Kotor's cable car is one of the newest ways to see the Bay of Kotor: an 11-minute ride from sea level up to around 1,316 metres, built by an Italian ropeway specialist in just over a year and already carrying close to 300,000 passengers annually.
From the bay to the mountains in 11 minutes
The cable car opened for commercial service on 14 August 2023, its construction completed in just over a year after the cornerstone was laid in July 2022. The route covers about 3.9 kilometres from the Dub base station, in Kotor municipality, up into the terrain of Lovćen National Park – a climb that takes roughly 11 minutes each way and, without the road's switchbacks, turns what's normally a long mountain drive into a short, direct ride with the whole bay opening up below. The Montenegrin government's concession agreement, signed in December 2021, brought in Leitner, an Italian manufacturer with decades of cable car engineering behind it, alongside local partner Novi Volvox, to build it.
Already one of the bay's busiest attractions
In its first full year of operation, 2024, the cable car carried over 290,000 passengers – a fast start for an attraction that didn't exist before the 2023 season, and a sign of how quickly it's become part of the standard Kotor itinerary alongside the Old Town and the bay's boat tours.
Booking
The round-trip cable car ticket is valid for 60 days from purchase and includes skip-the-line access. It's a short, self-guided way to get the view without committing to a full day – if you'd rather turn the climb into a longer, guided day out, the Lovćen National Park day trip reaches the same mountains by road and continues on to the Njegoš Mausoleum, Cetinje and Sveti Stefan.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
It began commercial operation on 14 August 2023, built in just over a year after its cornerstone was laid in July 2022 – one of the newest attractions in the Bay of Kotor.
Image: Ramessos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)