Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bay of Kotor Highlights
Randomly roaming the atmospheric laneways of
Kotor's Stari Grad
(Old Town,
Click here
) until you're at
least a little lost
Winding your way to dizzying views on the snaking
back road from Kotor to Lovćen National Park
(
Click
here
)
Admiring the baroque beauty of historic
Perast's palazzos and churches
(
Click here
)
Cooling off in the shade with an icy beverage on
Herceg Novi's Trg Herceg Stejpana
(
Click here
)
Hiking up to peaceful views and heartbreaking ruins in the village of
Gornji Stoliv
(
Click here
)
Losing yourself within the olive groves in the remote byways of the
Luštica Peninsula
(
Click here
)
Paddling your way to island fortresses, remote beaches and sea caves on a
kayaking day tour
(
Click here
)
History
While it overlaps at times, this geographically compact area's history stands at a slight re-
move from that of the rest of Montenegro. Like most of the eastern Adriatic, the Boka was
populated by the Illyrian tribes. The bay subsequently became part of the Roman province
of Dalmatia and before long lavish Roman villas sprang up along Risan's waterfront. By
the end of the 5th century, with the empire crumbling under barbarian incursions from the
north, the Bay of Kotor briefly fell into the hands of the Ostrogoths and then the Slavic
tribes.
The Slavic clans of the Boka lived in virtual city states, maintaining allegiances to both
the west (Rome) and east (Byzantium). Kotor was eventually incorporated into the prin-
cipality of Duklja, considered a forerunner of modern Montenegro. At the time of the mo-
mentous split between the western (Catholic) and eastern (Orthodox) churches in 1054,
Duklja was politically tied to Rome, but by 1190 was annexed by Raška (soon to be
known as Serbia) and an Orthodox bishopric was established. Kotor and Perast, however,
continued to have a largely Catholic population and to exercise a degree of autonomy.
In 1379 Bosnian King Tvrtko assailed the Bay of Kotor. Kotor resisted by aligning itself
with Venice but the Bosnians took large parts of the bay and in 1382 founded the port
town of Herceg Novi. By 1463 Bosnia, together with its territory in the Boka, had fallen to
the Ottomans Turks.
Kotor survived a siege by the Ottomans in 1538 with the assistance of supplies from
Montenegro (now established in the mountains behind it). Risan wasn't so lucky, falling
