Kotor’s beautiful bay has long attracted passing ships that stopped to trade, plunder, or conquer, and merchants, pirates, and soldiers of numerous empires have walked this maze of cobblestone streets before you. One of Europe’s best-preserved cities of medieval or Renaissance vintage, its walls were constructed right into the steep slopes of the mountain behind it, providing protection and making it an amazing sight on approach from the sea. Venetian ramparts enclose a rich history, with churches of varying styles, and a Romanesque cathedral built on the foundations of an earlier church, and a still earlier Roman temple.