Contents
- 1 Kotor’s City Walls Only 1350 Steps To The Top
- 2 Where is Montenegro
- 3 Montenegro Map
- 4 Kotor City Walls Map
- 5 Kotor City Walls Walk Only 1350 Steps To The Top Are You Ready
- 6 Where to Stay in Kotor
- 7 Kotor Restaurants
- 8 Things To Do in Kotor
- 9 Essential Information When You Visit Kotor
- 10 How To Get To Kotor
- 11 Cheap Flight Deals to Kotor Montenegro
- 12 Car Rental in Montenegro
- 13 Visa Information for Montenegro
- 14 Travel Insurance
Kotor’s City Walls Only 1350 Steps To The Top
Kotor’s City Walls – only 1350 steps to the fort that overlooks the Bay of Kotor. Sounded easy! On arrival into Kotor Montenegro by bus a few days prior, the imposing wall, church and fort towered over the city and the Bay of Kotor. We knew that we would climb the Kotor City Walls of 1200 metres and that the 1350 steps would not deter us.
Maybe the crowds would, but if we started when the gate opened at 8 am in the morning, hopefully, we would beat them and also beat the high temperatures at that time of the year. You don’t need to hire a local Kotor guide to climb Kotor walls.
(Editor Update 2021)
Montenegro was always on our mind to visit but when Lonely Planet announced that Montenegro was one of its top destinations in 2016 we just had to visit.
FAQs for Visiting Kotor’s City Walls
What are the opening times to visit Kotor Walls?
From May through to September the walls are open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm.
What are the best months to visit?
The best months to visit are April, May and September. You may experience some rain and the stone path could be slippery during these months.
How long will it take to visit?
On average around 2 hours – 3 hours.
But first, some reading needed to be done so that we could make the most of our 2 weeks.
Where is Montenegro
Montenegro is part of the Balkans and is one of the oldest European states. Montenegro has over 290km of coastline and is classified as part of southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Montenegro borders the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Albania and the Adriatic Sea.
Montenegro Map

Kotor City Walls Map

Kotor City Walls Walk Only 1350 Steps To The Top Are You Ready
Starting at the North Gate in Kotor Old Town (which dates from 1540) at 8.15 am we paid our entrance fee of 3 euros per person (2020 price is now 8 euros) and started the long ascent. It is always wise not to count the steps, I tend to do that, but chatting and stopping for the many photographic opportunities took my mind off it. Anyway, it was 520 steps to the small church on the hill of St John – Our Lady of the Health. (no I did not count them, promotional material gave me the information)
Our Lady of the Health Church Kotor

Our Lady of the Health Church was constructed as a votive church during the 15th century in baroque style but with a gothic arch. The Church tower with 3 bells was an added addition during the 18th century, the bells are famous, they were made in the bell foundry De Poli in Vittorio Veneto (Italy).

The crypt inside the small church relates to the Kotor family – Bolic. In the front of the church lies the tomb of Count Anton Lukovic, a citizen of Kotor.

Kotor experienced the effects of the plague during 1435 where it wiped out most of the town including the Canons of the church. Fears abounded that the powerful walls and the soldiers were not enough to protect the town, they needed God’s protection as well – our Lady of the Health Church was constructed to provide God’s protection over the city and its peoples.
At this point of the climb, you can stop and sit down on the concrete benches and enjoy the view of Kotor Bay glistening below. Believe me, take the time to rest at this point, you are only a little over one-third of the way there.
The walls date back to medieval times and were gradually built over quite a lengthy period between the 9th and 19th century. The walls form an arch over the sheer cliffs of the Hill of St John and are 4.5 kilometres in length, the breadth ranges from 2 and 16 metres and the height varies up to 20 metres in certain sections. At night it is a spectacular sight, at intervals, there are lights creating a magical archway around the mountain.
Castle of St John Kotor

1200 metres later you reach the Castle of St John (260 metres above sea level). The Castle is a crumbled ruin, but you can still climb over some of the ramparts for awesome views over the Port of Kotor. The earthquakes of 1563, 1667 and the most recent one in April 1979 caused damage to the fort. The 1979 earthquake caused quite a lot of damage in Kotor and to the fort. Kotor has listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as well as the List in Danger during 1979 just after the earthquake.

