Throughout my travels, I never say no to a chance to see the offbeat, the weird, and the abandoned. Sometimes I’d even go way out of the way (cue Jack’s eye roll). I find it more interesting than the new and shiny.
So when some people from the hostel told us that there’s a hiking trail that starts next to the police station in Kotor that goes pass an abandoned fort in the forest, I was like “whaaa?”
Abandoned fort? In a forest? Sold.
To Fort Vrmac
Fort Vrmac is a leftover fortification from the Austria-Hungary empire. It is one of the best preserved fort from the era. And it was much bigger, and much better preserved, and so much more awesome than I even expected.
The exterior of the abandoned Fort Vrmac
The way in is through one of the windows on the ground floor
Much easier for taller people
Exterior of Fort Vrmac
Inside the abandoned fort
Feeling a bit like Lara Croft, we explored the fort with the help of flashlight from our phones. There were weird shadows, random holes and cracks on the floor. Watch your steps.
Stone latrines
More interior shot of Fort Vrmac
View from the 2nd floor of the fort
Abandoned mortar turrets in Fort Vrmac
You can even get to the roof by climbing a ladder and crawl out of a little door.
We were hoping to catch a ride back from the fort, but we didn’t realise how isolated the place is. The only way back is to hike the same trail we took up. Oh well, the view helped.
The trail to Fort Vrmac is located across the bay from the town of Kotor. You can see the town and the zig-zag trail to San Giovanni fort.
The town of Kotor is beautiful and the hike up the old Town Wall of Kotor is highly recommended. But if you’re looking for something more beyond the usual things to do in Kotor, check out Fort Vrmac. The forest itself is worth a visit.
Tip: A little beyond the fort is a mysterious complex of ruined old houses with broken windows and bedsheets as curtains. We weren’t sure if it was completely abandoned. The creep factor was high enough that I didn’t dare taking pictures.
