I’ll admit it, when my boyfriend suggested we visit Montenegro, I was a bit hesitant at first. I hadn’t heard much about the country before, and it wasn’t really on my radar. What’s in Montenegro, anyway?

Little did I know Montenegro is full of incredibly beautiful nature, history, and epic hikes!

After he showed me where we’d be going, my hesitation virtually vanished. Our destination he proposed was Kotor, Montenegro, and after showing me a few pictures, I was sold!

I’d argue that Montenegro is the most underrated country in Europe, especially for adventure lovers! This is a hiker’s and outdoor enthusiast’s dream destination. 

Kotor is a magical town nestled in a valley between mountains, with the bay and the ocean adding an even more beautiful touch. Not only is the nature incredible, but it also is home to a medieval Old Town and the Kotor Fortress scaling the mountain rising above it. 

For me, while the Old Town was so fun explore, the real highlight was exploring the Kotor Fortress via an epic hiking trail called the Ladder of Kotor.

The Ladder of Kotor is an epic hike that takes you up above the town of Kotor via switchbacks, and grants you truly incredible views.

The Kotor Fortress is a historic monument that dates back to the 9th century, and scales up the side of the mountain!

If you’re planning a trip to Kotor, you’ll be missing out if you don’t brave this hike. I’ll go over everything you know before setting off on one of the coolest hikes you’ll do!

If you’re pressed for time and just want quick details, no worries! Jump here for FAQs.

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Overview of Hiking the Ladder of Kotor to Kotor Fortress

Beginning of the Ladder of Kotor

We started our hike of the Ladder of Kotor to the Kotor Fortress with the switchbacks rather than starting at the Kotor Fortress in Old Town. We didn’t realize this, but people on the trail told us if you started in Old Town, you’d have to pay to enter the fortress, but the way we did it by entering the back was free. I’ll go more into how to enter the Kotor Fortress this way later!

To get to this Ladder of Kotor trailhead, you’ll want to head to the Northern side of the Old Town. Don’t turn to head into the Old Town though, keep straight past it.

Eventually, you’ll get to the end of the road where there is a gate with a building that says “Vodovod” to the left, and the trail extends to the right. Right you go!

Keep following this trail straight. There will be an offshoot to the left super early in as you pass an abandoned building, but for now, go straight. However, I’d recommend checking this out on your way back because it leads to a tiny waterfall and a small private cove!

For a while, you’ll just keep on these switchbacks and continue to rise above Kotor. The incline isn’t too bad or too steep, but it is a bit tricky because the trail is gravel, and if you’re clumsy like me, you may lose your footing a few times. 

The higher you get on the switchbacks on the Ladder of Kotor, unsurprisingly, the more beautiful your view gets. Soon enough, you’ll be level with the Kotor Fortress, and the ocean will begin to come into view. The mountains plus the ocean plus the historic Kotor Old Town equals chefs kiss.

Middle of the Ladder of Kotor

If you’re hiking at the same pace we were, a bit less than half an hour in, you’ll reach an all stone building with some chairs out front. While I think this might be a wine and cheese shop, it isn’t the one we went to (that’s right, later on you can grab a drink!).

There’s an option to keep following the switchbacks left, or to pass to the right above the building. While you can go right, I’d continue left for now. If you do it the way we did, you’ll take this short cut to the right on the way back after exploring the Kotor Fortress.

While this first building isn’t the main shop, it took us less than ten minutes after hiking past it to find the actual one. It’s a bit confusing, because it just looks like someone’s house. The owner was kind and greeted us and told us he was proud of us, but at the time, we didn’t realize he was the owner.

At the front of the shop, there are some stairs. The quickest way to enter the shop is to go up them and to the right, and there will be an awning. I think calling it a shop is a bit generous. While there is wine and cheese for sale, it’s out of a fridge and the seating area is purely outdoors.

So worth a stop though! I got a cider and my partner got a Fanta, and it was seven Euros combined. Do note, the owner only takes cash, so if you’re planning on buying a drink, have some on you.

The views from here are incredible, and it was nice to take a break from the inclines and sit in the shade and enjoy the view. Included in the view are adorable kitties!

