Never in my bucket list did I imagine spending New Year’s Eve in a random country in the Balkan Peninsula, let alone in the stunning little town of Kotor in Montenegro. It was actually unintentional because I planned a Balkan trip for the New Year holiday without specifying where I’d celebrate NYE. Unlike my younger years, when I was always ambitious to chase new year bucket list, getting older makes me more relaxed.
Kotor was happened to be the third city I visited on my Balkan trip where apparently coincide with the New Year’s Eve. So, I thought, Why not? I didn’t have any specific plans for New Year’s anyway, and wouldn’t it be so random and cute to experience New Year in one of the prettiest bays in the Balkans? Plus, I’d heard glowing testimonials of Kotor from friends who had visited, all basically saying the same thing : “Kotor is so beautiful, you’ll love it.”
I arrived in Kotor right on December 31st, coming from Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. I booked a hostel this time because it was perfectly located: only five minutes from the bus station, just outside the old town walls, and right in front of the boat docks. I mean, what a five-star location! considering I only be here for couple of days.
The hostel itself was basic but it had everything I needed: friendly staff, compact rooms, generally clean bathrooms, and complete kitchen utensils. And it was incredibly cheap, balancing out the cost of other hotels on the trip.
What I did for the New Year in Kotor, Montenegro :
Indeed it was challenging to find something to do for New Year in Kotor, I only could find the official website of Kotor that says they will have winter festival featured with some local performers for several consecutive days around New Year, and most importantly it is FREE. So yeah, let’s do it.. it will be interesting to blend in with the locals and other tourist – I thought.
On the eve, we’ll be joining New Year’s Countdown at Kotor winter festival. My friend and I left the hostel around 10 ish. We did not want to come earlier to avoid the freezing cold, which I think was a good idea. Besides, it only took 5 mins walk from the hostel to the Plaza of Kotor where the festival was held, so no need to be in a rush.
Upon entering the gate of the plaza, I immediately found a larger crowd and an upbeat New Year atmosphere. Everybody seems to sing a long and dancing to the music that were performed, indicating many of them are locals or coming from surrounding towns.
I didn’t have any idea about the music that were played, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We followed the chanting and the grooving, till it was finally time for the count down in Montenegrin (language of Montenegro) : “Pet – četiri – tri – dva – jedan!!” And the fireworks bursted on the sky and every body was cheering HAPPY NEW YEAR!! So much fun!!
First day of the year : Hiking to Kotor City Walls and the Fortress.
It’s January 1st and I wanted to start the year with something more active, rather than just lazying in bed. Hoping it would reflects to this year energy – more active and going up and forward. Lol. What a cringe.
Kotor has a handful of options for hiking path. Since I am no a pro-hiker, so I chose the moderate one, the Kotor Walls and the Fortress. Hiking the Kotor wall supposedly required some entrance fee that luckily it was FREE in winter. Glad that I could saved up 15euro for lunch!
The hike itself was not so hard, we just need to follow the stairy pathway up to the hill that will end up in a castle ruin called the Fortress of St. John or San Giovanni Fortress or also known as Tvrđava Sveti Ivan. I spent around 3 hours for the whole hike including some photo snapping and bay-gazing from the Fortress.
Dine and Coffee in the Oldtown
Just like many visitor of Kotor, the old town will be the main ‘to-do’ in this town. Kotor old town built in 12th – 14th century, nevertheless the aesthetics remain intact. The old town has 3 main gates, North – Center and South. I’d like to start from the North one as it is super close from my hostel door. Exploring the old town is like playing in the labyrinth, sometimes different alleys took you to the same plaza, but sometimes you’ll appear in the hidden alley.
There are bunch of restaurant options in the Oldtown that offer almost similar menu. If you’re expecting that food in Kotor will be cheap, you’re wrong. I spent in average USD 20-25 per meal in touristic restaurant inside the wall.
A little failed trip to Perast
I heard so many people say, Perast is a little gem that will knock you in the heart. So I ‘d like to say hi too. But the universe seems to not fully supporting me, since I’ve been waiting the bus to Perast for almost 2 hours only to find the bus is never coming and the sky was getting dark though it was only 4.30 pm in the afternoon. I was about to give up, but then an idea cross over. A simple idea that I dont know why popped up now, I said to my friend, ‘why dont we take a taxi? I think it will be only 20 euro or something. My friend was like : SHIT thats a good idea, because I wanna go!!! I was a bit reluctant, because I am pretty sure it will be dark when we got to Perast, but she doesnt care.
So off we go to Perast, a little too late indeed. But I could sense this tiny town is pretty. With all the old building painted in broken white with some bay side restaurant overlooking the water. We decided to have a dinner in one of the enchanting restaurant that full of white people.
I might not witnessing with my eyes, but I feel it in the heart the bare beauty of the town.
Actually there are several places I wanna go in Motenegro, but as you know I could not afford the time. Ironically time is equally expensive with money. But, if I had the chance to live at this place, I.would.LOVE.to.
with a lovely apartment facing the bay, maybe in another life 🙂
