Kotor

The Bay of Kotor has been informally called "the southernmost fjord in Europe" for decades, a label that isn't geologically accurate — it's technically a ria, a river canyon flooded by the sea, rather than a glacially carved fjord — but the visual effect holds up regardless: steep mountains drop almost directly into the water, giving the bay a scale and drama that few coastal landscapes in Europe can match.

Kotor's old town sits at the innermost point of that bay, walled by the Venetians during their centuries of control over the Adriatic coast, and it remains genuinely well-preserved — narrow stone streets, a central cathedral, and squares that feel lived-in rather than purely preserved for tourism, at least outside the busiest cruise-ship hours.

Above the town, the city walls climb roughly 1,350 steps up the mountainside to the Fortress of San Giovanni, a strenuous, exposed hike that rewards climbers with one of the most complete panoramic views of the bay available anywhere — the old town's terracotta rooftops directly below, the water curving between mountains in both directions.

Just offshore, Our Lady of the Rocks, one of two tiny islets near the town of Perast, was reportedly built up over centuries by local sailors deliberately sinking rocks and old ships around a small natural reef — an entirely artificial islet now holding a church and small museum, reachable by a short boat trip.

Kotor's relatively lower prices and equally dramatic natural setting have made it an increasingly popular alternative or complement to Dubrovnik, connected by a scenic several-hour coastal drive, and its cruise-ship traffic — while real — hasn't yet reached the same saturation point that Dubrovnik's Old Town regularly experiences in peak season.