Craftsmen Street, Kotor

Often regarded as one of the oldest thoroughfares in Kotor, Craftsmen Street follows the city’s main north–south axis, running between the South Gate and the North Gate at the foot of the mountain. While its exact layout evolved over time, the street broadly follows the line of the ancient town’s primary route, linking Kotor’s key entrances from early periods onward.

From the Middle Ages well into the early modern era, Kotor was known for its skilled artisans, and this street became the city’s main craft corridor. Workshops were traditionally grouped by trade, creating a dense concentration of economic activity. Historical records, including documents from 1326, list dozens of professions active in the town, among them shoemakers, tanners, butchers, stonemasons, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, swordsmiths, and bakers.

As you walk today, souvenir shops and small studios occupy many former workshops, but traces of the street’s earlier function remain visible. Along the route, you’ll encounter religious buildings that once served both artisans and residents. The Church of Saint Anne, dating to the 12th century, was rebuilt following damage in the 1979 earthquake. Nearby stands the Church of Saint Paul, constructed in 1263.

Taken together, Craftsmen Street offers a compressed view of Kotor’s urban life, where trade, worship, and everyday movement once unfolded along a single, enduring spine of the city.