In the town of Kotar, on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro

 “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

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(at the south end of Kotor Bay on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro) The Gulf of Kotor, a winding, fjordlike inlet of the Adriatic Sea, makes for a fine natural harbor that comprises the four bays of the Gulf of Kotor, which are linked by narrow straits. The stark mountains around the bay slope steeply to a narrow shoreline, on which citrus fruits and subtropical plants grow and tourist facilities have been developed.

+ The walled seaport (and resort) town of Kotor, situated about 30 miles (~50 km) south of Nikšić, lies at the foot of the sheer Lovćen massif, which rises to 1749 meters. It was founded by the ancient Romans as Acruvium. In the 10th century it became an autonomous city ruled from Byzantium, and from 1186-to-1371 it was a free city of medieval Serbia. It was Venetian and Hungarian for brief periods, an independent republic from 1395-to-1420, and Venetian again until 1797. (The town suffered periodic damage from Turkish assaults and from earthquakes.) Between 1807 and 1814 it was occupied by France. That French period was followed by Austrian domination until 1918, when Slav sailors in the Austro-Hungarian navy mutinied at Kotor and the town was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia, until 2003).

+ Much of Kotor’s medieval fortifications remains in place. The town’s walls extend for about three miles (~4.5 km), range in thickness from about two to 15 meters, and reach a maximum height of about 20 meters). Its main gate dates from the 16th century; the south gate, Kotor’s oldest, was partially built in the 9th century. Kotor has many historic buildings, the largest and most beautiful of which is St. Tryphon Cathedral, which was built in 1166 and contains many frescoes and a treasury of jewels. Also notable are the 12th-century church of St. Luke (which was originally Roman Catholic but has been an Orthodox church since the 17th century), the 13th-century church of St. Mary (which contains medieval frescoes and the remains of a basilica), and several palaces of prominent families (including the 18th-century Grgurina Palace, which is now a maritime museum). The oldest town in Montenegro, Kotor was seriously damaged in a 1979 earthquake, but has been greatly restored.

+ A city steeped in tradition and history, with remarkable scenic views, Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city walls, snaking improbably up the surrounding slopes that have protected Kotor for centuries, lead to the fortress of Saint Ivan. The city is a dramatic and delightful place, where the past coexists with the present; its cobblestones ring with the sound of children racing to school in centuries-old buildings, and hundreds of cats (descendants of seafaring felines) loll in its marble lanes. Come nightfall, Kotor’s lit-up walls glow as serenely as a halo.