We didn’t pack snacks because we expected there to be more food options here. It seemed to be mostly drinks, so if you’re someone who needs a mid hike snack (like me), I’d suggest bringing one instead of relying on this. 

While the hike up to this point was beautiful, my favorite part of the Ladder of Kotor to the Kotor Fortress starts here. After you finish your drink, head to the back of the shop. At the exit, there is a trail going up to the left, and going straight ahead.

Take the trail straight ahead to explore the Kotor Fortress. If you go left, it’ll continue up the Ladder of Kotor. Which go for if you want! However, the hike was plenty with just going straight. 

The trail extends straight for a bit and then curves off to the right to the Kotor Fortress entrance. But, before you even reach the Fortress, you’ll come across even more ruins. While I don’t know if these are officially apart of the Ladder of Kotor, they were epic to explore. 

We went inside an old church and bounced around the remains. It was fascinating to explore, and the rocky mountains rising up as we did it just makes you feel so small and little at their vastness.

Entering and Exploring the Kotor Fortress

Once you’re done exploring these, head back on the trail and head towards the Kotor Fortress. Now, this is where is may get a bit confusing when it comes to how to enter. There’s a giant window like hole in the side of the Kotor Fortress. This is where you’ll enter. 

I know, it sounds a bit sketchy. But, as you get closer, you’ll see the symbol they seem to use to mark the trail in the Kotor Fortress – a red circle with a smaller white circle on the inside, like a bullseye.

It looks a lot harder to enter than it actually is. I’m short and I didn’t need a boost, and odds are you’ll see other people entering this way, so you can copy their strategy.

I’ll tell you what we were told when we climbed into the Kotor Fortress by some other hikers. They told us if you’re going to explore from the back entrance, make sure to come back the same way you entered or you may be fined 15 Euros per person.

I wasn’t aware of this before our hike, but I believe if you enter the Kotor Fortress via Old Town, it costs this amount. However, through entering and exiting via the back entrance, we still explored much of the Kotor Fortress and were not asked to pay. It’s a good idea to have this amount of Euros on you though, I’m assuming in cash.

As you may be able to tell by now, with exploring the ruins and the Kotor Fortress, the rules and regulations surrounding this hike seem to be much looser than somewhere like the US.

Seemingly nobody is strictly enforcing payment, and it doesn’t appear that anyone gets in trouble for exploring off the beaten path. Just respect the Kotor Fortress and trail! Remember to respect Leave No Trace.

Ok, so by now, you’ve braved the Ladder of Kotor switchbacks, and are in the Kotor Fortress. So cool, right! But, the trail is a lot less defined here.

The Kotor Fortress is a maze to explore, but in the best way possible. Stairs scale in either direction. Tiny holes in the walls lead you to what I imagine used to be rooms, and tiny offshoots lead to epic views and more ruins.

You can pretty much explore anywhere in the Kotor Fortress you see a path of entry to. Again, its not very regulated, so this may not be the safest thing to do, but logistically speaking, you can. And that’s what we did!

When you enter the Kotor Fortress via the window, your main two options are to go up or down. We started with going down first. We made sure to explore little nooks and crannies as we did this to make sure we saw as much of the Kotor Fortress as possible.

It’s incredible what you see when you just wander aimlessly! Because, again, there really isn’t a defined trail unless you solely follow the steps. 

We did this down to church, and used this as our turn around point. We started heading up again! As I mentioned, there are plenty of stairs, but there’s also just a sloped path if you prefer that.

We passed the entry point of the Kotor Fortress and continued up. The top of the Fortress is clearly visible with the Montenegro flag flying high above it. That was our goal, and I think it should be yours too, if you’re up for some more stairs!

As you reach the top of the Kotor Fortress, it begins to become a bit more dilapidated, so use extra caution. Stairs are missing steps, there’s a small rickety bridge at one point, and parts of the roof of the Kotor Fortress you pass under look like they may collapse. Not quite up to building code.

But, if you just watch where you going, I think you should be fine, and it’s worth it! The view at the top of the Kotor Fortress is just truly breathtaking.

