To Perast from Budva on your own. Perast is the most beautiful city in the Bay of Kotor. Fish and seafood

(Serbian Perast, Croatian Perast, Italian Perasto) is an ancient city in Montenegro. Located on the shores of the Bay of Kotor, a few kilometers northwest of Kotor. Like many Montenegrin coastal towns, Perast is located on a narrow strip of land, sandwiched between the sea and St. Hill. Ilya (873 m), on the cape that separates the Bay of Risan from the Bay of Kotor (which, in turn, are integral parts of the Bay of Kotor), directly opposite the Verige Strait, the narrowest part of Boka.

Perast reached its peak in the 18th century, when it had at least four shipyards and a fleet of hundreds of ships. At that time, there were 1,643 permanent residents living in the city. Nineteen Baroque palaces, seventeen Catholic and two Orthodox churches were built in the city mainly during this period. Nowadays only pleasure boats can be seen in the bay, but once upon a time hundreds of ships glided along the water surface.

The entire city consists of several dozen houses stretching along the embankment, from which quiet streets climb up the mountain. Cars drive only along the embankment and on the road above the city. The map shows the most important landmarks, which include the houses of the twelve noble families of the city (something like patrician brotherhoods, which were named after their founders, and their heads were usually elected by members of the city council) and churches.

The city reached its greatest prosperity in the 17th – 18th centuries, when hundreds of Perast ships plied the seas. Thus, many admirals emerged from Perast who received recognition among the great naval powers. On the embankment there are three busts of natives of Perast: two of them are sailors, and the third is a painter.

In Perast there was a famous nautical school, where, on the recommendation of the Venetians, Peter I sent the sons of Russian nobles to study maritime affairs. The mentor of the Russian midshipmen was the famous navigator Marko Martinovich (he is in the center), on whose ship at the end of the 17th century. 17 Russian princes sailed. Another famous native of Perast is Matija Zmaevich (his bust on the left), who became famous during the Northern War. The future admiral of the Russian fleet, Matvey Khristoforovich Zmaevich, was forced to leave his homeland after participating in a duel. Having entered the service of Peter I, he commanded a galley fleet. He took an active part in the Battle of Gangut, which in calm weather was won by an attack of 20 Russian galleys under the command of Commander Zmaevich, for which he was awarded a gold medal. The career of the newly made Russian subject was going uphill. They even received forgiveness from the Venetian Doge for the crime committed (the Russian Emperor himself petitioned for this). But after the death of Peter, he was slandered and served far from the capitals. The ancestral house of the Zmaevichs has been preserved in Perast. The third person in the company on the embankment was Tripo Kokolya (Trifun Kokolić), a painter, one of the most talented masters of the Baroque style of the Eastern Mediterranean of the 17th century.

The city has its own museum, which is located in the building of the Bujovica Palace (Bujoviceva palata) - this is almost the edge of the town (in the previous photo the building on the left with a portico). Here you can see a collection of weapons, ancient manuscripts, historical paintings and photographs, cups and products from silver, ancient jewelry and costumes, compasses and seascapes, flags and ship's diaries, nautical charts and much more.

On the embankment is the Cathedral of St. Mark (unfortunately, was closed).

At the Church of St. Nicholas (Crkva Sv. Nikole) the highest bell tower in Boka Kotorska (55 m) was built.

Opposite the city, 115 meters from each other, there are two islands: St. George and the island of the Virgin Mary (Gospa od Škrpela), which is perhaps the only man-made island in the Adriatic. It was built on top of a reef after in 1452 two sailors from Perast, the Mortešić brothers, found an icon of the Mother of God on it, which cured one of them from an illness. After this, the icon immediately became revered. Initially, the reef was only slightly above the surface of the water, but for 200 years the townspeople sank captured pirate ships and their own old ships next to it (in addition, a law was passed according to which every ship passing by the reef had to throw a stone to the bottom here). This is how a plateau was created, the area of ​​which is 3030 sq.m.

The Church of the Mother of God was built on the island (it took on its modern form after reconstruction undertaken after the Great Earthquake on April 6, 1667
of the year). The church was built in the Byzantine style and reaches 11 meters in height. It is believed that the residents of Perast built the church not only because they wanted
to see the Virgin Mary as the patroness of its sailors, but also to secure power over the man-made island as opposed to Kotor's power over the island
St. George. The famous icon is still kept here. There is a museum attached to the church, where rare curiosities brought by sailors from distant lands are stored.
wanderings. According to tradition, every year on June 22, the residents of Boka bring new stones to the island on elegantly decorated boats.

