Kotor fortifications

Finally the strong katabatic winds abated and we were able to hoist our anchor and head to Kotor at the far southeast of the Gulf of Kotor of Montenegro. We took the long path as we cruised all along the coastline checking out the smattering of small towns and villages and depths for possible future anchorages.

We anchored with a few other sailboats close in, near the main pier (N42°25.396' E018°45.967').

The Old Town of Kotor is a centuries old fortified city built by various occupations of ancient controlling cultures of the area. The town has the water's edge at the front and a steep mountain face right up against the back. The fort walls not only encircle and encompass the town at the water but the walls run up one side of the mountain ridge, over the top, and down the other side to complete the circle.

Ashore, we meandered the well preserved Old Town alleys and shops worthy of the recent UNESCO designation.

Luminous lamps for sale

Then we tackled the climb up the switchback steps, past the little church part way, and finally made it to the top, all within the fortified walls. The length of the ascending 1,350 very narrow and rugged stairs and zigzagged paths is 1,200 m that delivers you to the top of the mountain at 266 m above sea level.

Judy on stairs

The amount of stonework to complete the fort and these walls is astonishing, with some walls 20 m high.

Walls and fort buildings with people hiking up

The view of the bays from the top definitely made the climb worthwhile.

Kotor and bays

Switchbacks and Old Town

2 of us at top

From Sea Turtle, we could see the church and path we hiked on the left with an inaccessible portion of the fort walls on the right, and Kotor lit up below along the waterfront.

Fort at night

Simply amazing.