Walking the walls in Dubrovnik vs Kotor

I've been trying to find a post I found before, either here or possibly on Trip Advisor. In the post, someone mentioned the free walk up to the fortress versus the more-widely known paid one (3 to 5 euros, depending upon who's reporting back). I'm not concerned about free versus paid, but I would like to take the easiest (as in exertion) up to the fortress and the other back down, which provides better views. I've been able to piece together, through Terence Carter's blog on the walk, plus information on "red dots" mentioned in Trip Advisor reviews, how to take the alternate route back down, but I'm still not sure which route I want to take to use my energy and time the best way.

Did anyone take the free walking path that starts from the pumping station outside the Northern/River Gate across the Skurda river? Or has anyone else who has been planning their stop in Kotor remember which path was mentioned as being easier (less exertion, or less steep, or whatever)? I'm not young, so things like that matter! Someone on Trip Advisor says the free path is easier, although longer in time and kilometers. Before I venture out that way, I want some assurance that he's right about that!

Also, on one map I have (Steves, I think, but no ID'ing info the way I copied it) there appears to be a third way to the fortress. It looks like it uses much of the same path as the one from behind St. Mary's church (paid entry) except that it starts near the back of St. Tryphon/Tripuna, which is closer to the Southern/Gurdic gate. Anyone has info on that?

I've been trying to find a post I found before, either here or possibly on Trip Advisor. In the post, someone mentioned the free walk up to the fortress versus the more-widely known paid one (3 to 5 euros, depending upon who's reporting back). I'm not concerned about free versus paid, but I would like to take the easiest (as in exertion) up to the fortress and the other back down, which provides better views. I've been able to piece together, through Terence Carter's blog on the walk, plus information on "red dots" mentioned in Trip Advisor reviews, how to take the alternate route back down, but I'm still not sure which route I want to take to use my energy and time the best way.

 

Did anyone take the free walking path that starts from the pumping station outside the Northern/River Gate across the Skurda river? Or has anyone else who has been planning their stop in Kotor remember which path was mentioned as being easier (less exertion, or less steep, or whatever)? I'm not young, so things like that matter! Someone on Trip Advisor says the free path is easier, although longer in time and kilometers. Before I venture out that way, I want some assurance that he's right about that!

 

Also, on one map I have (Steves, I think, but no ID'ing info the way I copied it) there appears to be a third way to the fortress. It looks like it uses much of the same path as the one from behind St. Mary's church (paid entry) except that it starts near the back of St. Tryphon/Tripuna, which is closer to the Southern/Gurdic gate. Anyone has info on that?

Roothie are you talking about this post http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43409523#post43409523 by Host Jacquelyn? It talks about the "mule path".

Roothie are you talking about this post http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43409523#post43409523 by Host Jacquelyn? It talks about the "mule path".

Yes, thank you so much! I searched for it, but guess I didn't go far enough back!

It's nice to know that the mule path is apparently, according to two people now, less steep than the one most people take. I think I'm going to take the mule path up, even if it's a bit longer and less scenic, and the regular path down, taking pictures on the way down of the town and "big" church (Our Lady of Health, I think, although I've seen it called something else).

Thanks. I did see that "Eileen's" pictures (boy - those are wonderful!!) included a picture of the famous "window" that you crawl through! Now I know what to look for!

Thanks for finding this thread for me.

Yes, thank you so much! I searched for it, but guess I didn't go far enough back!

 

 

 

It's nice to know that the mule path is apparently, according to two people now, less steep than the one most people take. I think I'm going to take the mule path up, even if it's a bit longer and less scenic, and the regular path down, taking pictures on the way down of the town and "big" church (Our Lady of Health, I think, although I've seen it called something else).

 

 

 

Thanks. I did see that "Eileen's" pictures (boy - those are wonderful!!) included a picture of the famous "window" that you crawl through! Now I know what to look for!

 

 

 

Thanks for finding this thread for me.

Roothie, I'm going to be there in a little over a week and I'm going to try the mule path too. I'll report back.

Great - would love to hear what you think!

