I managed to find the entrance leading to the fortress wall near the North Gate. However, there wasnâ€t anybody manning the ticket booth for the 3 Euro entrance fees…means itâ€s free then. Cheap thrill as told by someone later that the fee is only applicable from May to September…really?

It didnâ€t take long for me to realize that the hike is no walk in the park, especially with my backpack and camera bag starting to weigh in. I totally regretted not leaving my backpack at the luggage facility at Kotor bus station – almost felt like charging up the taller version of Peng Kang Hill under the blazing sun.

The knee-breaking steps of the fortress wall are generally quite well maintained but can be a pain to walk on. There will be occasional uneven and slippery bumps along the way so I suppose a pair of sturdy shoes is a must for safety!

Oh, did I mention also that you might need to keep a lookout for donkeyâ€s poo?

I would advise going slow and steady for the hike up the fortress wall of Kotor as the seemingly endless steps can deplete oneâ€s energy and determination quickly. This young lady was taking the steps in double quick time but gave up eventually barely halfway to the top.

Is this worth the effort? Totally!! The rewarding view makes me stop every now and then to take in the beautiful surroundings, though I also questioned myself whether to continue every time for the rest LOL. But of course, the view from the top kept me motivated.

Great views along fortress wall of Kotor

Seeing the Church of Our Lady of Remedy was a welcoming sight as it makes a very nice foreground subject against the bay. And it also means I have reached the halfway mark, yeah!

Yup, thatâ€s only halfway to the top…more steps to go…

Along the defensive fortress wall are bastions, ramparts, towers and small forts.

Remember the donkeys earlier on? They are valuable helpers to these men hard at work in repairing and restoring the fortress wall of Kotor. The donkeys helped to carry necessary materials for the job.

Finally!! The entrance to St John Fortress!!

Reaching the top of fortress wall

After one thousand plus steps to the top, I finally see the Montenegro flag and the beautiful view of Bay of Kotor up here. What an amazing place!

I descend down the steps reluctantly as my water ran out and I need a toilet break…

Here’s a short video to show the condition of the rugged path.

The restaurants here serve mostly Italian food so I just picked one with a good view of St John fortress. The fish soup and the prawn pasta was really nice. Most importantly, a glass of rewarding beer. Been there, done there, cheers!!

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What are your thoughts about the fortress wall of Kotor? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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So I made a long journey from Belgrade to this lovely town via night train and bus. And itâ€s the same old feeling when I see my single Bedder compartment as per previous night’s train – cold and sleepless. The 10-hour train ride departed from Belgrade station at 20:00 and scheduled to arrive in Podgorica at 06:14.

Similar experience at the border controls with the Serbian officers who stared at my red passport for the longest time before returning to me. Up next was the Montenegro side where the officer rudely demanded to see my VISA. And that’s despite explaining to him itâ€s stated on visit-montenegro.com that Singaporean does not need one. His colleague came over after hearing our debate. He took my passport and went through a document list with it, returning to me thereafter unapologetically…oh whatever.

The Montenegro mountainous terrain is truly a sight to behold.

Upon reaching Podgorica train station, I went straight to the main bus station right across the road to purchase a ticket to Kotor (check out the timetable here). The 2 hour plus ride from Podgorica to Kotor cost 7 Euro and 1 Euro storage fee to keep my backpack in the bus compartment.

The storage fee charges came as a surprise since most Asian countries do not charge for that.

From Kotor main bus station, itâ€s a rather short walk to the old town where the defensive walls are hard to miss. There’s a left luggage service at the bus station that costs 2 Euro.

Along the external walls is like a farmers†market where vendors sell all sort of daily essentials like fruits, vegetables, meat, groceries, and stuff.

The other side of Kotor wall

Do grab a map at the tourist information office just in front of the main gate. The things that caught my eyes after I entered were the ‘not so squarish†town square, its clock tower and the honey-coloured-style of stone buildings. A very charming old town preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From here, the old town spreads out like a labyrinth with its nameless, shaded cobblestone streets. However, the town ainâ€t too big a place to be worry of getting lost within the walls. I didnâ€t set a course of where to go or what to see but merely just wander around rather aimlessly.

Some of the streets will lead you to a dead end, a quiet corner or some of the many cafés around every corner.

Not forgetting the old buildings and churches rich with history.

Once inside the walled town means I cannot see anything beyond the protective walls other than the mountains. Itâ€s almost like being cut off from the outside world LOL. I chanced upon a gate which leads to a moat formed by the mountain water. Finally get to see beyond the ancient walls!

Maritime Museum of Kotor

I also checked out the smallish Maritime Museum showcasing the seafaring history of Montenegro. Before I proceed to hike up the imposing Kotor fortress.

The display of traditional weapons, equipment, costumes, treasure chests makes it one interesting to be.

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What are your thoughts about Kotor old town? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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