Our fifth day in Europe began with a hearty breakfast in an upscale hotel in Budva, Montenegro, with a wonderful panoramic view of the coastline. The day started out sunny and beautiful, with a breathtaking view of the oceanside cliffs spotted with charming European villages.
Early in the morning, we passed by St. Stefano on our way to Kotor, a fortress built on a hill to spot incoming attacks from the Turkish during a war. Since then, it has been turned into a resort. The historic coastal village of Kotor was surrounded by a thick medieval wall. The city is a walled fortress created in the 3rd century.
Initially protected by the Venetian government, it became a strong area with powerful allies. The preserved buildings in the winding streets exhibit traits from the Romantic and Baroque periods. In the first area, named Weapon Square, our local guide Danny showed us a clock tower. The clock tower leans about 5 inches due to the many earthquakes the city has experienced. Danny mentioned that one of the most interesting points about the tower is that the same family has been taking care of the building for over 200 years.
Soon after, we arrived at a tall building with two rectangular towers. The Cathedral of St. Tryphon was constructed in 1166 by St. Tryphon himself, who was sent to the area at the time to spread Christianity in a pagan region. He was met with much opposition and eventually died a martyr, but his story lives on through the lives of the citizens. If you look up at the two towers of the Cathedral, you would notice that one is about 6.5 inches shorter and a lot simpler than the other. This was because the builders eventually ran out of materials and were unable to replicate, in the same Baroque detail, the other tower. Other than a few additions to help the church function, the citizens have kept much of the original building intact without restoration, which is why many frescos remain fragmented and faded. The Cathedral houses artifacts from St. Tryphon. Centuries ago, when the Venetians stopped by Kotor, they tried to take the artifacts as loot and leave, but the story goes that a storm — powerful and destructive — rose out of the sea and the Venetians quickly returned the artifacts back to the city to avoid further trouble. We also stood outside the Maritime Museum, which has exhibits about Kotor’s rich sea life.
After touring the quaint village on foot and learning about the history of the town, we proceeded to hike the rocky terrain of the walls that led to breathtaking views at the top of a castle at the peak of the mountainous region surrounding one side of Kotor. Halfway up, the beautiful weather took a turn for the worse. It started raining and we got to shelter under the roof of a bell tower. However, only 12 out of 24 of us were willing to continue the trek. As we started our ascent while the rest of the group stayed back and enjoyed the scenic views, it unfortunately started hailing. Heavily! We stuck it through as the hail got heavier the higher we went, continuing the 1,300 step hike to get to the promontory of the ancient castle. As we went up, we all got incredibly soaked, but it was 100 percent worth it. The views were incredible and the old abandoned castle was beautifully haunting, covered in vines with weathering rock underneath.
Once we descended back down to the bottom and met up with the rest of the group, we split up for the afternoon to have hearty meals in the charming town and explore the shops. After leaving, we began our drive to Dubrovnik, Croatia. We drove into Croatia, and stopped in a fishing village with a lovely view of the mountains against the ocean for dinner. Many of us, thankfully, finally changed into dry clothes after being soaked from our hike in the hail.
After dinner, we finally drove into Dubrovnik (famously known as “King’s Landing” as Game of Thrones is filmed there) right as the sun was setting, giving us an enchanting view of the city at sunset, making us excited to explore the city the next day. It was an exhausting and physically demanding day, but the incredible views we enjoyed are unforgettable.