Also, just in case you have plenty of time to explore Kotor, I'd be interested to see if there's a second place in the city in which you can head up to the path. It looks like it's reached off of the main street that runs from the southern gate (Gurdic) back to the place where most people enter the walls from behind St. Mary's church. It looks a little to the south of the Cathedral of St. Tryphon. Steves has it marked as a little path saying "access to Upper Town Walls." I believe it also shows up on a picture that has the various parts of the routes marked as to their danger/severity. It looks like the walls around Kotor, or at least the bottom half, are not complete - they don't appear on the far east side of old town Kotor, where the hillside goes up to the fortress. I'm really curious about whether there's actually a path there or not, and if there's someone sitting there charging.

Anyway, I won't be there until late September, so it would be great if you could post back after your trip. I'm curious as to severity/steepness/timing of both paths (well, all 3, I guess), plus whether either walk was in shade or sun when you go. I'll probably be there in late afternoon, so the sun/shade situation may be totally difference from July, but any info would be helpful at this point! Then when I go, I'll post on here, too!

Have fun! (Are you going to get up early to see the cruise through the Verige Strait (1/4 mile in width) and passing of the two little islands in the Bay of Kotor? Sounds wonderful to me, although we may pass there too early for me to see anything. (We dock at 7).

For the person interested in the other path onto the Kotor steps, I took it two years ago since I found it first. The person charging the entrance fee was gone so I got in free but that path was much harder than the main path. They merged after a few hundred stairs but the stairs on the secondary path were in bad shape so you were often walking on loose stones. I took the main path on the way back since so many loose stones would be dangerous on the way down.

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For the person interested in the other path onto the Kotor steps, I took it two years ago since I found it first. The person charging the entrance fee was gone so I got in free but that path was much harder than the main path. They merged after a few hundred stairs but the stairs on the secondary path were in bad shape so you were often walking on loose stones. I took the main path on the way back since so many loose stones would be dangerous on the way down.

 

 

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Is this the mule path? Or another path?

I was wondering that, too. That sounds like the path that starts at the back of the town but closer to Tryphon cathedral and the Gurdic (south) gate entrance - although it's confusing if you look at multiple Kotor maps, as they are printed with the gates at different positions. (Top of page isn't always north). In any case, it's good to know that there actually are 3 ways to go up, although I'm now completely ruling out the one south of the cathedral (found long ago) since it's apparently not the way to go!

The path I used to start my walk up was definitely not a mule path. If a mule path exists in must be from well outside the old town and on the back of the hill. I saw no one on mules and no viable path for mules. I doubt if you can get all the way up on mules or even to within a few hundred feet of the fortress on mules.

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I just saw a description of the longer mule path and the hole in the way that allows people to use the easier steps on the way down. I guess no one was using the path that joins the two on the day I was there. The mule path looks difficult since you would get way more sun when climbing in the morning like I did.

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I've compiled a lot of info on the various paths, but am still confused as to exactly where the hole and the little almost-ruined church are. I've looked on Google Earth, Google maps, and a lot of posts. If anyone understands the whole thing and could provide me more specific info on how to leave the paid, regular path that starts behind the church in Kotor (St. Mary's I think) to see the ruined church, that would be wonderful. I know how to get to the big church (Our Lady of Health, a third to half way up) as it's right on the paid path/walls, but then things get a little fuzzy. I know I'm probably agonizing about this too much and will figure it out later while going up (or hopefully before). However, I don't have all day to do the walk and don't have limited stamina and don't want to get lost wandering around at the back of the hillside!

I think one thing that's confusing me is that the paths (paid one, more like steps) and the so-called "mule path" are going up the hillside, and when shown on a map, may look distorted. I've tried to see both on Google Earth, but it's difficult to trace the whole length of each.

Hi. I walked up the Kotor steps, the Dubrovnik steps and if anyone else is lucky enough to visit the steps up to the fortress in Hvar Croatia.

I only made it up to the church in Kotor but hubby went all the way. The path in Kotor has many broken and loose stones plus there is no solid wall to use as balance in many places. The view from the little monastery is wonderful. The monastery is authentic and worth seeing. The old town of Kotor seemed like it was frozen in time. We found the little beach which was clean and refreshing.

I used my husband to keep me steady going up and down the stairs. If you have visual perception problems or balance problems don't attempt to climb Kotor without a companion. On the otherhand, some 20 somethings from our ship walked up to the top and back down like it was nothing. Lol

Here's a selfie of me and my ship from the halfway point