I know people throw that word around a lot, but there’s really no other way to describe it. You have crystal clear views of the mountains, the Bay of Kotor, and the Old Town. The flag blowing in the wind is a nice touch as well.

After enjoying the views here for a bit, we headed back down the stairs to the entry window of Kotor Fortress. You’ll probably be able to spot it with people entering or exiting out of it, and it also has two giant Xs spray painted on either side of it.

Time for more Ladder of Kotor switchbacks! Start headed back down the way you came, except there will be a switchback descending to the left soon. 

For a short cut, take this. It will take you to the first stone building you passed on the way up. Other than this, the path is the same. Enjoy the views and the fig trees you pass!

The way down is incredible in its own right. The mountains are just so massive and in your face, it just feels otherworldly.

Then, congrats! 4 miles later, and you’ve done one of the coolest hikes in Europe you’ll do in one of the most underrated countries. 

FAQs

Are The Ladder of Kotor and The Kotor Fortress the Same Thing?

No, the Ladder of Kotor hike and the Kotor Fortress are not the same thing. However, the you can include the fortress in part of your hike of the Ladder. 

How Difficult is the Ladder of Kotor Hike to the Kotor Fortress?

Hiking to the Kotor Fortress via the Ladder of Kotor is fairly challenging. AllTrails lists its difficulty as moderate.

The hike is about a 4 mile (6.4 kilometer) round trip the way we did it, but this may vary a bit depending on how much you explore the Kotor Fortress. 

The switchbacks are up a mountain, so you’ll have the challenges of this incline. While exploring the Kotor Fortress too, lots of this involves going up and down steps. The total elevation gain in this hike is 720 feet (220 meters), according to AllTrails. But, I don’t believe this includes the Kotor Fortress steps.

When we did the Ladder of Kotor Switchbacks at 10:30 AM, we seemed to alternate in and out of shade, and the same thing was true when we came down them in the afternoon. 

Parts of the rocks on the Kotor Fortress and the switchbacks can be be a bit slippery, especially with the gravel, so be cautious of your steps. 

Where is the trailhead for the ladder of kotor and entrance to the kotor fortress?

So, there are two ways to hike the Ladder of Kotor to the Kotor Fortress.

Option 1, you start with the Ladder of Kotor and the switchbacks. 

To find the entrance to the hike, you’ll want to head to the Northern side of the Old Town. However, don’t turn to enter the Northern Gate. Instead, keep going straight past it. 

You’ll pass a few buildings and will eventually get to the end of the road/ sidewalk where there is a building in a gate that says “Vodovod”. The trail is to the right of this, so pass with the building to your left, and you’ll start the gravel trail. 

There is no official trailhead marker for the Ladder of Kotor, but it is shown on AllTrails.

If you do it this way, you’ll get to the Kotor Fortress after finishing up the Ladder of Kotor switchbacks. The entrance to the Fortress is a bit tricky. As you approach the Kotor Fortress, you’ll see a large hole than resembles a window. You may even see people coming in or out of it. 

That’s because this is the back entrance to the Kotor Fortress. It’s marked with the red circle with a small white circle inside, like a bullseye. You’ll see this at different points in the Kotor Fortress as markings. 

It’s easy to enter than it looks, and when you’re ready to leave this way, from that side it is marked with two large black Xs. 

Option 2 is to start with the Kotor Fortress. Enter in Old Town, and make your way up. You can go back down the same way, or if you want to do the switchbacks, exit the Kotor Fortress via the window described in Option 1. 

Does Hiking the Ladder of Kotor or Entering the Kotor Fortress Cost Money?

This may depend on which way you enter. 

We hiked the Ladder of Kotor to the Kotor Fortress via Option 1, and we did not pay anything. 

However, we came across some hikers that brought it to our attention that if you leave or enter the Kotor Fortress via the Old Town entrance (Option 2), you may have to pay 15 Euros a person.

Is the ladder of kotor hike and exploring the kotor fortress safe?

I think the Ladder of Kotor Hike is fairly safe. There are a few points along where it seems like there’s a bit of a drop off, but nothing too intense. Slippery gravel was my main concern!

However, exploring the Kotor Fortress is a bit more on the dangerous side, especially if you’re used to US standards for exploring. 

