Hiking the city walls to St John’s Fortress in Kotor

Located along the Adriatic coastline, in one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean, lies the city of Kotor. One of the best activities to do in Kotor is hiking to St John’s Fortress, also known as Castle of San Giovanni.

The old town of Kotor is beautifully preserved with medieval and Venetian influences and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Complete with narrow lanes, old churches, cobbled streets and charming squares, Kotor is definitely the crown jewel of Montenegro.

The best way to see Kotor is from the top, by climbing up the city walls. The continuous views of red rooftops set against the backdrop of mountains with cliffs dropping into the shimmering blue-green waters must be seen to be believed. Yes, it is a lot of hard work but the panoramic views are certainly worth it.

Looking for more hikes with panoramic views? Read my post on Hiking to Oia in Santorini.

About the hike

The hike to St John’s Fortress consists of 1350-odd stone steps and takes about 2 to 2.5 hours (up and down). Since we visited Kotor in the month of July, it was hot and sunny as one would expect in the peak summer. Despite his protests, I managed to convince Mr AW that starting the Kotor fortress hike early morning is the best way to beat the crowds as well as the heat – which he thanked me for later 😀

The fact that we spent a relaxed evening in Perast the previous day helped too. Here are some things to do in Perast, a lovely day trip from Kotor.

We entered the old town (Stari Grad) from the North Gate (Sjeverna Vrata) and started our hike from Point A as shown in the map image below.

Note: Refer the map for the starting point in case you are entering from the Sea Gate (Morska Vrata) or the South Gate (Južna Vrata).

We realised, very soon, that this is no easy stroll. As I huffed and puffed my way up, I made a mental note to myself that I needed to hit that gym more frequently! Luckily, the opportunities to click pictures were plenty, thus offering the excuses to take breaks 😉

For an easy walking trail near London, read my post on Walking the White Cliffs of Dover.

The trail consists of basically a stone stairway all the way up to the fortress. It is quite narrow in parts, especially in the beginning and there is no way two people can pass each other. One will have to step aside on the rocky, gravelly path running parallel. All the more reason to start early and avoid the busy afternoons when cruise ships dock at the port.

All along the way, we encountered the ruins of the fortifications that were designed to keep the intruders at bay and consist of gates, ramparts, towers and bastions. We also saw a little church called the Church of Our Lady of Remedy.

The route is straightforward without a chance of getting lost. It was only once when there was a fork in the way and we had to make a decision about which way to go. We chose to go left on our way up. It was a shorter route but we needed to clamber through a window-like structure to continue our hike. While coming down, we chose the longer but easier route on the right side.

When we reached the summit, which is the remnants of the castle, not only did I feel a sense of achievement but awe and gratitude too. I was standing amidst a piece of history, surrounded by people from around the world looking over the buildings of the old town, the fjord-like Kotor bay, the anchored boats, and the villages in the distance.

Going down was easier than climbing up except for the fact that there was no shade and it was very sunny. Also, it had started to get very busy. It wasn’t long before we were back in the old town, with the aim to get lost in its narrow alleys.

Good to know

Make sure you carry water with you and wear appropriate shoes, hat and SPF. You may find some kiosks that sell water, beer, etc. on the way up.

If you are into serious hiking, you can also try the Ladder of Cattaro trail. Do you see the zig-zag path?

If you find it too difficult to climb all the way up to the top, try to get to a point where you are happy with the views and then return. It’s alright if you don’t reach the summit.

Opening times: 8 am to 8 pm
Ticket: 8€ per person
Time needed: 2 to 2.5 hours

To get an idea of the hiking trail, here’s a picture of it illuminated at night. How beautiful does it look?

I hope you find this post useful if you too are planning to hike to St John’s Fortress in Kotor. If you enjoyed this post, please leave me a comment and don’t forget to share on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest. After all, sharing is caring 😉

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Cheers,
Ameeta xx