What the Church of Our Lady of Remedy is and where it stands

The church sits on the mountain above Kotor, on the fortified slope that rises directly behind the old town, and photographs of it are usually taken looking up from the fortress walls or down over the bay. It appears in descriptions alongside St John's fortress, which is the upper destination on the same ascent. Treat the church as a stop on the climb rather than a separate excursion from town.

Two names circulate for the same place: the English Church of Our Lady of Remedy and the Montenegrin Gospa od Zdravlja. If a map pin or sign uses one and your notes use the other, you are not looking at two churches. It is distinct from Our Lady of the Rocks, the island church in the Bay of Kotor near Perast, which is reached by boat from a different village.

You will pass hillside viewpoints as you climb. The church of Our Lady of Remedy and St John on the mountain in Kotor, Montenegro is a photograph taken on 30 August 2018 of the church and the fortress ridge above it, and it shows how the building sits on the slope.

How to reach it: the climb from the old town

Access is by the fortress path that starts from Kotor old town and switchbacks up the mountain. The church is a lower waypoint on that path, with the fortress walls continuing above it. Because there is no separate entrance road to the church, the climb is the visit.

Kotor fortress is the wider site the church belongs to, and its walls, gates and upper viewpoints are covered in a separate guide. If you want the layout of the walls before setting out, read the Kotor fortress page first so you know how far beyond the church the path continues.

Photographs taken in August 2009 from below the church show the slope and the path rising to it on the fortress side. They are a record of the terrain rather than of current access arrangements, and conditions on the path can change with weather and maintenance.

What you see at the church and on the way up

At the top of this stretch you get an outlook over the old town roofs and the Bay of Kotor. The church itself is a compact building on the slope, and the interest for most visitors is the building in its setting rather than a long interior visit. Give yourself time to stop, drink water and look back down before deciding whether to continue to the walls.

The old town at the foot of the climb is compact and walkable, and the churches below are easy to fold into the same day. If you want the full set of sights laid out by area and time needed, start with the Kotor attractions guide and pick what fits around the climb.

How long the climb and visit take

Plan the outing around the ascent rather than the church, because the walk up is the demanding part. Build in breaks on the switchbacks, carry more water than you think you need, and avoid starting in the middle of a hot day. The descent takes less effort but still asks for care on loose or uneven stone.

Cruise traffic in Kotor concentrates in the old town and on the popular paths, so early starts tend to be quieter on the way up. If your day includes the cathedral and the squares, put the climb first and the town afterwards. A slower pace with a clear turnaround point at the church is a sensible option for anyone unsure about continuing to the fortress.

Tickets, opening hours and access: where to check before you go

Entry arrangements for the church, and any charge for the fortress path, are set locally and can change through the season. Confirm the position at the old town information point or with the body managing the fortress before you climb. That one check covers both the church and the walls above it.

Do not rely on old photographs or trip reports for opening times or access rules. A picture dated 2009 or 2018 records how the church looked then, not whether it is open or free today. Ask locally, then set out with a plan that works if the church is shut when you arrive.

Nearby: Kotor's old town churches and the walls

Back at street level, Kotor's old town holds several churches within a few minutes of each other. Saint Tryphon's Cathedral, the church of Sveti Luka and the church of Saint Nicholas are all inside the walls, and the cathedral carries a treasury of a gilded altar, baroque frescoes and ornaments. That makes a sensible wet-weather or rest-day alternative to the climb.

The cathedral is the most prominent of these and deserves its own stop. St Tryphon's Cathedral (Katedrala Svetog Tripuna), Kotor covers the building, its treasury and what to look for inside, and it pairs well with a short walk through the squares.

The fortress walls themselves are the larger site above the church, with gates and bastions that reward a slower look on the way down. The Kotor Fortress guide covers the circuit and the main entry points, so you can decide whether to combine the two or split them across different days.

Climb for the church or stop at the town?

Treat the Church of Our Lady of Remedy as a half-day outing built around the climb, and keep the old town churches for the rest of the day. If steep stone paths in heat are not appealing, the cathedral and the church of Sveti Luka give you the same town without the ascent.

Either way, check entry and access locally on the day before committing to the path, and set a turnaround point so the descent stays comfortable.