Church of St. Luke
Church of St. Luke
4
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Plan your visit
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
169 within 3 miles
Attractions
150 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
322 reviews
Excellent
107
Very good
139
Average
73
Poor
2
Terrible
1
PavlaPavla
Chrudim, Czech Republic7,543 contributions
Aug 2022
Although this church is really tiny, there are some very interesting facts about this place. The church today is significant because of the fact that it has two altars, a Catholic and an Orthodox one. It happend because of the wars and the arrival of the Orthodox people in Kotor. So this church was given to Orthodox believers for use. I think it is a nice represent of the the harmonious co-existence of people of different religious.
Another interesting fact is that the floor in the church was made of tomb panels, because until 1930’s the burring were held in the church itself.
Another interesting fact is that the floor in the church was made of tomb panels, because until 1930’s the burring were held in the church itself.
Written August 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason S
Melbourne, Australia2,165 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Small little compact church that was built in the 12th century.
Free to enter and explore, nice for a quick look and absorb the history and architecture of its time.
You only really need 5 minutes and your done.
Free to enter and explore, nice for a quick look and absorb the history and architecture of its time.
You only really need 5 minutes and your done.
Written September 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WillieMacfan
Healdsburg, CA893 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Church of St. Luke stands like a child amongst their parents. Very small chapel like church adjacent to many larger churches.
Definitely worth a quick visit
Definitely worth a quick visit
Written August 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PaxRyan
Rome109 contributions
Oct 2011 • Friends
i was really excited to find this church because of a note on cruisecritic.com that says it is noted for having two altars, one for the the Eastern Orthodox Church and another for the Roman Catholic Church and that this shows the religious tolerance there. False. There is an Eastern altar and then a blank wall where, apparently, there was a Catholic altar 500years ago when it was torn down. Compliments for having had two altars, but boo to all the resources claiming it's still there (sadly also the staff of Holland America cruise lines claimed there were these two altars, causing me to seek out the church.)
Then there's the hustling priest mentioned in this last review as well. We had befriended some other local man well enough to translate for us to ask the priest about the 2nd altar (it was apparent there was only one). Then the priest showed us that he had Saint Luke's bone and was very clear that we should leave a donation there. So i reached into my pocket, pulled out all the change there and put it there near the Apostle's relic. What came out was 50cents in Euros and two American quarters. The priest picks up the two quarter begins speaking unhappily and then says "banks" is points down with his thumb and throws the quarters down in what appeared to be disgust. i would have taken the quarters back but we had lost the attention of our translator by this time and not being able to give a zinger back to him made getting the change back not worth it.
In the photo attached you can see the (beautiful) Eastern altar on the left, the blank wall where the Roman Catholic altar was on the right and in the middle you can see the priest helping some other man get some money out of his wallet for himself.
Then there's the hustling priest mentioned in this last review as well. We had befriended some other local man well enough to translate for us to ask the priest about the 2nd altar (it was apparent there was only one). Then the priest showed us that he had Saint Luke's bone and was very clear that we should leave a donation there. So i reached into my pocket, pulled out all the change there and put it there near the Apostle's relic. What came out was 50cents in Euros and two American quarters. The priest picks up the two quarter begins speaking unhappily and then says "banks" is points down with his thumb and throws the quarters down in what appeared to be disgust. i would have taken the quarters back but we had lost the attention of our translator by this time and not being able to give a zinger back to him made getting the change back not worth it.
In the photo attached you can see the (beautiful) Eastern altar on the left, the blank wall where the Roman Catholic altar was on the right and in the middle you can see the priest helping some other man get some money out of his wallet for himself.
Written October 13, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deborah T
Chicago, IL1,114 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
St. Luke's Church was built in 1195. It is a one-nave church that has characteristics of the Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. This is the only building in the town that did not suffer any major damage during earthquakes. Its frescoes were painted soon after its construction, of which only some fragments remain on the southern wall.
Once this church was Catholic, but later it was changed for Orthodox use. Thus the church has two altars. The church floor is made of tombstones.
Once this church was Catholic, but later it was changed for Orthodox use. Thus the church has two altars. The church floor is made of tombstones.
Written October 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol A S
Marietta, GA4,153 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
St. Luke's church is easy to find, on the north side of old town in the appropriately named St. Luke's square. It is one of the older churches in Kotor, dating from 1195, one of the only churches to survive several earthquakes undamaged. Originally consecrated as a Catholic church, it became multi-denominational (both Catholic and Orthodox) in the 17th century. Many Orthodox refugees arrived in Kotor fleeing the Kandinsky war between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire in 1657. The city administration allowed them to hold services in St. Luke's church, alternating with Catholic services. Two alters (Catholic and Orthodox) were used side-by-side until 1812 when the church became solely Orthodox. St. Luke's is small; its exterior is in Romanesque style, with a single bell tower above the entrance. Look for a carved inscription on the western facade to Mauro Kacafrangi who donated funds to build the church in 1195. The interior has pointed arches and a cupola over the main alter area. The main alter features a 17th century iconostasis (alter screen). An 18th century iconstasis in a side chapel is dedicated to St. Spiridon (the patron saint of potters). There are relics of St. Luke and three early christian martyrs Orestes, Auzentius and Mardary. Fragments from the original 12th-century frescoes can be seen in the southern wall of the church. The floor is paved with tombstones from burials within the church. I found this small gem of a church to be a peaceful place to contemplate 800 years of Kotor's history: residents surviving earthquakes, epidemics, wars, and political changes were able to share their spiritual devotion in this building.
Written August 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charming_Karl
Lisbon, Portugal1,421 contributions
Aug 2011 • Family
I know the guide books said St. Luke's was small, but I was shocked to see how small. It really consists of just one tiny room inside and outside it hardly fills a corner of the square. Nevertheless, it is beautiful in its simplicity. And really ironic that this was one of the few buildings to survive the most recent earthquake.
Written February 17, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noel W
Liverpool, UK947 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
It is well worth stopping and spending a little time in this lovely little church. Very peaceful inside despite the hustle and bustle of the tourists outside..
Written October 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Johann en Pieter
Johannesburg, South Africa93 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
This church is so peaceful and we were told it is significant because of the fact that it has two altars, a Catholic and an Orthodox one. the church is over 800 years old and surely the oldest in this Unesco World Heritage site of Kotor.
Written June 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GabrielL105
Covington, LA133 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
This is a very small church next to the town's cathedral. It may go unnoticed by many tourist because of the contrast of its location. The building is beautifully simple in the inside, the outside calls your attention, specially when you go around it. It was built in 1195.
Written September 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello ITRT,
I was in Kotor in September 2018. I am curious as I did not inside St. Lucas Church. It says it has two altars, a Catholic & Orthodox. I am looking at photos on the internet inside the church. Where is the Catholic altar? I am Catholic and I am having a hard time picking from the internet photos, what is Catholic? Are the altars behind the iconostasis which is why I cannot find any pictures anywhere? Would appreciate if you could enlighten me on this. Thank you very much.
From, Tellyjan
Written August 23, 2020
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingScroll back to Church of St. Luke information