in summer when the cruise ships are in town. If you can, time your climb up to the fortress for a day when there isn’t a cruise ship in town.
Views
The views up above Kotor from the mountainside are incredible and are one of the main reasons for visiting Kotor. The terracotta-coloured rooftops fill the foreground, whilst dramatic mountains rise and fall into the sea beyond.
The formation of the sea as it snakes around the mountains is a simply stunning view. Take your time to soak the best dramatic views of Kotor in.
Alternative ways to experience the Kotor old city Walls
You don’t have to climb up the old city walls to the Kotor fortress at all. The Old Town is surrounded by ancient walls and if you don’t want, or aren’t able, to climb them, you can just stroll around the town and enjoy impressive views of the walls directly from street level.
The old city gates are particularly worth looking at, and that doesn’t cost anything. You can find the gates at:
- Gurdić Gate and Gurdic Bastion (South)
- River Gate (North)
- Sea Gate (middle) – walk through and emerge straight into the Square of Arms and the Kotor Clock Tower.
Whilst Old Town Kotor is walkable, some attractions and areas pf Kotor require additional transport.
The Ladder of Kotor
Another way to get great free views of the old city walls is by taking a hike up the ‘Ladder of Kotor’.
This hike uses the ancient trade route from Kotor and swerves up the mountain, beside the fortress walls. I hiked this trail and the views from it are stunning.
It’s an easier walk than the stone steps up to the fortress. The path does switchback many times, but the incline is not as steep. It’s also less busy than the huge numbers of people visiting the fortress ruins.
You get just as good views out over Kotor Bay from this hike. So, if you want to save budget, still have amazing views and aren’t particularly bothered about walking around the actual ruins of the fortress on the mountainside, this is a good option.
How to find the start of the Ladder of Kotor hike
Walk to the outside of the Old Town city walls via the River Gate (North Gate). Cross over the bridge and turn right. Keep walking past houses and take a narrow path to the right of the metal gates at the end of the road.
Follow the path around until you start to see the walk rising up the mountains.
Map
I’ve created a map to help you explore Kotor’s old city walls. I’ve marked on it the start of the Ladder of Kotor hike, the entrance points for the fortress walk, the main city gates and the upper cable car station. You’ll also find the cheese shop marked.
What the Ladder of Kotor hike is like
You can choose to hike up just to the St. Juraj Church (also written as Chapel of St. Ivan), which is a ruin that has glimpses of the old blue ceiling and frescos. If you do that, I recommend you also visit the ‘cafe’ with a view, a short distance along.
It’s marked as ‘cheese shop’ on Google maps. This is one heck of a place to take a drink break (and it has flushing toilets).
The family that own this welcome rest spot were so friendly when I visited. They were very laid back and revelled in pointing out the freshly killed goat, curing from a tree, and head to match, soaking nearby in a bucket.
In truth, I was more interested in the playful cats and kittens than the dead goat. Aside from the animals, the views from here really are something else.
I also came across a group of (live) goats on the hike. They spent a short while hanging around and then moved on.
Extending the hike
From the cafe/cheese shop you can head back down to the Old Town or continue up to the viewpoint at the top of this old fort trail.
Or, if you want to extend your hike, you can carry on even further up, through the forest and end up on the main road, P1, at restaurant Nevjesta Jadrana.
I hiked all the way up to the restaurant and there were a few moments in the forest where I questioned my own sanity. The trail seemed to just keep going up and up with no end in sight.
It took about four hours to get to this point but that included time spent at the cheese shop and various other photo breaks along the way
As well as the restaurant, if you like extreme adventures, there’s a zip line a little further up the road at Njeguši.
Of course, what goes up must come down. If you walk all the way, you either have to spend hours going back the way you came, try to arrange a taxi to collect you, or, do as I did, and hike two more hours to the upper Kotor Cable Car station and take that way down the mountain.
If you do the whole thing, make sure you leave yourself loads of time to do it, take supplies, a map (or download the Maps.Me app) and check what time it’s due to get dark.
You’ll also want to check whether the cable car is operating (it won’t run in bad weather, for example high winds).
The cable car was unexpectedly closing early on the day I went and I was very fortunate to get the last ride down before it shut.
You know you’ve done a mammoth hike when the staff at the cable car can’t believe that you only need a one-way ticket.
Climb sections of the Kotor old city walls at night
Another good way to experience the Kotor old city walls is to walk the small central lower sections at night.
From within Kotor’s Old Town there are several sets of small steps that lead up to the old city walls ramparts. You can start at the Gurdić Gate at the southern end of town.
Whilst you can’t explore the fortress ruins from here, it’s a great way to get a sense of what it might have been like in Kotor in the old days. These city centre sections are not well lit in parts, so take a torch if exploring at night.
The lack of light and the views out to the bay of Kotor, with its twinkling evening lights, creates a romantic atmosphere.
You can also look back up the mountain and see those sections of the walls lit up. I was impressed by such a lovely way to display the walls at night.
Climbing these central sections is a fun activity to do at night when you’re in Kotor’s Old Town.
FAQs
How long does it take to walk Kotor walls?
The answer to how long does it take to walk the Kotor walls depends on which route you take, the paid-for fortress route, the free Ladder of Kotor hike or the small section within the town.
Whichever option you choose, the time it takes will also depend on how much you stop for photos and breaks and your own walking speed. Allow at least two hours as a minimum and several hours more if taking the extended Ladder of Kotor hike.
Is the Ladder of Kotor free?
It’s free to walk the Ladder of Kotor hike. This is different from walking up the fortress walls, which you do have to pay for.
Is the ladder of Kotor hard?
The initial section of the Ladder of Kotor is not too difficult as it gently switches back on itself. However, if you choose to continue on past the cafe/cheese shop, the climb becomes much steeper, you’ve been hiking for longer and it does start to feel like more of an effort.