Kotor Clock Tower

The basics

The Kotor Clock Tower is almost impossible to miss in Kotor’s traffic-free old town. Pause to admire the 3-story tower with its two working clock faces before burrowing deeper into old Kotor’s cobbled lanes to see its squares, churches, and monuments.

The clock is a crucial fixture on Kotor walking tours: many depart from the Sea Gate and stop outside the tower before continuing to other landmarks like St. Tryphon Cathedral. Choose from a private or group walking tour or a tour with an added twist, such as food tastings or a ride on the Kotor-Lovćen cable car to the top of Mount Lovćen for aerial views over old Kotor.

Things to know before you go

• The Kotor Clock Tower is a must-see for first-time Kotor visitors and history, architecture, and photography buffs.

• The tower is usually only viewable from the outside. Don’t expect to go inside or climb to its top.

• Kotor’s Sea Gate and streets are laid with relatively flat cobblestones, usually accessible for wheelchair users and anyone with reduced mobility.

How to get there

The clock tower faces the Sea Gate in Kotor’s Square of the Arms, a roughly 3-minute walk from Kotor cruise terminal and its nearby car parks. Visitors can also reach the clock via Kotor’s southerly Gurdic Gate, a 6-minute walk away. If you’re planning a day trip to Kotor from Dubrovnik, it’s about a 2-hour car journey or around 2.5 hours by one of the regular buses that link the two cities.

When to get there

You can view the clock tower any time, on any day, although crowds tend to gather outside it during the peak season of May–August, especially from mid-morning to early afternoon. To see—and photograph–the clock when things are quieter, visit early morning or late afternoon or during spring, fall, or winter. It’s also worth seeing the tower after dark when it’s beautifully illuminated.

What to see at the Kotor Clock Tower

While it’s hard to discern, the Kotor Clock Tower actually leans. Initially perfectly upright, a 1667 earthquake left it tilting slightly to the west, and although repairs were made, a 1979 earthquake saw the lean return. Another feature is the obelisk-shaped ‘pillory’ fronting the tower: Criminals were tied to this monument in medieval times to be abused by passers-by.