Traditions of Kotor
A walled Adriatic town in a fjord, where the Fašinada boat ceremony and the Bokeljska Mornarica keep sea memory.
Kotor is a medieval walled town at the end of a bay in Montenegro, a World Heritage site. The Bay of Kotor's coastal people are known for their seafaring, and the Bokelj Navy, an association founded in the ninth century, keeps ceremonial dress and parades. On 22 July, the Fašinada marks a legend of a sunken stone island.
Fašinada and the Bokeljska Mornarica
On the Fašinada, boats decked with flowers drop stones into the water around the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks, adding to the island built by sailors. Bokelj Navy members wear red and blue dress uniforms and dance the kolo. The Kotor Carnival, in February, parades masked groups.
At the table
Njeguški pršut, smoked ham, with cheese from Njeguši, black risotto with cuttlefish, and grilled fish are found in Kotor's konobas. Priganice, sweet fried dough, are made at festivals. Krstac and Vranac are local wines, and loza, a grape brandy, is sipped.
Signature traditions of Kotor
Also part of it, and being written: Our Lady of the Rocks (The boat ceremony.), Croatian Confraternity Bokelj Navy 809. (The navy.), Njeguški pršut (The ham.).
A trail idea for Kotor
- Old Town Walk the lanes.
- Fortress of San Giovanni Climb the steps.
- Perast See the islet.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Serbian Christmas: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 3.0, source