Today, my wife and I hiked the Ladder of Kotor, together with our one-year old son on our back. The Ladder of Kotor is a 7 kilometer long hike (one-way) which accumulates approximately 1000 meters of elevation. (My watch, a Garmin Fenix 6S Pro, registered around 900 meters, but because of all the hairpins, I guess the ‘true elevation’ is somewhere between 900 and 1000 meters.)
Elevation profile
We left from the carpark at the Old Town of Kotor, next to the Voli Supermarket, at 6.15 am, to be back before the real August heat would strike. Which it did, because when we got back down, around 12 ‘o clock, it was 46 degrees Celciua…
The hike was great and although it was a continuous climb to the top, only the last kilometer or so became steeper. The cafe at the top, Nevjesta Jadrana, wasn’t open yet, because we arrived around 8.30 am and it opens at 9.00 am, but we just sat on a bench, ate and drank some of our own food and drinks with our son, and waited until 9 am to have a coffee at the cafe before heading down the same way we got up.
View of Kotor from the top
The hike features stunning views, and follows a pretty good, sometimes rocky paths (don’t be afraid, no stairs or steps!).
The paths on the Ladder of Kotor
There’s also a nice little goat farm along the way. You can buy drinks and goat cheese there, if you want to.
Goat farm
We met nice people, took some great pictures and just had a good time, although our son didn’t like it anymore half way down, probably because of the heat. We kept him hydrated, sunscreened, sun-hatted (is that a word?), and in the shade as much as possible. Although, because we started early in the morning, we didn’t see more than four or five people on the way up, there were significantly more people heading up when we got down. They walked in the full sun and heat, so if there’s one tip we’d give you when you’re doing this hike in summer: start early and enjoy the shade. For parents of young children: this hike isn’t doable with a stroller, but carrying your kid on your back was fine. This is just our experience, so don’t take this as advice — be wise and careful with your kid, and yourselves!
Stunning views
PS Although the path is clear, I always like having a gpx on my Garmin watch just to check the route and the remaining distance and elevation. Here you go.