Kotor was founded by the Colchians, members of the Phoenician tribe. Kotor, just like Budva, was founded in the period 10-12. B.C. Ancient Kotor is as old as the maritime trade on the Adriatic.

Originally it was called Katareo - the place of the spring, so Decatera, Decaderon, Katarum... First the city was ruled by the Illyrians (III - II century BC). After them came the Romans who ruled Kotor for about 650 years. In the 5th century, the city was destroyed by the Goths.

With the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476 BC), Boka and Kotor came under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire, which lasted for 400 years. In the VII A.C. Kotor becomes the capital of Boka Kotorska.

This was followed by the period of the Duke-Zeta rulers (X-XI A.C.), when the local population began to dominate again.

After the centuries-old presence of the Eastern Roman Empire, Stefan Nemanja took over the city in 1185. The Nemanjic dynasty resided, mostly in summer, in its faithful, Serb, throne, beloved and glorious city until 1371. This was the time of Kotor's greatest economic and cultural boom; within the Serb state (1185-1371) it has the broadest autonomy and governance under its own Statute.

Stefan Nemanja founded the court in Kotor. Fra. Vita, the main builder of the one of the most important monasteries of Nemanjić period - Visoki Dečani is from Kotor.

After the collapse of the Serb state, due to the Turkish invasion, Kotor occasionally recognizes the Hungarian king and Serb king of Bosna Tvrtko I (1371-1379) as their ruler.

The city is also an independent republic (1391–1420) with a prince in charge.

The Serenissima Republic will reign for a good part of the Boka for a long time: 1420–1797, and during this time, the citadel of Kotor was fortified.

From 1797 to 1814, the authorities changed: Austro-Hungarian (1797), Russian (1806), and France (1808–1813). Under the rule of Montenegrin Metropolitan bishop Peter I Petrovic, the unification of Boka and Montenegro was proclaimed, in 1813. From the next year, 1814, and for another 100 years in a row, Kotor was again ruled by Austro-Hungary.

In 1918, Kotor and Boka united directly with Serbia, then became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, that is, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Finally, the town was highly damaged by the earthquake in 1979, after which a process of restoration was initiated in order to restitute the significant fortification and the old town to the community. In the same period, the natural and culturo-historical region of Kotor was listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. In the last years, the fortified city was also included in UNESCO's list of the Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries.