Kotor

Kotor might be the most beautiful small city in Europe. The medieval walled Old Town sits at the junction of the Bay of Kotor and the Škurda River, backed by near-vertical limestone mountains that rise to 1,200 metres above sea level. The walls snake up the cliff face like something from a fantasy novel. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the best-preserved Venetian fortresses in the world, and yet you can rent a studio inside the walls for €500–€700/month. The expat community is small but deeply committed — writers, artists, remote workers, and retirees who came for a week and never left. Kotor rewards those who want to be immersed in an extraordinary environment rather than just proximate to amenities. Practical reality: the Old Town floods in winter (October–December), tourist crowds are extreme in July–August, and the lack of a supermarket inside the walls requires logistics planning. But the Bay views from your apartment window, the weekly boat trips to Perast, and the almost surreal beauty of daily life make Kotor's trade-offs feel entirely worthwhile for those it suits.