Kotor

Kotor sits at the back of a bay so steep and deep it reads like a fjord, its Venetian town pressed against the mountain under a fortress wall that zigzags up the cliff.

Climb the 1,350 steps at dawn for the view, then drive the serpentine road up to Lovcen or boat out to the islets off Perast.

Fly into:

• Tivat Airport TIV
• Podgorica Airport TGD

The bay road hugs the water, with buses and boats linking Kotor, Perast and Tivat. A rental car opens up the Lovcen serpentine and the wider coast; inside Kotor itself everything is on foot.

Start the fortress climb before 8am to beat the heat and the cruise crowds, the early light over the bay is the shot. Eat where the konobas grill the day's catch on the Dobrota waterfront, away from the old-town tourist menus.

Best in Spring

Spring: mild and green around 16 to 23C, the bay calm and the cruise crowds still thin.

• broken-in shoes for the fortress steps
• a swimsuit for the bay
• light layers for warm days and cool nights
• a sun hat
• a refillable water bottle