Back down the stairs, we head, facing hundreds of visitors coming up. Alongside the steps, there is a very slippery rocky pathway that we had to use many times to allow those coming up to pass by.

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To Travel Too Tips for Kotor’s City Walls Only 1350 Steps
- Start early, the sun will be behind you as you climb up
- Bring plenty of water, there is water for sale but at a price
- Be prepared for the whole climb to take about 2 hours
- Wear hiking shoes
- Be prepared to take lots of photos
Where to Stay in Kotor
Our recommendation:
We stayed at the Old Mariner Guest House Kotor
The Old Mariner Guest House in Kotor is located on the other side of the Bay in a quiet area called Prcanj. It is only a 5 euro taxi to the old town. We would certainly recommend the accommodation for couples, families and solos.
More Kotor Hotels
For a more comprehensive list on hotels and accommodation in Kotor click our link below. We use Hotels Combined who work with over hundreds of hotel databases to bring you the most comprehensive guide on prices and information for all hotels in Kotor.
Airbnb Kotor
Airbnb has a range of properties in Kotor to suit all travellers and budgets.
Kotor Restaurants
For a list of the recommended restaurants in Kotor Click here
Things To Do in Kotor
More articles to inspire you to visit Montenegro:
You may be interested in our blog on a tour that we did with 360monte to North Montenegro.
You may like to read our post on what to do in Kotor.
You can also catch our Youtube video on Kotor and our North Montenegro Tour.
Pro-Tip
The Old Town Kotor is a great town to wander through, enjoy a meal or just a coffee.
Some recommended reading in preparation for your visit to Kotor in Montenegro.
Essential Information When You Visit Kotor
How To Get To Kotor
There are 3 airports:
Cheap Flight Deals to Kotor Montenegro
Car Rental in Montenegro
Visa Information for Montenegro
Do you need a Visa for Montenegro – you can check below.
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Great article, beautiful country! 🙂
Thanks for your comments.
Those 1350 steps sounds interesting. I dig heritage and architectural angle in my trips and it’s amazing to see that it has even made to UNESCO listing. It was a nice read.
Hi Stuti
Thanks for your comments. It is an amazing view when you reach the top. Kotor is magical.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
The climb up 1350 steps is so worth it – look at that view from on top of the fort. Simply incredible! The 3 Euro entry is not bad and so good that you started nice and early in the morning to avoid the crowds. I agree with you – don’t count the steps. Plus when you continue chatting away and stopping along the way for photos, you don’t realise how far you’ve actually gone. And in the end it’s so worth the exercise up because it looks so beautiful! Plus to see a UNESCO protected place is wow!
Hi Soraya
Thanks for your comments. Hope you get to do the climb one day.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Montenegro is on my list as well! The ruins and churches all look beautiful. The Castle of St. John looks especially fascinating. Thank you for sharing about your trip- I’m saving this for the future.
Hi Leah
Thanks for your comments. You will love visiting Kotor
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Your post and beautiful pictures from Kotor city walls reminded me about our trip to Montenegro some years ago. Climbing to the top of St.John Fortress was very tiresome, but the view from up there it’s worth every effort. The little church of Our Lady of the Health was closed when we were there however, so I’m glad I could see it in your photos.
Hi Anda
Thanks for your comments. Sorry to hear that the church was closed.
Such an amazing view from the top.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Kotor is an interesting place and so is the city wall. I would not mind taking the 1350 steps up to the top to get such a great view. It is really nice to read about such spectacular places of the world.
Hi Shreya
Thanks for your comments. 1350 steps is so worth it!
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Those are amazing views and I think even I would attempt to climb all 1350 steps just to be able to see it for myself. Kotor is on my list of places to visit – i thought via a cruise stop – but looking at your pictures i start to think that may be a little too short stop. Thanks!
Hi Adele
Thanks for your comments. I think you may need more than a cruise stop to enjoy Kotor.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
What an immersive virtual tour of Kotor…I was literally taking one step at a time as you narrated. No, I wasn’t counting the steps either. This place deserves its place in the UNESCO Heritage list and it is wonderful to know about the Kotor family through this post. Looking forward to visiting this place in the near future 🙂
Hi
Thanks for your comments. It was an amazing walk, and I would do it again.
Cheers Jane and Duncan