Kotor Montenegro

#Kotor_Montenegro

Kotor is located on the Adriatic Sea & was founded in the 5th century BC.
Known for its fortifications, churches, medieval old town & narrow cobblestone streets
 So needless to say tourism is on the rise because of all of this

One of the more interesting stops was the Maritime Museum ($37.00 US) because of its strategic location to the sea, so the city has had a long tradition as a port
 The museum is located inside the palace previously owned by the Grgurina family & was founded in 1880

  KeyTip; Things to do/see for free

A) Walk around the Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site) & make sure to see the old palazzos (beautiful buildings / palaces) that were once owned by the Noble Families (as mentioned the Grgurina Clan) as they were turned into museums & boutique hotels (visit the lobbys to see the antiques, stairways & statuettes) 
 B) Stroll on the Kotor Promenade near the Boka Bay & perhaps see when the local fishermen return from a days work plus maybe view the sunset if here during that time
C) St Nichola Orthodox Church  in Old Town
 D) Hike the Kotor Serpentines which is an old caravan road that rises 900 meters / 3000 feet
 E) Walk on the walls of Old Town  to see the rooftops & also the views overlooking the bay 
 F) Church of St Luka which dates back to 1195
G) Kampana Tower located near the mouth of the River Scurda & the Bay of  Kotor which from the tower you can see all of Kotor.
 Also if here at night they light up the tower & the walls for a great photo opportunity

Much of Kotors medieval fortifications remain intact even though there was a major earthquake in 1979 The wall around the town runs for 4.5kms ( 3 miles) & some of it rises 20 meters (65 feet) with the highlight; the main gate dates back from the 1500s

Some churches do require an entrance fee so the currency of Montenegro is the Euro even though officially its not a member yet.
 But moving forward; Serbia & Montenegro are the most advanced candidates to join the EU sometime between 2025-2030

Some of the Romanesque designed churches.
 As with everything the Romans did, it served a purpose;
 The arched portals (entrances) into the church was built this way to impress or even humble the viewer, as in the Middle Ages most of the people did not read or write......so the portals told a narrative story

Making my way into an outdoor restaurant & like the rest of the Balkans, Montenegro like their grilled meat called cevlapi  (kebabs) which is cooked in front of you on hot coals

 Other Options;
  A) Borek; is a pastry with spicy lamb meat, currants & pine nuts
  B) Black Risotto; a seafood rice dish
C) Bajadera; a dessert with layered nougat, almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts
 D) Silverbeet  (a chard & no, not the same as spinach 😄) with potatoes cooked in a garlic sauce
  E) Calamari; stuffed with prosciutto & cheese 

  KeyTip; Choosing a place to eat; the farther it is from the coast & the tourist streets, the lower the price plus the bigger the portions

Because it was part of the Venetian Republic (1420-1797)  you have all of its architecture
 But also other influences as well;
  In the 1300s Venice became wealthy through its control of trade between Europe & the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia & the Middle East) because it built a large national shipyard which produced the Venetian Arsenal
Koto (with its port) helped to maintain the control of this area with a stopping point for some of these ships

English is certainly spoken here because of the increase of tourism but the official language of Montenegro is Montenegrin with also Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian & Albanian widely used & recognized within the country

Heading to the most unique shopping area in Kotor; its Bazaar which is located in an abandoned Dominican Monastery 
You can actually pay a small fee to dress up like a medieval warrior or become an archer & try to shooting some arrows

During World War Two, Italy (under Benito Mussolini) annexed the area of Kotor (1941-1943)
  Then came Nazi Germany who replaced the defeated Italians which resulted in a guerrilla war within Montenegro who was fighting for democracy.
Finally in 1944 the war of liberation had been won & to acknowledge the contribution from Montenegro it became of of the six republics of Yugoslavia
 

This is the start of the 1350 step climb to the St. George Fortress (Fortress of San Giovanni) which my only complaint was half way up there was a gate & an 8 Euro fee (which is fine but the mobile credit card device signal was not good, so took forever to get it to work......so bring cash)
Not much of the castle remains plus only a few of the ruins can be visited, but the views are great so well worth the effort

If thinking of buying a house or apartment in Kotor you first you have to register a company in Montenegro
But certainly contact a local law firm to explain all the Laws on Proprietary & Ownership Rights

The weather in Kotor is seasonal; with July the hottest month (26C) & January being the coldest (5C) So with these old structures heating becomes an issue, if again you are thinking of ownership

Kotor was founded around 2000 years ago, now i am not sure how old these shutters are (showing its age) but i KNOW they are not from that time period 😄

Walking on the Fortification Walls of Old Town to get a peek of some of the 13,000 citizens way of life in historic Kotor 

Entering into an area they call the Salad Square which was has a palace from the Vrakjen Family from the 14th Century

The Church of Our Lady of Health was built during the Middle Ages which was the time period of the plague that killed many people
 It was when Venice asked the Mother of God for help, then the fatalities stopped
 So more of these churches were built throughout the Venetian Empire

Moving forward as i leave Kotor.... i get the feeling she is looking out for all of us, especially after our time in history with the COVID Pandemic