Get to Know More about Kotor, Old Town in Montenegro
- Jason Rogers/Wikimedia
VIVA – Oviously, Indonesian people know about the Kotor word as an adjective that describes a dirty or unclean. But, in Europe, Kotor is the name of city that located on the Gulf coast of Montenegro.
The UNESCO World Heritage listed Kotor Old Town is among the most enchanting fortified town centres on the Adriatic, and a worthy rival to Dubrovnik or Split.
So far, Kotor is the most popular tourist attraction. The city is characterized by its authentic Old Town: A maze of cobbled streets, narrow lanes, stone churches and orange-roofed houses encased in a fortification wall and set against a backdrop of towering mountains.
The History of Kotor Old Town
The old town of Kotor was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Therefore, the site of the old city of Kotor is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. The walls in the old city of Kotor stretch for 4 kilometers leading to the San Giovanni Fort and have protected Kotor for more than a hundred years.
Kotor has also been an important city since the early Middle Ages because of its strategic location in the bay where ships docked. From 1420 to 1979, Kotor was part of the Venetian Republic. Even so, many of the city's architecture is Venetian style.
Here’s the list of interesting places in Kotor Old Town that must be visited:
1. Fort San Giovanni
Fort San Giovanni is a place where tourists can see the dirty city view from above. The peak of Fort San Giovanni is at an altitude of 280 meters above sea level.
Tourists will see the beautiful view of the city of Kotor and the expanse of blue waters of the Bay of Kotor.
2. The Cat Museum
The Cat Museum in Kotor saves a collection of unusual cat works ranging from writings, coins, lithographs, and others. Even the cat museum in Kotor saves cat artifacts from World War I.
3. Church of St. Nicholas
The Church of St. Nicholas is an Orthodox church with a large dome architecture rising to the roof with Roman style details. Built in the early 20th century, this church has the impression of an ancient era.
Not only that, in this church there is a beautiful iconostasis (painting) drawn by a Czech painter named Frantisek Ziegler in 1908.
4. Blue Cave
Named Blue Cave because the light that hits the bottom of the beach then bounces up the cave through the water. So, the entire cave looks blue.
Tourists can see a blue light shining out of the cave as it approaches. But if tourists want to see more clearly, tourists have to go into the cave and dive into the water.
5. Tanjga Family Restaurant
Tanjga Family Restaurant is one of the favorite restaurants in Kotor. This culinary place is popular for its traditional Montenegrin barbecue cooked by professional butchers.