Perast is a small ancient Montenegrin town, which is located at the foot of St. Elijah Hill on the coast of the Bay of Kotor. At one time, the city was part of the Venetian Republic and at that time was the largest port, which could simultaneously accommodate about 1000 ships. For many Venetian merchants, this was a favorite vacation spot, and they built their palaces here (17 such palaces have survived to this day). Even by Montenegrin standards, Perast is a tiny town, but over the years it has not lost any of its beauty.

The fastest way to get to Perast is from Kotor (the journey takes only 20 minutes). It will take a little longer to travel from Budva - 45 minutes, and from the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, about two hours.

The city is predominantly pedestrian and is best explored by bicycle or on foot. Traffic is allowed only along the embankment. The town's embankment is great for walking and sitting in local cafes and restaurants.

Even taking into account its small size, the city can please tourists with a large number of temples; there are more than ten of them, and among them there are both operating and those that are not functioning. In honor of the liberation of the city from the Turks in 1961, the Church of St. Nicholas was built. If you look at the church from the outside, it doesn’t stand out in anything special, but when tourists get inside, they are delighted with its rich interior decoration. The church has two marble altars, the walls are decorated with beautiful frescoes, and in addition to this, the church ceiling is wooden. The temple bell tower is the tallest building in the city, its height reaches 70 meters. You can climb the bell tower not all year round, but only from May to October, and such a climb will cost two euros. The bell tower offers a magnificent view of the coast and the entire city.

The largest Venetian palace in Perast is Smekja Palace. It consists of two parts (large and small buildings), which are connected by an arched passage. It was built in the second half of the 17th century and after reconstruction work they plan to open a hotel here, which will certainly be popular among tourists.

The Zmajevic Palace is interesting because it is within its walls that the largest library is collected, not only in Montenegro, but on the entire Balkan Peninsula. In past times it served as the bishop's residence.

If we talk from the point of view of beauty, then the Bujović Palace is considered the most beautiful. The main material for its construction was the destroyed walls of the Old Town of Herceg Novi. The entrance to the palace is guarded by sculptures of two lions. Back in 1937, the City Museum was opened in this place, which continues to operate today. Entrance to the museum costs three euros, and its exhibits tell the rich history of the city. A slightly unpleasant moment may be the fact that photo and video shooting on the territory of the museum is prohibited.

After getting acquainted with the city's attractions, you can go on one of the interesting excursions. One of these places is the island of Gospa od Skrpela, which is primarily interesting for the ancient Church of the Mother of God. For a long time now, tourists and residents of Montenegro have been coming to this place to make a wish (it is believed that a wish made in this church will certainly come true). Entrance to the temple is paid, but it is inexpensive, only one euro. In addition to the church, the island has a lighthouse, a maritime museum, several cafes and shops.

Also not far from Perast there is another interesting island - St. George. On this island there is a church of the same name and a Benedictine monastery. The island is not always open to tourists, but during the high tourist season there are usually no problems with visiting.

To get to these islands it is not necessary to buy an excursion; right on the shore you can see local residents who offer their transport services. The crossing to the selected island will cost three euros.

Perast is often called the city of millionaires. This is because almost any house here, even a destroyed one, costs more than a million Euros. They say that this is where the “dachas” of famous Russian and Ukrainian politicians, businessmen and stars are located. Whether it’s true or not, we don’t know, but it’s very similar to the truth. Especially when you consider the price of houses.

Unfortunately, visiting the city on your own is quite difficult. The city is very tiny, and therefore there is no bus station here. If you wish, you can come here by car or take a taxi. From Perast it is only 12 kilometers or 17 minutes away. You can get there - you need to ask the driver to drop you off early.

Perast itself is a rather tiny city; you can see it in just a few hours. If you have time, we advise you to climb the St. Nicholas Tower.

Directly from the city's embankment there is a fantastic view of, and the island of St. George, with which one beautiful one is connected.

Interesting facts about Perast or how we visited the city

Since we are not very experienced travelers, we visited Perast during . By the way, it turns out cheaper than if you look at the church, Perast and on your own, but there is very, very little time for everything. As they say, “galloping across Europe.”

We started enjoying the views of the city from the island, and then, sailing to it on a boat, we rediscovered Perast. It is noticeable that there are a lot of destroyed buildings in the town - after the long-ago earthquake they were never restored. And all because homeowners are strictly prohibited from changing anything in the appearance of the building. You can't rebuild, you can't add a balcony, and what can I say - you can't even install an air conditioner. The buildings should remain the same as they were several centuries ago.

