Stoliv

Stoliv sits on the western shore of the Bay of Kotor, between Prcanj and the narrows, facing Dobrota across the water. It is about 8 km from Kotor by the shoreline road and is made up of two settlements: Donji Stoliv on the sea and Gornji Stoliv on the slope above.

Gornji Stoliv is the original upper village, perched a few hundred metres above the shore and now almost entirely abandoned. Stone houses stand roofless among the chestnuts, with the church of St Elijah at the top — one of the most atmospheric places in the whole bay.

On foot, by an old stone stairway that climbs from Donji Stoliv through the chestnut woods. Allow roughly 40 minutes up and rather less down. The steps are uneven and slippery when wet, so proper shoes matter; there is no road access worth attempting.

Its chestnuts. The slopes above the village hold old sweet-chestnut woods, and the harvest is still marked locally in autumn. Together with the abandoned upper village and the captains' houses along the shore, that is what draws people here rather than beaches.

Small pebble strips and concrete bathing platforms along the waterfront rather than a proper beach. The water is calm, clean bay water and the setting is superb, but anyone wanting sand should look outside the bay.

Yes, for the walk up to Gornji Stoliv above all. It is a half-day out of Kotor that most visitors never make, combining an easy shoreline village with a genuinely striking abandoned settlement in the woods above it.