A car service took me on a 3 1/2 hour journey from Mostar to Kotor, Montenegro. It’s a beautiful drive down, so I recommend if you are going south along the coast to sit on the right side so you can enjoy the view.
The town of Kotor is a quaint bay town that has preserved itself for tourists. In no way is it on the level of Dubrovnik in terms of catering to tourists, but it does not hold the realistic charm of other towns in the Balkans. I recommend spending a full day here.

There is a fortress you can hike up to, but I don’t recommend doing it in the heat of the afternoon. Like I did. And almost built myself a hut halfway up and stayed there. Do it in the morning or evening, and you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the area.

I wasn’t the only one struggling:

Once you do the hike you should naturally reward yourself with gelato.
Important note: The people in Kotor love cats. Love them. So. Much.

Exhibit A: They have a cat museum. Proceeds go to feeding the  cats of Kotor. You can even register your own cat.

Exhibit B: If a stray cat wanders into your home, you let it stay. Nbd.