For centuries the Bay of Kotor lived from the sea, and the Maritime Museum of Montenegro is the best place to understand how. It occupies the Baroque palace of the noble Grgurina family, built in the early eighteenth century and restored after the Second World War for museum use. Its collection began with the Boka Marine, the ancient brotherhood of the bay’s seafarers, around 1880, and the museum first opened to the public in 1900. Inside, rooms trace the story through ship models, captains’ portraits, navigation instruments, old weapons, ethnographic costumes and the furnished rooms of local seafaring families, as well as sections on steam shipping and the two world wars. It is compact enough for an hour and a good choice for a hot or rainy afternoon.
Opening hours: according to the museum, it opens on working days from morning to early evening in summer and until mid-afternoon in winter, with shorter Saturday and holiday hours, so plan a visit earlier in the day out of season. There is a modest admission fee.
What to expect: labels are in English as well as Montenegrin, and the palace itself, with its staircases and halls, is part of the pleasure. The museum suffered in the 1979 earthquake and was restored in the 1980s.
Making the most of it: visit before climbing the walls, so that the palaces, coats of arms and harbour you see from above make more sense. Afterward, look out for the Boka Marine’s traditions in Kotor’s festivals.
What to expect
The experience
A small museum of ship models, portraits, weapons and family rooms in a Baroque palace.
Best time
A hot afternoon or a rainy day; mornings in winter, when hours are shorter.
How long
About an hour.
Tips
Visit before the walls climb for context, and check the shorter winter and Saturday hours.
Quick picks
- Best for
- History lovers and anyone curious about the palaces of the bay.
- Families
- Ship models and old weapons keep children interested for an hour.
- Couples
- A cool, quiet break from the busy squares.
- Pair with
- Kotor Old Town and the City Walls.
- Time needed
- One hour.
Good questions
Where is the Maritime Museum of Montenegro?+
Inside Kotor Old Town, in the early eighteenth-century Baroque palace of the Grgurina family.
What are the opening hours?+
Working days from morning to early evening in summer and to mid-afternoon in winter, with shorter Saturday hours; check before you go.
How long do you need?+
About an hour is enough for most visitors.
Is it good for children?+
Yes, the ship models, weapons and costumes appeal to most school-age children.
What is the Boka Marine?+
The ancient brotherhood of the bay’s seafarers, whose collection formed the start of the museum.