There are practically no beaches in the city; people swim directly from the pier, scaring the huge trout, which swims freely and slowly near the shore. The visiting card of the city is undoubtedly the St. Nicholas Tower, which you can climb if you wish to enjoy a simply unreal view of the bay. The pleasure is paid, but it costs only 1 Euro per person.

To be honest, we got the impression that Perast is a town that is worth visiting only once - it’s somehow not very tempting to come here again, but for the first time it was really interesting and unusual.

The town is very small. All the houses are lined up along the embankment. Apart from this, there is only one small street. But it’s pleasant to walk along the embankment, even despite the intense heat. The landscapes here are simply fantastic, and the old, medieval town, not spoiled by air conditioning, creates some kind of unreal, slightly romantic mood.

Name City of Millionaires It was not by chance that I received Perast. As we have already said, each building here costs more than a million euros. Even those ruins without windows and roofs were recently bought for 1,400,000.

The water here is surprisingly clear. A large fish swims in it right at the surface. She doesn't seem at all bothered by the tourists looking into the water with hungry eyes - not very low ones.

Despite the fact that the city has barely a hundred inhabitants, people talk about it many legends.

Legends about Perast

For example, Perast used to be a rich trading city. Captains and even admirals stayed here. And then the war happened. When the city was taken, the queen, before her own death, cursed it, saying that there would no longer be a single famous sailor here.

And so it happened. Sailors began to pester in and, and Perast gradually ceased to be a port at all.

It is very pleasant to admire Perast from the pier jutting out into the sea. The view is so beautiful that I decided to add a small panorama to the site:

There is another legend. She will tell you about the man-made island that we saw from the embankment. Once upon a time there was an ordinary rock in its place. Local fishermen loved to fish from it. And then they found an icon of the Virgin Mary on the rock. Fishermen brought it to Perast, and local residents decided to build a temple on the site of the rock. A man-made island was built where it was located.

The custom of renovating and expanding the island has survived to this day. Every year, local residents load their boats with stones and dump them in a designated place. This is a national Montenegrin holiday. If you come across a local guide, Gotsa, she will tell you how it all happens, because she herself participates in the holiday.

But the most romantic legend is connected with another island. Now there is a closed monastery there. Even for Montenegrins it is almost impossible to get there. This .

Now Perast has become a holiday destination for the rich and famous. Movies are shot here (for example, Casino Royale with Daniel Craig). Also in Perast you can sometimes meet famous politicians or their children.

Perast is a small town, you can get around it in half an hour. Take a boat to the island of Gospa od Skrpela, where the Church of Our Lady is located, have lunch at one of the local restaurants, climb the bell tower - and you will want to come back here again for inspiration and peace.

Perast is called the “guardian of the bay” of Boka Kotorska, because it is located directly opposite the Verige Strait and used to protect the entrance to the bay. The city is located at the foot of St. Elijah Hill on the cape that separates the Bay of Kotor from the Bay of Risan.

Perast is considered one of the most beautiful and sophisticated cities in the Venetian Baroque style on the shores of the Adriatic. In the Middle Ages, the seaport of Perast guarded access to Kotor and Risan and was a center of navigation and shipbuilding. Today he is doing well in the tourism industry. 350 people permanently live in the town.

Take a bird's eye view of the city:

The city's past

The history of Perast dates back to the era of the Illyrian tribe of the Pirusts (around 3500 BC). In 1420–1797 the city belonged to the Venetian Republic, was politically significant, and had significant privileges. The number of his fleet reached hundreds of ships. The navigating school “Nautica” operated here, training midshipmen for the fleet of Peter I.

After the fall of the Venetians, Perast changed rulers, and from 1813 it came under the rule of Austria-Hungary. The economy began to decline, continuing until World War I.

In 1941, Perast was occupied by Mussolini's troops, after liberation it became part of Yugoslavia, then Montenegro.

How to get to Perast from Tivat airport

Tivat is the closest airport to Perast.

Find a cheap plane ticket →

From Tivat airport you will first have to get to, I wrote about this. From there it is about 12 km by bus to Perast.

The best option would be to order a car of the class and capacity you need, at a fixed price on the service. Then you will not need to look for a taxi at the airport, haggle over the price and worry about overpayment and deception. Travel time 30 minutes, cost from €30.

If you are planning to rent a car to travel around Montenegro, then book it online and pick it up right at the airport. Save on taxis and get there comfortably.

You can find a rental car at.

Perast Hotels

Perast is a small town that has literally grown into the rocks, so there are not many hotels. I suggest you pay attention to the following hotels.

★★★★ - hotel with a beautiful view of Kontorskaya Bay and good cuisine.
★★★★ - a wonderful quiet hotel for a family holiday or a romantic weekend.
- ideal location, excellent value for money.
— apartments in the city center.

