Kotor

Kotor lies at the head of a sheltered Adriatic bay, enclosed by steep mountains. Walls climb from the harbour to the fortress of Saint John, protecting a city of merchants, churches and narrow streets. The Romanesque cathedral of Saint Tryphon, consecrated in 1166, recalls the prosperity of a port that linked the Serbian interior with the sea.

In 1420 Kotor accepted Venetian rule, beginning a long association with the republic. Its defences were strengthened as Ottoman power advanced along the neighbouring coast, while earthquakes and plague repeatedly struck the city. Venetian rule ended in 1797, and the Napoleonic wars brought Austrian, Russian and French forces to the bay. In 1814 British sailors hauled guns onto the heights above the fortress and compelled the French garrison to surrender.