San Giovanni Castle, Kotor, Montenegro

San Giovanni, also called St. John’s Castle, is perched 1200m high on the hill of St. John. The fortifications date back as far as 532 when Byzantine Emperor Justinian I had the fort built. Since it’s creation, the fort has under seen plenty of changes and battles under Venetian, Russian, and French rule. It’s been bombed by British Naval armies, occupied during World War II, and even survived three separate earthquakes.

The walking path to San Giovanni castle has 1,350 steps and needs good shoes. The view over the Kotor bay is breathtaking from the top.

San Giovanni is part of the fortifications of Kotor which are an integrated historical fortification system that protected the medieval town of Kotor containing ramparts, towers, citadels, gates, bastions, forts, cisterns, a castle, and ancillary buildings and structures. They incorporate military architecture of Illyria, Byzantium, Venice, and Austria. Together with the old town and its natural surroundings the fortifications were inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1979 labelled Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor.

User Reviews

Coco Namure (5 months ago)
The views are stunning, I recommend taking the hike. It takes some time and is almost all stairs so take a bottle of water with you (it took us approximately 25 minutes with breaks to get to the top). The only thing we didn't like was the price, 8 euro per person seemed a little overpiced.

Wioleta Morańska (6 months ago)
Amazing view from the top. Totally recommend to climb there, however be prepared, it’s tiring and sweaty (get sturdy shoes, cap for the sun and loads of water). To avoid the cost of 8€ per person, we climbed up Ladder of Kotor and squeezed through the fortress wall inside and then for free went down by stairs. I would recommend it to everyone, as I actually believe Ladder is an easier climb up than just using slipper steps. And yes, the view is worth it!

Brad Kosar (8 months ago)
Amazing view. Completely worth the walk uphill. I speed walked and made it to the top in 35 minutes. For a more casual pace plan on an hour. The view is completely worth the effort. There are a few vendors selling water on the way up in case you don't bring your own. You should also plan on sturdy shows as the stairs can be quite uneven in spots.

ilhan karasakal (9 months ago)
YOU SHOULD DEFİNİTELY VISIT! ?️ The ticket is 8 Euro, when you climb all the stairs and see the view you'll see it's worth it. ? I highly suggest you to bring some snacks,food etc to eat at the top point. ?️ İt's not so easy to climb to the top, you need to put some effort. İt's better if you carry 1-2 liter water with you. ? And there are cats on the way you can feed them bring some food for them too. Enjoy ?

Agnieszka Jaśkowiak (10 months ago)
A very rewarding walk. The views on the bay are spectacular, and the ruins themselves are also quite interesting. Don't forget to bring something to drink (though your can buy cold drinks from the locals on the trail, but price can be a little bit high). Entry fee is 8 euros. Round trip took us about 2 hrs.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright larrywkoester

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

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