Suggestions for Kotor, Montenegro?

[CCAustin]

Kotor is an amazing sail-in as so many have already stated. It is a wonderful place to wander on your own and easy to come up with your own walking tour.

 

When we were there some years ago if you did a search for info on Kotor you came up with Knights of the Old Republic- something from Star Wars. lol! They are more resources now.

 

I had found someones photo of the map before you enter the gate and had cropped and printed it out. Everyone was asking where I had gotten it.

 

It's easy to get turned around, but small enough to never be lost.

 

http://dominicus.malleotus.free.fr/montenegro/img/ville_close_kotor_001_%28plan_vieille_ville,_2010-05-30%29.jpg

[roothy123]

Kotor is an amazing sail-in as so many have already stated. It is a wonderful place to wander on your own and easy to come up with your own walking tour.

 

When we were there some years ago if you did a search for info on Kotor you came up with Knights of the Old Republic- something from Star Wars. lol! They are more resources now.

 

I had found someones photo of the map before you enter the gate and had cropped and printed it out. Everyone was asking where I had gotten it.

 

It's easy to get turned around, but small enough to never be lost.

 

http://dominicus.malleotus.free.fr/montenegro/img/ville_close_kotor_001_%28plan_vieille_ville,_2010-05-30%29.jpg

 

Wow, thanks for that map! I hadn't seen that one before! I'll have to see if I can print out a readable copy. And yes, luckily there are a lot more resources now for finding out things about Kotor. I'm obsessed with those two islands in the Bay, and the church and fortress above Kotor. There is way more there than I have time to see, but I guess that's true of a lot of cruise ports!

 

So far, the best maps I've found are the one in Rick Steves' Croatia/ME book, as it's pretty basic (maybe too much so - I'll see later when I go) and the one from openstreetmaps - has cafes noted, as well as landmarks.

[Gourmet Gal]

Just save the kmage kn your phone so no need to print.

[roothy123]

Just save the kmage kn your phone so no need to print.

 

Oh, yes, thanks for reminding me that this is 2015 and I actually have a smartphone that takes pictures! And, for the first time, I'll have a phone that works in Europe with unlimited data and text. By the way, I notice you're going same place I'm going next month - Venice to Istanbul! (Not on Silversea, though!)

[celebrity]

I was on a Star Clipper Cruise. It's a great experience but totally different than an ocean liner.

 

Star Clipper is definitely on my bucket list.

Thanks for the info.

[Gourmet Gal]

Just noticed all my typos. I'm losing it! Roothy, I think this will be a great cruise no matter which cruiseline. Every single port will be a new one for me and we are really looking forward to it. Enjoy!

[TLCOhio]

Yes the Bay of Kotor is absolutely stunning. For those two hours stay up on deck. Hopefully your ship will give commentary as ours did as you pass the points of interest.

 

Do strongly agree that the Bay of Kotor is absolutely stunning. Need proof or real evidence? Here below are a few of my visual from being there and around. YES, it is smart to be up early for the scenic sail-in. PLUS, for being the higher/top or forward deck to experience the sailing out from Kotor.

 

Plus, for added pictures and details, check out this posting: Wonderful Kotor and nearby Montenegro? Have had over 24,541 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

Don't be shy! Let us know any added questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 202,996 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474[/b

 

 

From going high above Kotor, this is a little of the view of the fjord bay on a spectacularly sunny day. Getting up early to do the sail-in for these dramatic scenery was great fun and interesting. Here’s our bus driver going to up, back and forth, through twenty-seven serpentine twists and turns to rise up the 4000’ high mountain above Kotor as we headed to the old Royal Capital of Cetinje. You can see our cruise ship down below tendered in the scenic harbor.:

 

 

 

This is the walled gate as we entered Kotor to see in various historic buildings, many churches and shops. YES, they have lots of shops, whether needed or not!!:

 

 

 

Kotor has a population of 13,500 and its city wall was built by the Republic of Venice. The Venetian influence remains predominant in the city's architecture. Here is a view of a portion of those walls and two different church domes. Kotor was settled during Ancient Roman times and has been fortified since the early Middle Ages. The city was part of the Venetian Republic 1420-1797, except for periods of Ottoman rule between 1538–1571 and 1657-1699. In the 1800’s, it was under the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and then for time under the French Empire. After 1918, the city became a part of Yugoslavia. In 1979 major earthquake hit the Montenegrin coastal area and destroyed half of Kotor.:

