Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It's best to tackle the walls clockwise. (Even if you're not doing the hike, you can visu-
ally trace this route.) Find the entrance at the back-left corner of town (near St. Mary's
Church, through the alley with the two arches over it). Pay the entry fee and begin hiking
up. On the way up, notice the sign explaining that the fortress reconstruction was funded by
the United States (Nov 2004)—if you're a US taxpayer, consider this hike your tax dollars
at work.
First climb as high as the
Church of Our Lady of Health
(Crkva Gospe od Zdravlj).
This is the halfway mark—about 20 minutes from the base at a good pace. While some be-
lieve this church has miraculous healing powers, most everyone agrees it offers some of the
best views down over Kotor.
From this church, you can either cut back down toward the Old Town, or—if you're not
exhausted yet—keep hiking up to the tippy-top
Fortress of St. John
(figure another 25-30
minutes from the church, if you're in decent shape). Built on the remains of fortifications
fromtheIllyrians(youcanscanthethird-century
B.C.
remainsjustbeyondthefort),thiswas
the headquarters for the entire wall network below it. There's not much to see here, but it is
fun to play “king of the castle” exploring the ruined shell—and the views, with 360 degrees
of Montenegrin cliffs, are spectacular.
