«Croatia & Beyond, the magic of the Med, the way it used to be.»
Set back from a cinematic stretch of coast Kotor is a living museum of its 18th-century heyday when, sheltered from storms and pirates, it ranked among the world’s great ports. The town lies at the end of a broad inlet that winds like a fjord between steep. wooded slopes. In one of the world’s youngest countries (born 2006) it’s surprising to find impeccably preserved Medieval and Baroque architecture at every turn. Marbled streets reflecting the midday sun so intensely it hurts your eyes. Seeking shade, you duck down an alleyway, dodging the scurrying cats, to discover cool Italianate piazzas, where mimosa sprouts from ancient crevices. By the water’s edge at Boka KotorskaBay,a mined sea-captain’s house has been transformed heroically into the Palazzo Radomiri, a boutique hotel of great warmth and charm. Way above, at the top of 1.500 steps, the Venetian ramparts are set on a rocky crest, presiding over the Adriatic, as if looking out for long-gone sailors on their homeward voyages.
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
written by Andrew Eames | June 2010