Attractions

Bell tower of the Church of St. Nicholas

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

Church of St. John the Baptist

Church of St. Anne

Church of St. Brand

Church of St. Antonia

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Bujović Palace

Palace Bronze

Island St. George

Our Lady of the Reef Island

Zmajevich Palace

Smekja Palace

Palaces

The city was not destroyed by earthquakes, nor was it damaged by two world wars. The Venetian baroque palaces of noble families have been preserved: the Bujović (Palača Bujović), Balović, Brajković-Martinovichi, Mazarovichi, Viskovichi, Bronze (Palača Bronza), Zmajević (Palača Zmajević), Luciči-Kolovichi-Matikola, Shestokrylović, Smekja (Palača Smekja) ), Vukasović -Kolovichey. Most of the palaces were built in the 17th-18th centuries. The highest is the Zmajevic Palace (Palace Zmajevic, 1694).

Fortress of the Holy Cross (Tvrđava sv. Križa) - was built in the 16th century. at a commanding height above the city to protect the strategically important Verige Strait. The defensive system was supplemented by 10 defensive towers, fortifications on the island of St. George and a fortification complex around the Church of Our Lady of the Angels over the Strait.

Churches of Perast

The modest facade of the main city church of St. Nicholas (Crkva sv. Nikole) (1616) hides a majestic interior, consisting of a wooden ceiling and carved marble altars in the Baroque style. Nearby stands the 55-meter bell tower (Zvonik) (1691), decorated with a Venetian clock. From its observation deck, the entire Bay of Kotor is visible. The square on which the church stands is decorated with busts of Marko Martinovic, Matija Zmajevic and Tripo Kokol.

The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Crkva Gospe od Ružarija) was built in 1678 as the resting place of Archbishop Andriy Zmajevich. An octagonal bell tower was built nearby a little later.

Also in Perast there is the Church of St. John the Baptist (Crkva sv. Ivana Krstitelja), which belonged to the medieval “Brotherhood of the Wounds of Christ” (1595). This is a small stone church. Local commoners gathered here. The facade of the temple is quite simple with an elegant rose window. There are 2 bells in the belfry.

The modest-looking Church of St. Anne (Crkva sv. Ane) (17th century) on the mountainside is famous for the frescoes of the master Tripo Kokol.

The facade of the Church of St. Mark (Crkva sv. Marka) (1760) is decorated in the Venetian Baroque style. In addition to its main activity, the church was used as a mausoleum for noble citizens. The pediment is decorated with a sculptural composition: the resurrected Jesus Christ, St. Peter with the keys to heaven and St. Mark with the Gospel in his hands. At the back there is a belfry, a remnant of an older temple that stood on this site.

The Church of St. Anthony (Crkva sv. Antuna) (1679) was part of the monastic complex of the Franciscan order, who came to Perast at the invitation of local residents. They opened a nautical school and a primary school in the city, practiced medicine, and there was a pharmacy at the monastery.

The Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Crkva Rođenja Presvete Bogorodice) (1757) has been preserved from the times when the local nautical school trained cadets from Russia. A sign at the entrance with the inscription “Kod Moškovita” reminds of this.

The main natural attraction of the town is two small islands: St. George (Sveti Juraj) and Our Lady on the Reef (Gospa od Škrpjela). You can only get there by boat.

St. George is a gated island with an ancient Benedictine abbey and an ancient cemetery.

Gospa od Škrpela is a man-made plateau made of stone and the remains of sunken ships. On an artificial island there is a temple of the Icon of the Mother of God (18th century) with a miraculous image on a marble altar and magnificent paintings. Today the church is not only a temple, but also an art gallery and a treasury.

Beach

In Perast, the beach is located on the embankment, on concrete platforms. During the season, sun loungers are installed there. Sunbathing is not very inconvenient, but you can dive - the water is clean.

Restaurants and cuisine

On farms built in the vicinity of the town along the highway, mussels and oysters are grown, cooked and immediately sold to tourists. There are taverns and pizzerias Caffe Pizzeria and Djardin Šeki-Nautilus on the embankment; There are restaurants at the hotels. Skolji cooks excellent lamb and chicken; at Cafe Armonia - grilled seafood, Mediterranean cuisine.

Near the town there is the most famous Montenegrin restaurant “Old Mill” (Stari Mlini).

Holidays and entertainment

On July 22 every year the city celebrates Fascinada. Residents throw stones into the sea near Our Lady of the Reef, symbolizing the creation of the island. In honor of the holiday, a sailing regatta starts.

