Trip to KOTOR

A very amazing town in Montenegro is the wonderful Kotor with around 14'000 inhabitants. It’s situated at the end of the only fjord of the meditarranean. The religious heritage of the land around the bay — its numerous Orthodox and Catholic Christian churches and monasteries — makes it one of the major pilgrimage sites of the region.

The old Mediterranean port of Kotor, surrounded by an impressive city wall built by Serbian House of Nemanjić (Serbian Duke Stefan Nemanja entered Kotor, which surrendered to him peacefully, so he spared the City and built an impressive castle within it) is very well preserved and protected by UNESCO. The downfall of Serbia in 1389 left the city without a guardian, and, after being seized and abandoned in turn by the Venetians and Hungarians, it passed under Venetian rule in 1420. Between 1420 and 1797, Kotor and its surroundings were under the rule of the Republic of Venice and the Venetian influence. The asymmetric structure of the narrow streets and squares, combined with the numerous valuable monuments of medieval architecture, made Kotor an UNESCO "world patrimony".

Not only the unique architectural styles makes this place so wonderful but also the ambient atmosphere of this peaceful town are extreamly captivating.

Here the St Tryphon's Cathedral

In spite of reconstruction over the centuries, remains an outstanding example of romanesque architecture. Originally all the walls were covered with frescos.
The bones of St Tryphon were brought from Constantinople in the 9th century.
Now they are kept in the 14th-century reliquary chapel where there is a frieze of white marble, the work of 18th-century Venetian sculptor Fransesco Cabianca.
Very interesting is the large wooden crucifix.


Aleksa Šantić
BOKA 1906.

Naša mila Boko,
nevjesto Jadrana,
Pokrivena nebom k'o od plave svile,
Ljepša si od tvoje primorkinje
vile I svjetlija od njenog đerdana.

Nikada se tebe nagledao ne bi',
No da mi je jedno:
da postanem valom Sinjega ti mora,
pa pred tvojim žalom
Da vječito šumim i da pjevam tebi.

I da s tobom gledam na tvoj Lovćen plavi,
Pa jednoga dana kad se Gospod javi,
Kad orlovi naši visoko zabrode
I sa tvojih ruka panu gvožđa tvrda,
Da pobjednu himnu slušam s tvojih brda
I da s tobom slavim dan zlatne slobode! "

(a little translated)
Our dear Boka, Adriatic's bride.
Droped with the sky like with silk blue,
Prettier than any Nereid are you,
Upon you beauty you should yourself pride."



Kotor is connected to the Adriatic Motorway and the rest of the coast and inland Montenegro by Vrmac Tunnel. Inland is reachable by detouring from Adriatic motorway at Budva or Sutomore (through Sozina tunnel).
There is also a historic road connecting Kotor with Cetinje, which offers spectacular views of the Kotor bay.