 

 

 

As you sail in and out of Kotor, you see these two island with church built on them. Near Perast there are two small islands: one is called St. George island, and the other called Gospa od Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Rock), and each has a picturesque chapel. Gospa od Škrpjela is particularly interesting given that it is the only artificially built island in the Adriatic These are not natural island, but built up there over the years. Spectacular sighting.:

 

 

 

This is a close up of the mountain fortress that overlooks Kotor and the fjord bay.:

 

 

 

This high and wide view of Kotor shows the overall area, including the Bay of Kotor. It is one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. This bay is sometimes called the southern-most fjord in Europe. It is actually a submerged river canyon. Kotor has seen a significant increase in tourism, attracted by the Gulf’s natural beauty and the old town of Kotor that is a World Heritage Site.:

 

[marknickname]

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Usually do not write the review after a trip but this time I made an exception and decided to mention how delighted I am Kotor and Montenegro. Perast and the island have left a very strong impression on me, and I suggest to all those who have time to visit the island of Our Lady of the Rocks and the church. We did it with http://www.monttravelers.com and so we had answers to all our questions and guide for the museum on the island. View from the wall around Kotor(with 1350steps) compared to the view from the old road towards the town of Cetinje seems only as a challenge to your physical fitness :-)

Cheers,

 

 

 

Marco

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Last time we sailed the Bay of Kotor I timed the ship. The sailing time between Perast and the two Islands (St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks) to the docks of Kotor was about 45 minutes. Docking took another 15 minutes. It depends on what you wish to see but I would say give it an hour before scheduled arrival and you won't miss anything. You also have another opportunity to view the same scenery during sail out (and in better sunlight).

 

Thanks. That was going to be my question - if you don't go out the way you came in. Often I am up early (I seem to have been absent the day they passed out the "sleep in ability" genes. Ha!), but given how port intensive the cruise will be, I may be craving every moment of sleep and waiting until then last minute to get up and ready. Knowing that we'll see the same things on the way out (and as you pointed out in better light) will help me to relax a bit. :)

[TLCOhio]

Thanks. That was going to be my question - if you don't go out the way you came in. Often I am up early (I seem to have been absent the day they passed out the "sleep in ability" genes. Ha!), but given how port intensive the cruise will be, I may be craving every moment of sleep and waiting until then last minute to get up and ready. Knowing that we'll see the same things on the way out (and as you pointed out in better light) will help me to relax a bit. :)

 

Sleep?? Who needs sleep? After our stop in Kotor, we had a couple of sea days as we sailed back to Barcelona. That made it easier to get up early, early to do the sail-in for Kotor. And, after your vacation, you can always rest more when you return home. Right?? The ports and options are amazing in the Med. Hate to miss these world-class treats. Yes, these cruises are very "port-intensive". That is a big part of the fun and challenge.

 

Lighting and "angles" can be different on the sail-in versus the sail-out. Lots of factors to consider.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 116,935 views for this posting.

[roothy123]

You guys are funny. However, two sea days on a Med trip? That doesn't sound port intensive to me! If there's more than one sea day, I get unhappy!

 

I've "looked" at a lot of ships going to/from Kotor on marinetraffic, and pretty much all of the big or medium cruise ships take about the same amount of time to pass the two islands - the 45 minutes suggested above.

 

Forgive me if I posted this before, but: The only thing that is a bit chancy about getting up for the sail-in is the fact that just because a ship's itinerary calls for the ship to arrive at a particular time does not mean it will get there then. Sometimes the ship will get into the port (or anchorage spot) early and you miss what you thought you'd see. Maybe the only way to get a better idea of when the ship will actually arrive is to ask the captain the night before if possible, or look on marinetraffic.com to see what the expected arrival time is. (To "UTC" time you must add a couple hours or so to get local time, or perhaps ask MT to display local time rather than UTC.) Even so, as we all know, arrival can be a bit off schedule. However, if you sleepers miss the sail-in, as noted, there's always the sail out! (Just hope for good weather!)

 

Terry, you're a photographer. Is there a website that predicts what kind of light/shading etc. will exist throughout the day in a given location? I think there is, but I haven't gotten advanced enough in my researching and photography skills to be able to find and use it.

Edited August 24, 2015 by roothy123

[Gourmet Gal]

Just had an excellent tour with Milo. Have to echo all the nice comments about him. He is a very conscientious, hardworking tour guide and was very informative.