If you want to have a different New Year celebration, choose a historic place as Kotor, Montenegro. What I especially liked about our visit in this picturesque city is that it wasn’t so crowded as it is during the tourist season. The Kotor gates – the entrances to the Old Town, are three. What you see here is the famous Kotor Sea Gate – the main entrance, constructed in 1555.
Those of you, who have been to Kotor in Montenegro, would remember its well-preserved medieval constructions, which attract tourists and people of art from around the world. What can I say, same as all of them, I couldn’t resist the charm of this Adriatic Sea port. In order to catch the special beauty of Kotor Bay during the blue hour, Daria and I spent almost the entire day on the slopes of the mountain above Kotor.
Kotor’s Castle of San Giovanni is one of the must-see places. That is why I wanted to capture its beauty, waiting for the moment when the sun was setting gently, illuminating the mountain with warm light. The composition would not be the same without the rain clouds, covering St. John Hill.
We visited this Adriatic Sea port right after New Year Eve, which explains the festive lights on the buildings. Consecrated in 1166, the Kotor Cathedral was built in honor of Saint Tryphon, who is considered by the locals as the patron and protector of the city. Before that, in the 10th century, an older church existed there. It has been keeping Saint Tryphon’s remains.
Built in the 16th century as a memory of Kotor’s victory over the well-known Turkish admiral Hajrudin Barbarosa, it’s impressive that the Northern Gate is still in excellent condition. As typical for medieval times construction, next to the Kotor Northern Gate there is a moat with turquoise water. I chose this spot in the valley under Saint John’s Hill for my photo session because it offers a clear view to Kotor Fortress.
Why choose this Adriatic Sea port for a holiday or vacation? Probably because of the nature – you have the Kotor Bay, surrounded by mountains which height ranges from 1000m to 1700m. Additionally, those of you, who like medieval culture and history, would really appreciate the well-preserved Kotor Old Town and the Fortifications.
Fortifications of Kotor are remarkable construction, influenced by several architectural styles, with the Venetian style predominantly. Unfortunately, severe earthquakes have damaged them in the 16th and the 17th centuries. The consequences of the most recent one from April 1979 are still visible on the Kotor Fortress.
Bay of Kotor is known by locals as “Boka” – “the Bay”. Now with melancholy peering, I regret that we didn’t have more time to discover other towns located around this “fiord of south” – Risan, Tivat, Perast, Prčanj or Herceg Novi. All of them together with natural surroundings, are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
