About Us

Imagine the azure-blue Adriatic trapped inside a mountain range. That is the Bay of Kotor, a huge fjord off the Adriatic in the northwesternmost tip of Montenegro (Black Mountain). The drive south from Dubrovnik to the mouth of the bay is about 1/2 hour. The bay, being a fjord, is very deep and quite still and there is precious little land along the water's edge before butting against the rocky cliffs. Fjords are estuaries left behind by growing glaciers of the distant past that plowed gorges into the seabed, then melted and retreated, leaving deep cuts in the coastline. One first encounters the city of Hercig Novi, newly emerged from the Soviet bloc,with its concrete landscape and brittle service. A stay there is pleasant enough but somewhat pedestrian compared to what awaits. Aah, drive east along the perimeter of the bay, all up and down and around, and after an hour of mountain-meets-sea comes the medieval village of Kotor. This very charming and very Christian village behind walls numbers maybe only small 10 city blocks, with equal numbers of churches and cafes at every corner. Kotor's history goes back 20 centuries and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tourists have found Kotor, but have not taken it from its local citizens who strolled in their Easter finery, chatting and sipping muddy cups of coffee at the many outdoor cafes. Most stunning of all moments there was our encounter with the bells of the Cathedral in the main square. First one bell chimed, the sound ricocheting off the stone buildings and plaza. Then a second, and a third, and soon SIX bells were crashing and clanging in a glorious noise that left us mute. This happened for three 15-minute sessions in our 3 hour visit. Probably because it was Easter. This place is hard to get to, but singular in its impact & riches.