Maritime Museum of Montenegro
The maritime history of the Bay of Kotor in the Baroque Grgurina palace: the Bokeljska mornarica collection, captains' family salons, weapons, the World Wars and the steam-shipping era.
Maritime Museum · Kotor
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Maritime Museum of Montenegro (Pomorski muzej Crne Gore) occupies the early-18th-century Baroque palace of the Grgurina family at Trg Bokeljske mornarice 391, inside the walled Old Town of Kotor. Family salons from Prčanj and Risan, weapons, steam shipping and the World Wars tell the story of the Bay of Kotor's seafarers and of the Bokeljska mornarica, the fraternity whose collection, begun around 1880 and open to the public since 1900, became the museum. Adults pay €6, students and children €2. Weekday mornings are open all year; for evenings, Sundays and the exact season dates phone +382 32 304 720 before you go, because the museum publishes more than one timetable.
Opening hours and tickets
Monday to Friday the museum opens at 09:00 (08:00 on some of its timetables) and closes at 18:00 in summer and 15:00 in winter, which runs from 1 December to 1 April. Saturdays and holidays are 09:00-13:00 in both seasons. Sundays are listed only in the summer timetable: 09:00-13:00 from 15 April to 1 July and 10:00-16:00 from 1 July to 1 September, when weekday evenings run to 23:00. The second phone line is 304 721; outside opening hours there is a duty number, 067 070 512.
Tickets: adults €6, students and children €2, groups of more than 10 people €2 per person. Photography and filming need the director's permission. The museum has no parking; use the car parks outside the walls.
What to see
The rooms follow the museum's own route: the entrance hall and staircase, the Visin-Florio salon from Prčanj and the Ivelić family salon from Risan, a weapons room, a room on maritime education, rooms on the First and Second World Wars, a department on steam shipping, an ethnographic section, the central halls on the first and second floors, the Bokeljska mornarica room and the library.
For visitors with disabilities there is a dedicated room, a guide in Braille, an interactive screen showing the kolo dance of the Bokeljska mornarica and an audio guide on SoundCloud.
History
The Bokeljska mornarica fraternity started collecting around 1880 and opened its collection to the public in 1900. In 1938 the display was rearranged and opened on the first floor of the present building; between 1949 and 1952 the whole Grgurina palace was restored for the museum. The earthquake of 15 April 1979 damaged the building; it was restored in 1982-1984 and reopened after five years. The museum marked 70 years in 2022.
Getting there
The museum is a few minutes on foot from any gate of the Old Town, which is pedestrian. Drivers use the car parks outside the walls; the Kotor page has the parking and bus details.
Nearby
- St Luke's Church, in the Old Town.
- St John's Fortress and the town walls.
- Perast Museum in the Bujović Palace and Our Lady of the Rocks, Perast.
- Roman mosaics at Risan.
- All museums in Montenegro, with hours and tickets side by side.
Questions
What are the opening hours? Weekdays from 09:00 under every timetable; to 18:00 in summer and 15:00 in winter. Phone ahead for evenings and Sundays.
How much is the ticket? €6 adults, €2 students, children and groups over 10.
Can I take photos? Only with the director's permission.
Is it the same as the Perast Museum? No. The Maritime Museum is a state institution; the Perast Museum and the Risan mosaics belong to Muzeji Kotor and share a €15 ticket.
On these trips
- 3 days in Montenegro: Kotor, Lovćen, BudvaDay 1 · Kotor: old town, the walls and the bay
- Day trips from Budva: Kotor, Cetinje, SkadarTrip 1 · Kotor, the fortress walk and Perast
- 7 days in Montenegro: coast to Durmitor loopDay 1 · Kotor: old town, the walls and the bay
- 10 days in Montenegro: the full loop by carDay 1 · Kotor: old town, the walls and the bay
