Off The Beaten Path: Kotor

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DESIGN, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS

Church of St. Nicholas,

Kotor, Montenegro.

My favorite places,

are less traveled and uncrowded.

Kotor is exactly such a place. It is charming, unspoiled and an explorers paradise.

Kotor is one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic.

It is a desiginated as two separate Unesco World Heritage Sites. First, for it’s buildings of medieval significance, and secondly for it’s Venetian defensive structures built at the height of Venetian power in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Cheers to you from the first in a series of ‘Off the Beaten Path Places’ in our small world~

179 thoughts on “Off The Beaten Path: Kotor”

  3. Looking at these beautiful photos, I am reminded of Tuscany and now want to go back. I know it’s not in Italy but the Medieval architecture is similar all over those regions.
    Beautiful photos, Cindy.

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  15. Sixteen hours and fifty minutes travel time from here to there. I looked it up along with maps and more. Beautiful. No question at all. Neither being to your taste after your description of The Holler. The more wild side with rough edges. Past my time sorry to say, but I recall some friends living in Truchas, New Mexico. About 8K elevation, enough to feel the thinner air. Houses all but one, genuine adobes. Want water – hike down a few hundred feet to a spring with plastic bottles in hand. But you learn a different sort of appreciation and self enablement. But curious – where’s the people? Pretty obvious you have a view of the world much bigger than me (or most of us). Thank you for making your life visible. You are a gift.

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    1. Many don’t realize that there are people in our country who hike and carry their water in plastic bottles. In Monument Valley, I talked to a Navajo who told me that many elders live in their valley with no running water or plumbling. It gets up to 99F in the summer in the valley. I do have photos of people, mostly adorable children in Kotor and cats and dogs. There were lots of well taken care of children and pets which is lovely to see. Thank you sincerely for your kind thoughts Neil. You are most appreciated my friend დ

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  16. We also prefer to travel to places that have fewer people though that is sometimes impossible. Kotor looks lovely and historic, and it would be a place we would love to visit. Thank you for sharing.

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  21. These are wonderful – there are so many details in each photo, almost like a little plot happening that you just have to pause and explore before scrolling to the next picture. And each structure and paths/street are so clean!

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    1. You have an eye! And you are correct. Perfectly clean. No trash like more traveled places. Pampered pets and beautiful, well cared for children. Like the land that time forgot დ

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  29. I love places off the beaten track and have discovered some fabulous places here in Spain. Kotor looks wonderful. Thanks for the picture tour.

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    1. You are most welcome Darlene. I am happy you enjoyed. These places are everywhere, if you look carefully. Honestly they are my favorites. You actually can feel apart of daily life in such places, not part of the touring hordes. The first ones I found were by accident and I realized I liked them better than my actual destination! დ

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      1. You said it wonderfully. Yes, it’s “old, beautiful and unspoiled.”
        Have a wonderful weekend and hope you get some rain where you are. In the bay area. It’s been raining since afternoon till now.

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  34. Have visited there and how I agree with you about crowds. Am glad that I went to Barelona years ago. Too many people and it is not possible to get the same sense of place. Glad you liked Montenegro

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    1. Unfortunately true about so many places. I am also very glad I visited before the crowds. US National Parks (except for the good off the beaten track ones) are mobbed. Most major European tourist destinations are the same. Canada has a huge crowd problem in the more visited National Parks. I have found the best time to visit Italy is in the dead of winter. It may be cold. but it is beautiful, and you have the Uffizi to yourself. Priceless! დ

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  36. I first visited Kotor when I went on a bus and boat trip to the area from near Dubrovnik. My husband and I were amazed at Kotor’s walled city. It is at the bottom of a bay and isn’t immediately visible till you turn a corner into the bay and then Voila! We only had time to see the town on that trip but were so taken with it that we went on holiday to Budva in Montenegro a few years ago and we spent a whole day there. The main idea was to go walking up the city walls. It was 31 degrees in a glorious sunny day. I was wearing a thick cotton dress. When we finished the dress was saturated in sweat. We sat down at a cafe and each drank over two litres of water before we could eat anything. It is a wonderful place to visit.

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    1. I love this! This sounds like great travel to me. The kind of detailed memories that will last forever. So happy you have experienced this magical place დ

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  38. Absolutely gorgeous. The architecture itself speaks of a different pace of life. We’re in a small town in Northern Virginia right now where everyone seems to know everyone else. A very different, and quite pleasant, experience. Your photos look to be the same kind of atmosphere.

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    1. I can imagine the beautiful art you would create from the experience Leslie. I am so sorry for your loss dear friend. I know how hard it is for you დდ

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  56. Now I see where the color venetian blue comes from. Thank you for sharing this lovely place. I hope it remains off the beaten path.

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    1. I am honored Terri. Please do. You can always use my photos. Just site the source once please. I will include interior shots of the church soon. Cheers to you Terri & thank you my friend დ

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  64. Gorgeous, Cindy. You take the Road Less Traveled too! Stellar photography! I am in awe. There is another site called the Bespoke Traveler. Have you ever looked at it? Thanks for sharing.

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      1. My pleasure. A sunny day after rain and cold weather. The outdoors beckons. The fragrance from our lilacs is soothing. I sang to our granddaughter yesterday. At four months, she recognized my voice and German. Have a great week. Blessings. oxox

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  66. Pingback: Off The Beaten Path: Kotor – charles french words reading and writing

  70. Thank you for this little tour. Beautiful, and enticing. We almost went there from Dubrovnik, but decided we were trying to cram in too much. Next time.
    Alison

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  72. I have not traveled much (only Ireland and Scotland) outside of North America, so this is a wonderful little armchair travel for me. What an amazing town. So glad some places have not destroyed their history.

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  73. It looks that is was out of season. There are no tourists around at all, or this place is not on the tourist routes. I love not crowded places like that. Thank you, Cindy, for the lovely tour.

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  75. How beautiful, in lots of ways we have lost our way with architecture, you don’t see so many of these beautiful streets in modern towns, just box brick homes. I would love to go there.

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