Traveling the Balkans: and then there was KOTOR
Kotor;
We left Stolac, of Bosnia & Herzegovina and a chunk of my heart stayed behind. But that is another story, another post….As for Kotor, Montenegroetting there by bus from Bosnia is a cinch. We used a website called blah blah blah and booked our tickets online. The beauty of this situation is that we did not have to travel backwards to the bigger city of Mostar to get on the bus. However, as we stood at the tiny bus stop in Stolac, time passes and we see a big tour bus pass us by and turn 1 Km from where we stood. Running with our obnoxiously large suitcases for nomads, we made it to the bus but not without making everyone looking at us in disappointment. “stupid tourists” the locals said with their heads. The bus ride was no problem. We stopped at the border and you get out of the bus twice, once for Bosnia leaving and once for Montenegro entering. Easy-peasy.
Kotor bus station is 15 minute walk from old town Kotor. Now for advice on Kotor. Remember we travel like broke people. So first thing first, hotel check-in. We walked four minutes to Vicky’s blah because it was in December 2023 only $25 per night. You can book this room on your favorite site or here: Even though the ad says shared bathroom, it is only some rooms. We has the cutest stone house room that was super clean and a seperate kitchen right outside our own private front door. It is very AirBnB than hotel. And Vicky is the kindest person we met in Montenegro. She will tell you this: to save money: do not eat inside old town, do not sleep inside old town and if you want to save yourself 15 Euro per person to climb the fortress, then walk to the far BLAH and take the free path.
Kotor is small and we felt that our one night stay in the winter was perfect amount of time. We explored Old Town at night and there was hardly anyone there. To walk around a moat, over a castle door, and into a world over 500 years old where people still live, is an amazing experience. Being American, I still cannot believe I do not have to pay to see such things or be bothered by security or a million safety posters. Yet, even without all that, it is safe, serene and hella fun to explore a big fortress, narrow cobblestone streets and imagine life long ago.
The cats here are like Istanbul: everywhere. The tourist shops monetize this with cat bags, shirts and souvenirs. The big difference is these cats are genetically larger than most and rather plump. We had a few cats walk with us while we explored and once we were unsure to go right or left, the cat looked at us and went left. He was correct.
We ate at a 24 hour halal joint called BLAH. We tried, chicken wings, pizza, chicken sandwich and cheeseburger with fries. All was tasty and cheap. Although, I have been told Montenegro is more expensive than Bosnia, overall, we still found same great deals we always find. Granted, our halal spot was not inside the fortress, in Old Town. The food for two averaged at BLAH price.
Time to go to Podgorica to catch our plane. Now this bus ride is up and down mountains and if you get car sick easy, don’t eat a heavy breakfast. Two and half long hours of steady illness awaits you. And once you get to Podgorica, you will be deflated and uninspired after seeing Kotor. Obviously if it had been summer we would have visited Budva, Bar, Sven Stefan, etc. Podgorica: just another small capital city.
Kotor…however, is well worth the visit.