On May 15, Gađanje kokota is celebrated - a rooster shooting competition that commemorates the 1654 victory over the Turks. The best shooter receives a keg of wine.

The Klapa International Folk Music Festival takes place in August.

What to see in the area

From Perast you can go to the mountain village of Njegushi and the ancient city of Cetinje, visit the Lovcen National Park and the Ostrog Monastery, visit Kotor, Herceg Novi, Risan.

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A narrow strait connects the Bay of Kotor and the Adriatic Sea. It bears the name Verige (verige - chain), because in ancient times it was actually blocked with chains, blocking the passage to the cities of Risan and Kotor. Exactly opposite this strait is the city of Perast, which was the ancient guardian of the entrance to the bay. Yes, in fact, the whole life of this city is connected with navigation and shipbuilding. He gave the world a whole galaxy of outstanding navigators, including Admiral of the Baltic Fleet Matias Zmaevich, who helped Peter the Great create this same Baltic Fleet and was one of the tsar’s close friends. The monument to Zmaevich stands on the central square of Perast, which is called Admirals Square, which is quite logical for a city whose whole life is connected with the sea.

Search for air tickets to Tivat (the nearest airport to Perast)

A little history

The famous maritime school of Marko Martinovic was also located in Perast. Peter the Great sent his midshipmen to study there. Later, Marko Markovic became one of the most prominent teachers at the Maritime Academy in Venice. Involvement in maritime affairs became the reason for the unprecedented prosperity of the city in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The city is small, but it had a huge fleet, more than 100 sailing ships. The fleet took part in many famous battles, and its sailors were famous for their mastery of their profession. During this era, the city became unusually beautiful, its architectural appearance took shape, beautiful palaces were erected, the owners of which were mainly fleet captains. Considerable money was invested in the construction of cathedrals and monasteries. In the 17th century, a bell tower was added to the Church of St. Nicholas, built much earlier, in the 15th century. The bell tower not only beautified the city, but also became its pride: it was taller than all the buildings in the Bay of Kotor, and the ringing of its bells could be heard as far as Herceg Novi.

Nowadays, anyone can climb the bell tower and see that the coast of the bay is extremely beautiful.

A global restructuring of the church was launched, but the existence of the Venetian Republic ceased, funding also ceased, and the Church of St. Nicholas remained unrebuilt. Also of interest are the churches of Our Lady of the Reef, the parish, and St. George. All of them are bright touches in the appearance of the city.

Perast Islands

The peculiarity of the local landscape is such that the city is no longer growing: the rocks approach almost the water itself, there is only room for 3-4 streets, which were built a long time ago. But two islands are also considered the territory of the city. The island of Gospa from Skrpjela is artificial, created by pouring stones. A legend has long been passed down from mouth to mouth that an icon of the Virgin Mary was found on the island. In honor of her, a church was built on the island, and every year, on July 22, a unique holiday is celebrated: residents of the surrounding villages bring new stones to the island on boats to strengthen it. The holiday is very picturesque; many tourists time their holidays to coincide with its date.

The island of St. George is famous for the Benedictine abbey, located here for a long time. You can get to both islands by charter boat, with a tour, or by agreeing on a boat with local residents.

Hotels and apartments in Perast

The tiny town of Perast, which clings to the mountains, literally grown into the rocks, of course, cannot offer a large number of hotels, but in the vicinity of Perast you can find accommodation that will satisfy the most discerning taste. As throughout Montenegro, these can be modern hotels, villas on the seashore, or more or less modest apartments. In any case, tourists are welcome here, and the hospitality is not ostentatious.

Restaurants

There are several restaurants on the embankment offering a menu that is not extensive, but pleasant. The cuisine is mainly Mediterranean, replete with seafood. Civilization is not just empty words here: most restaurants accept plastic cards, some have Wi-Fi. Despite the almost ridiculous size of the city of Perast, there is property for sale here, and among the residents there are several Russians.

Holidays in Perast are unlikely to be suitable for lovers of a bright and noisy life, but for natures inclined to contemplation, romance, and lovers of maritime history, this city is perfect. Here there are many opportunities to enjoy beautiful nature, clean air, delicious seafood and reflect “on exploits, on valor, on glory...”

• Where to stay: at one of the resorts of the Hercegnovskaya Riviera. For example, in ancient and rich in attractions Kotor, tiny Perast, picturesque Risan or modern and cheerful Tivat. Families with children and those who want to improve their health will enjoy the “Botanical Garden of Montenegro” - in the resort of Herceg Novi and its appendage Igalo, which is famous throughout Europe for its institute of resort and sanatorium treatment.
• Where to go: to the national park