Kotor is a medieval old town known as the Montenegrin Venice. Kotor is one of the best preserved old towns and is located in one of the 25 most beautiful bays in the world. The town of Kotor is 13th century old, but on the site of present-day Kotor, people settled much earlier. Surrounded by grandiose walls, intertwined with old cobbled streets where tourists gladly "get lost", Kotor is a favorite port for large cruisers and tourists from all over the world. Kotor is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. About 200 people live in the Old Town of Kotor today.
THE MAIN CITY GATE (THE SEA GATE) was built in 1555, when Kotor was under Venetian rule, and this gate was the only entrance to the old town, directly from the sea. The symbol of the Venetian Republic, the winged lion of St. Mark's was once carved above the city gates. Today, the same lion is carved into the city walls, to the right of the main city gate.
The city clock tower is located on the city's main square. The clock tower is one of the symbols of Kotor, and every town on the coast, similar to Kotor, is adorned with a city clock tower. The tower was built in 1602, at the behest of a Venetian governorate named Antonio Grimaldi. The clock tower is built of massive stone blocks, and on the third floor there are two large clocks on two sides, which always show the exact time. The clock bell can be heard every 30 minutes.
The Square of the Arms is the main and largest square in Kotor. This square is a place for meetings, partings and all the major events in the city. Through the main city gate from the sea, one can reach the main town square in just a few seconds. Every major event and ceremony takes place right here. The square got its name The sqaure of the Arms because weapons were repaired here and stored in the Arsenal building at the very end of the square, during the reign of Venetian Republic in Kotor.
The Flour Square got its name after flour that used to be sold only on this sqaure. Today, there are two palaces in this small square, the Pima Palace and the Buca Palace, restaurants, bakeries even (today the square always smells like freshly baked pastries), the first grammar school in Kotor from the 13th century, which houses the Faculty of Tourismbas well as the city gallery.
The pillar of shame is located in front of the old clock, where the old pillar of shame that was destroyed in the earthquake was once located. The pillar of shame was a characteristic way of punishing the one who committed a certain offense in Kotor. The police of the time (Venetian Republic) would place the defendant in front of the pillar of shame