You can pretty much go wherever you want in the Kotor Fortress, there are no barriers or anything. You see a hole in the fortress, you can probably go through it. 

With this comes some danger. You can get right on the edge of the Kotor Fortress, and there may be drop offs in doing so.

Also, when you go up to the top of the Kotor Fortress, it gets more treacherous. There’s a set of stairs that’s missing a step. There’s a small bridge that seems a bit unstable. At one point you go through a room where the roof looks like it may collapse. And these are just the things I noticed.

Nothing ended up being a problem for us, but just things to be aware of. 

Are there any amenities on the ladder of kotor to the kotor fortress?

There aren’t any standard amenities I’m aware of, it’s a bit of a boots in the mud kind of hike.

The only bathroom I saw along the Ladder of Kotor was at the wine and cheese shop. 

I didn’t see any cars within the Old Town of Kotor, but I think there was some street parking near the switchbacks entrance. 

There aren’t any water bottle fill stations, so plan to have plenty of water before you start, or to buy some at the shop. 

There are some trash cans inside the Kotor Fortress. 

When is the best time of year to hike the ladder of kotor to the kotor fortress?

When we were going research before our trip, practically everyone said to go in spring before summer. With summer comes cruise season, and you may have more crowds.

We decided to go in early April, and I think this was a fantastic decision. There were other people hiking the Ladder of Kotor and inside the Kotor Fortress, but I don’t think I’d call it busy at all.

Same deal when we explored the Old Town. We had parts of the City Walls to ourselves when we did it, and we never had to wait at a restaurant.

The only con with trying to hike the Ladder of Kotor in April early spring is the weather can be a bit unpredictable.

The day we hiked to the Kotor Fortress, the skies were clear and sunny, and I was perfectly comfortable hiking in an athletic tank top and pants. But, the next day it was freezing and rainy. I’d still recommend April, I’d just keep that in mind when packing. 

When is the best time of day to hike the ladder of kotor to the kotor fortress?

I’d suggest getting up and starting your day with the hike. Don’t get me wrong, I love sleep and am definitely not suggesting getting up at the crack of dawn.

We started hiking The Ladder of Kotor around 10:30 AM, and were finished around 1 PM. I think this was an optimal time to do this. 

There weren’t too many other people on the hike, the weather was great, and we had the whole rest of our day to do other adventures around Kotor. 

I bet being at the top of the Kotor Fortress at sunset would be incredible, I’d just be a bit sketched out about hiking back down in the dark!

How to get to Kotor?

The closest airport to Kotor is the Tivat Airport.

However, this one was fairly more expensive, so we flew into the Dubrovnik Airport. This airport is about two hours from Kotor, and we took two forms of transportation to get to and from Kotor. 

The first we took from the Dubrovnik Airport to Kotor was a private transfer through Transfer Novi. This went extremely smoothly. We had a driver waiting for us as soon as we exited the airport, he drove safely, the border crossing from Croatia to Montenegro was so quick and we got to stay in the car, no criticisms at all. 

However, it was 130 Euros in cash. That may seem like a lot, but keep in mind were crossing a border, in a private car, meaning expedited customs and not having to walk to bus stations. He dropped us off as close to where we were staying as he could, which was only a 3 minute walk. 

The mode we took to get to Kotor back to Dubrovnik was a bus we booked via FlixBus. The bus company was Jadran Express, and honestly, after reading the views, I’m surprised we didn’t have a worse experience.

However, the bus was still an hour late, made me car sick, and for the border crossings, everyone in the bus had to get off and show their passport. Remember, we had to do this twice, once at the Croatia border and once at the Montenegro border.

This was 35 Euros when booked online, but you had to pay another 2 Euros at the bus station just to use it, and another 2 Euros to the driver for your bags. 

If you are traveling in a group or have the means to spend a bit more on this travel, I’d recommend taking a private transfer. 

Now you should be set to hike the to the Kotor Fortress via the Ladder of Kotor with no issues!

Leave No Trace

This is truly an incredible hike, and we want to preserve it for future adventurers to enjoy. One of the best ways to do this is by practicing Leave No Trace.

Follow these 7 principles:

• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of others