The Ladder of Kotor Hike to Krstac Pass

We have now reached Kotor: a small, coastal town in Montenegro. The Old Town of Kotor is a UNESCO world heritage site, and a popular stop for cruise ships.

Our first couple of days here were very rainy, which gave us an excuse to do not a whole heck of a lot.

But yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. So, we set off for the Ladder of Kotor hike: a legendary hiking trail that, for centuries, was the only option for travelling between Kotor and the towns on the other side of the mountain range.

This hike has over 70 switchbacks that gradually lead you up the mountains, offering increasingly gorgeous views of the Bay of Kotor along the way.

The hiking route we were following claimed that we would reach a “mini-peak” about two hours into the hike. We didn’t find the mini-peak, but we did find a sign saying that we would reach “Krstac” in another hour. What is Krstac? Is it a peak? Is it a town? We decided to continue onward and find out.

On our way, we encountered a British hiker who said that the trail “gets harder” and that we were coming up on a “horrible bit”. We spent the next while wondering which part was the horrible bit. We’re pretty sure it was this river crossing.

After a grueling 60 minute climb (British hiker wasn’t wrong), we found out that Krstac is… a town! A town that completely closes down at the end of the summer tourism season.

We considered getting a taxi back, but it turned out that we were a 60 minute drive from Kotor (there are no roads that go straight through the mountains). So, we began the trek back.

And guess what we finally found? The “mini-peak”! This was a way better payoff than a closed up town. We should never have doubted you, trail app.

James, get down from there.