Castle of San Giovanni
Castle of San Giovanni is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Kotor audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~90 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type castle
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Kotor Kotor guide
About Castle of San Giovanni
A ruined fortress crowning the ridge some 260-280 metres above Kotor, reached by a wall-side climb of roughly 1,350 steps that passes a small church built by sailors.
The Castle of San Giovanni (Sveti Ivan) crowns the summit of St John's hill above Kotor's Old Town and is the highest point of the town's fortifications, roughly 260 to 280 metres above it. Fortified since Illyrian times and reconstructed by Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century, it took its present form under Venetian rule (1420-1797). The fortress is reached by climbing the fortified wall path, a route popularly described as about 1,350 steps, though much of it is ramp and rock rather than true steps.
Roughly halfway up stands the small Church of Our Lady of Remedy (Gospa od Zdravlja), a Roman Catholic church completed in 1518 and, by tradition, built by sailors in thanks for surviving a storm; remains of a sixth-century early-Christian basilica lie beneath it. Now a ruin open to visitors, the fortress offers panoramic views over the Old Town and the Bay of Kotor, and forms part of Kotor's UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 2017 'Venetian Works of Defence' inscription.
Did you know? The climb is famously '1,350 steps', but that number is only a commonly-cited approximation. Counts vary, often into the 1,400s, and much of the route is sloping ramp and bare rock, not true steps.
How long should you spend at Castle of San Giovanni?
Plan about ~90 min at Castle of San Giovanni. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Castle of San Giovanni worth visiting?
Castle of San Giovanni is one of the 12 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Kotor, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Kotor
Day 1 of the Kotor in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Castle of San Giovanni
Preview the Kotor tour free in the Gingerguide app.