The massive fortress walls of medieval Kotor shield romantic stone mansions, narrow streets and churches. Each of these churches has at least one interesting feature that sets it apart from the others.
The most famous temple of the Kotor Old Town is, without a doubt, the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Tryphon.
The Cathedral is very impressive in terms of history as well as architecture.
The first temple in this corner of Kotor rose in 809. Over the years, it was repeatedly expanded and rebuilt. The church suffered several devastating earthquakes, but was lovingly restored every time.
Nowadays it is a valuable architectural monument that mixes features of several styles — Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque.
The interior of the cathedral is also incredible. The stone ornament above the altar, depicting the life of St. Tryphon, is a real wonder!
Today, the church attracts both Orthodox and Catholic believers, as well as numerous tourists from around the world.
Another important religious site — the Catholic Church of St. Mary Collegiate — can be found on the square in front of the North River Gate.
The church was built in the 13th century on the foundation of an older temple. The latest addition — beautiful tall Bell Tower visible even from outside the fortress walls.
Inside the temple lay the imperishable relics of Blessed Osanna of Cattaro.
Interior walls are adorned with partially preserved frescos.
The altar is mastered from black marble. At its center is a crucifix, dating from the 14th century.
The church, consecrated in honor of Saint Anne, is more difficult to find. The church is modest in size and is surrounded on all sides by residential buildings.
This is one of the oldest temples of the city, with well-preserved decorative elements on the facade, and wonderful 15th-century murals inside.
The Church of Saint Luke is a valuable example of Byzantine architecture. The construction began at the end of the 12th century and the contemporary structure is the result of the work of many and many generations. Initially, the church was quite modest, then a dome, a belfry and a chapel graced it up.
This temple served as Catholic and Orthodox at the same time. It was originally built for Catholics, but when the number of Orthodox residents of Kotor increased, a different altar was erected in the church, and both confessions held divine services. Today the building is owned by the Orthodox Church.
The central place in the interior of the temple is the iconostasis. The altar partition itself dates from the 17th century, but the icons on it — from 16-18 centuries.
There is another iconostasis in the chapel, smaller in dimensions, but no less amusing. It is made of wood and painted by an unknown Greek master.
The Church of Saint Luke shares one townsquare with the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. The grand light stone structure with a dome and two belfries is the main Orthodox temple in Kotor.
Unlike other Kotor churches, the Cathedral arose in the Old Town relatively recently, at the beginning of the 20th century.
A tall exquisite iconostasis was created for the temple by the Czech artist named Ziegler.
The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas hosts daily services and — sometimes — concerts.
Next to the cathedral is the Church of Saint Claire. This Catholic temple belongs to the Franciscans.
Its facade is quite unassuming, but the real treasure is hidden inside.
It is a magnificent marble altar by Francesco Cabianco, a talented Venetian sculptor.
The Church of Saint Francis was once in the possession of Franciscan monks as well.
In the middle of the 19th century, the church was left abandoned. A few years ago, the building was restored and it is going to be a city library.
The Saint Paul's Church is another temple recently restored. And it is also not going to be used as a religious site. The city plans to hold exhibitions and art shows here.
The small Roman-Gothic style Church of Saint Michael now houses the Lapidarium museum.
And finally, the adorable Church of Saint Peter of Cetinje, on the eastern side of the Old Town, is the smallest temple in Kotor.