Kotor

Fjords, mussels and low-cost holidays: Kotor, the unspoiled pearl of the Adriatic

Sometimes happens, when you’re going to decide where to go on holidays, to be confused and not sure about where to go. “I’d like to see a place with the beautiful landscapes of the Norway fiords but cheaper and with a nice mediterranean cuisine”. Someone could say ” Are you joking, aren’t you?”. No, don’t worry, there’s an answer: Kotor, a city in Montenegro, the Balcan pearl of the Adriatic sea. 

A UNESCO World Heritage site, The Old Town of Kotor was built between the 12th and 14th centuries and it’s a beautiful monument itself. So, the first thing to do is wander the narrow, romantic streets of this historic gem of a town. Every corner of the old town hides a story just waiting to be told. Time stands still, so while passing under ornate balconies you yourself will be part of the magical scene. The Venetian saying: ‘’Tu me costi come i muri de Cattaro’’ (‘You cost me as much as the walls of Kotor’) perfectly describes the energy of the place.

Despite being a major tourist attraction, Kotor hasn’t lost its authentic charm. Kotor locals still meet in the town for coffee with friends, and laundry strung between stone buildings is a reminder that the ancient town is a living city.

Grab a wild strawberry or pomegranate gelato at Salvatore and explore the old town’s magical alleys.

This city infact has been influenced by the cuisine of Venice (that dominated the Adriatic sea until the 18th century), it is very cheap because still Montenegro isn’t a mass tourism destination  and… the are mountains 2000 metres high just in front of the sea that create unbelievable fiords. 

Gorgeous, breathtaking, majestic, divine; however hefty your thesaurus, the brain-blowing beauty of the Bay of Kotor will leave you struggling for superlatives. Hemmed in by commanding cliffs and shape-shifting between rippling gulfs and sparkling straits, the cobalt cove even manages to defy geographic description: is it a fjord? A submerged canyon? It seems there’s only one way to define Boka Kotorska: unmissable.

Now that I give to you an idea of what is Kotor It’s better that I give also to you the most important food hint: even if Balcans are famous for Cevapcici, little sausages cooked on the barbecue, Kotor is famous for its delicious mussels. You can’t miss them. Montenegrins breed them in the Kotor bay, that’s why when you eat that mussels you’ll relish the real taste of Adriatic sea. The best way to appreciate them? Ask for “Busara mussels” in the Kotor old down alley restaurants and then you’ll understand what I talking about.

Yuri Bianchi

I am Yuri, a 29 years old guy from italy. I have the strangest cv in the world. I am graduated in Law and I worked as a  journalist in a tv channel focused on food and gastronomy.
Some years ago I decide to follow my heart  and…my stomach!
Now I am trying my best to become a professional cook. Maybe one day I’ll be a chef, nobody knows!
The famous Rock band Ac/Dc says ” its a long way to the top if you  wanna rock’n’roll! “. I have my weapons: curiousity and creativity. I’ ve got to use them well.