Much like Dubrovnik, Kotor’s Old Town is surrounded by a protective wall. Within the walls are narrow little alleys, charming old buildings rich with history, both Catholic and Orthodox churches, and of course restaurants and outdoor cafes. I spent a few hours wandering around the maze of streets, sat at a cafe for some prime people watching (and second hand smoke), and discovered why Montenegro is going to be the next big thing in European travel.

St. Luke’s Square

Little St. Luke’s Church

St. Nicholas’ Church

Cathedral of St. Tryphon

This building served as prison during Austria’s rule in the mid-19th century.

Entrance to the wall, which I would tackle bright and early the next morning.

Trash and recycling pickup carts!

Every city I visited had a large stray cat population.

The town of Kotor is tucked between a very steep mountain and one of the deepest points of the fjord, which kept it safe from wartime destruction for many centuries. The Old Town is surrounded by a thick protective wall on the bay side and the cliff on the other. There are three entrance gates into Old Town, and as soon as I settled into my sobe (apartment) I went to explore and take in the views.

Skurda River along the northern side of the wall

Northern Gate entrance

View of the wall winding up the cliff

Wall at the Southern Gate

Southern Gate entrance

Main Gate entrance

Bay of Kotor, across from the Main Gate

From Dubrovnik, it was a mere 2-hour bus ride to Kotor town, deep in Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor. “Europe’s newest country” declared independence from Serbia in 2006. While travelers are slowly discovering the raw beauty of this region, it’s still mostly untouched by tourism, so this is the best time to see it. Here I found dramatic mountain views, a gorgeous bay, and towns filled with history and charm. Here are a few pics from the bus on the way to Kotor - my first impressions of this amazing place.

I was told a visit to the little town of Perast, Montenegro was a must-see. Not because there’s anything so exciting to do there, in fact, just the opposite, it’s a sleepy little town, maybe 1/4 mile long, on the edge of the Bay of Kotor. There are 2 little manmade islands just a short distance off-shore. I didn’t have enough time for anything more than a little walk through town and a lovely lunch, but I would highly recommend Perast as a place to relax and refresh, over a big crazy resort town any day.

Beautiful, peaceful Perast

I saw a handful of people fishing, which seems to be the only activity in town.

Island of St. George

Our Lady of the Rocks

Lunch! Kajmak is a local specialty, something like cheese, but not (that’s how the waitress described it to me). You spread it on bread, it was yummy.

The real star of the show was this lightly salted, perfectly grilled seabass, which was served with a garlicky olive oil and lemon. So simple, and the best meal I’ve had on this whole trip!

I had seen and read about the amazing Ostrog Monastery online when I was researching Montenegro, and I was intrigued. Not sure why I wanted to see this so badly, nor did I realize just how difficult it would be to get there. I can’t say I would have done it had I known, but I’m glad I did. The views of the Montenegran countryside were worth it - I would not have seen any of this had I chosen to stick with the standard places people visit. So after many hours on multiple buses, a few mishaps due to my lack of knowledge of the Serbian language, and friendly helpful people who didn’t speak English, but were so eager to help me (and mildly amused), this is what I found.

The monestary is literally built into the side of the mountain.

View from the winding road, heading back down the mountain.