By Diana Schoberg
Nestled on a fjord-like bay along Montenegro's Adriatic coast, the town of Kotor is a time capsule. With its medieval Old Town area, overlooked by a hilltop castle fortress, the city accounts for a significant percentage of Montenegro's cultural heritage sites. Its Cathedral of St. Tryphon is one of Europe's oldest (it's older than Notre Dame in Paris). The town's narrow lanes include one of the narrowest in the world, barely wide enough for two people to pass each other. And all of the Old Town is enclosed by walls as high as 65 feet that zigzag from the coast and up the cliff that rises imposingly behind the town.
"When you come inside the walls, there are no cars," explains Aleksandra Ivanović, a member of the Rotary Club of Kotor. "You have this feeling that you are living in the past."
After a 1979 earthquake destroyed much of the town, the Kotor region was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The buildings were repaired, following strict rules to preserve the town's heritage. Today, tourists flock to see the cultural sites and enjoy the coastline.
