Forte Rose

Forte Rose sits at the tip of the Luštica peninsula, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, in the small fishing village of Rose. The hotel occupies the site of an Austro-Hungarian fortress — a strategic point contested across centuries — now a castle by the sea open to visitors. This unit is a compact one-bedroom for two guests, with one bed and a private bathroom, making it a good fit for couples. Rooms come with LCD TV, air conditioning, mini-bar, safe, hair dryer, bed linen and towels, and are soundproofed; free internet, free parking, room service, daily maintenance and a wake-up service are all available. Breakfast is included. The on-site restaurant and bar serve traditional coastal cuisine on a large terrace. The beach is 10 m away, Tivat Airport 20 km, and Kotor's old town 24 km. Guests staying more than two nights receive a free tour of the Blue Grotto. Fishing, cycling, diving and cruising can be arranged.

About the area

Everything about this corner of Luštica has been shaped by the fact that whoever holds it holds the door to the Bay of Kotor. The Austro-Hungarians built the fort that gives the place its name; across the water sit the island prison-fortress of Mamula and the batteries above Žanjice, part of the same defensive net. Walk ten minutes in any direction from the harbour and you find gun emplacements swallowed by fig and myrtle. It is a rewarding piece of coast for anyone who likes history left where it fell rather than tidied into a museum.

The village itself is car-free, a string of stone houses along a shore path with the water a few steps away and the open Adriatic visible past the headland. Boat trips are the local currency: the Blue Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the Boka, is the standard excursion, and the beaches of Žanjice, Mirišta and Dobreč on the seaward side of the peninsula are reachable only by sea or a long track. Herceg Novi lies under three nautical miles across the channel, close enough for a lunch run; Kotor's Old Town is about twenty-four kilometres by road and Tivat airport twenty. Evenings tend to end at a konoba table with grilled fish and a bottle of something red.