MONTENEGRO - Croatia and Slovenia - page 595

The Old Town's mazelike street plan is confusing, but it's so small and atmospheric
that getting lost is more fun than frustrating. The natives virtually ignore addresses, includ-
ing the names of streets and squares. Most Old Town addresses are represented simply as
“Stari Grad,” then a number (useless if you're trying to navigate by streets). To make mat-
ters worse, a single square can have several names—so one map labels it Trg od Katedrale
(Cathedral Square), while another calls it Pjaca Sv. Tripuna (Piazza of St. Tryphon). My ad-
vice: Don't fret about street or square names. Simply navigate with a map and by asking
localsfordirections.ThankstotheverymanageablesizeoftheOldTown,thisiseasierthan
it sounds.
Tourist Information
The TI is in a kiosk just outside the Old Town's main entrance gate (daily May-Oct
8:00-20:00, Nov-April 8:00-17:00, tel. [phone], www.kotor.montenegro.travel/en ) .
Pick upthe free map andbrowsethe collection ofother brochures. There'safree Wi-Fi hot-
spot around this kiosk; look for the “TOKOTOR” network.
Arrival in Kotor
By Car: Approaching town, you'll first see Kotor's substantial wall, which overlooks a
canal. You can park in one of three pay lots: “Parking Riva,” along the bay immediately
acrossfromthemaingate,istheclosesttotheOldTownbutalsothemostexpensive(€0.90/
hour, to the right just after crossing the bridge by the wall); “Parking Benovo,” in the lot
across the canal (€0.60/hour, on the left just before the bridge by the wall—you'll be sent
backhereifthefirstlotisfull); or“Parking Urc”(€0.50/hour,abitfarther outandalongthe
water). All three are easily walkable from the Old Town entrance. Be sure you've parked
legally, in one of these designated lots; while locals brazenly leave their cars anywhere they
like, tourists get towed without remorse.
By Bus: The bus station is about a half-mile south of the Old Town. Arriving here,
simply exit to the right and walk straight up the road—you'll run into the embankment and
town wall in 10 minutes.
Sights in Kotor
Because of its tangled alleys and irregular street plan, Kotor feels bigger than it is. But after
10 minutes of wandering, you'll discover you're going in circles and realize it's actually
very compact. (In fact, aimless wandering is Kotor's single best activity.) How such a cute
town manages to be so delightfully lazy and traffic-free without being overrun by tourists,
I'll never know (though the recent arrival of cruise ships is threatening Kotor's until-now-
untrampled appeal).