Perast is a small town with just a few hundred people living in it and situated near Kotor in the Kotor Bay. Founded by the Illyrians, the town has a long history. Due to its strategic position in the Kotor Bay, Perast was powerful during the Venetian epoch. Now we can call Perast a hidden gem of the Kotor Bay.
Being a small town, Perast can be overcrowded in summer, so if you have an opportunity to visit it at any other time of the year, you’ll get a much better impression of it.
Perast is well-known for two islands near it, St. George (Sveti Đorđe) island and Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) island. You can visit these islands during the boat trip. Boats regularly sail from the Perast coast.
St. George island has a long history (the small island belonged to Venice, France, Austria, Yugoslavia, and finally Montenegro), and there are multiple legends related to it. Currently, it is in the possession of the Catholic church.
Our Lady of Rocks is the only artificial island in the Adriatic Sea. It was made from stones, parts of old ships, and by sinking ships loaded with stones.
Even now, each year, a special event is held here to add new stones to this artificial island. This event is called Fašinada and takes place every year on July 22 (for more than 500 years continuously).
The current temple on the island was built at the end of the 17th – 18th centuries after the earthquake of 1667 destroyed the previous one.
It is wonderful to sit on the Perast shore in one of its cafes and enjoy the picturesque views around.
St. Nikola Square is the main square of Perast. Here you can find sculptures of Perast’s famous citizens: Marko Martinovic, Matija Zmajevic, and Tripo Kokolja.
On St. Nikola Square, you will find St. Nikola Catholic church, consisting actually of a church and a museum. The 55-meter-high bell tower is one of the main attractions in Perast and its symbol.
Another interesting Catholic church in Perast with impressive architecture is St. Mark’s Church.