Perast Things to Do

Only the church and museum to look around. It is only a very small island. There was a small shop offering drinks and ice cream for sale which was good for us to take in whilst we waited for the taxi boat home. Taking time to look around this small island you can see that it is shaped like a boat.

A warning, after we got back to the mainland we noticed a couple of tour boats docking, each with around 50 or so people to disembark. This was about 3pm, so my tip, get there before the crowds. From the picture you can see the Church of our lady on the right, that natural St George's island on the left and a taxi boat taking a trip.

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There were about 4 different boats offering a taxi service to the island. The fare was €5 per person, they only charged for adults on the one we caught outside the main square in front of the dominant St Nicholas church. This is the man made island built from scuppered boats and rocks started in the 15th Century.

There are two islands but one of them is a cemetery and not open to the public. The taxi boat takes regular visits to the island. They suggested a half hour stay which would have been fine although we elected to stay for an hour or so, the tour took about 30 minutes in the end.

The best tip I can give is for you to pay the entrance fee to go into the museum. This entitles you to a free guided tour. The guide simply announced that he would accompany us if we would like and give a full guide. Fantastic info and personlised tour. The guide was so good I attempted to get a pic of him but only succeeded in this waving hand, he moved so quickly.

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St Nicholas' Church dominates the central town square. Approaching from either direction along the waterfront you will see a town square. At the back of this square is the church of St Nicholas, a Catholic Church with a 55m bell tower. The entrance fee for the tower was €1 and the views from the top were very good. You can get a sense of the whole town from here. The church itself was open and was a welcome respite from the heat.

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Probably the highlight of a visit of Perast is a boat trip to the artifical island Our Lady of the Rock with the chapel of the same name.

The Our Lady of the Rock Chapel (Gospa od Skrpjela) was constructed after the earthquake in 1667, although an even earlier chapel existed here.

The chapel can be visited free of charge. It is also home to a small museum which we didn't visit due to a lack of time. Instead of that, we enjoyed the magnificient views of Perast and the Bay of Kotor from here.

Directions:
There are two small islands situated just south of Perast, but only the artifical island Our Lady of the Rock can be visited. Please read my transportation tips for details about how to get to the island by boat.

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The St. Antony’s Church and nearby monastery (Samostan i Crkva Sv Antuna) was completed in 1679. It was built in Baroque style and the project was financed by the local Mazarovic family.

The church was used by the Franciscan order who came to Perast from the Venetian province in the middle of the 17th century.

In the early years the monastery was also home to a pharamcy and a library.

Directions:
The St. Antony’s Church is situated in the upper part of Perast, just below the main through road Magistralni put.

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The Renaissance style Bujovic Palace (Palata Bujovic) was designed by the Venetian architect Giovanni Battista Fontana at the end of the 17th century. Allegedly it was constructed from stones of the destroyed city walls of Herceg Novi.

The palace can be recognised by its arcaded porch and a balustraded terrace, which is topped by two lion sculptures.

Nowadays the Bujovic Palace is home to the city museum of Perast.

Directions:
The Bujovic Palace can be found right at the waterfront (Stari put) near the western end of Perast.

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The present St. Nicolas Church (Crkva Sv Nikole) was built in 1616 from stones from the Croatian island of Korcula.

The adjoining belfry is with 55 m in height the tallest church tower in the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska). It was completed in 1691 and its clock was brought here from Venice.

Unfortuntaly, we didn't have enough time to climb the tower, which is said to offer panoramic views of the surrounding coastline.

Directions:
The St. Nicholas Church stands at the main square (Trg Sv Nikole), right in the heart of Perast.

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Perast has a tradition of seamen - warriors' families.

A visit at the local museum will bring you closer to the history and culture of the place.
The museum itself is located at a beautiful, well-preserved old house by the bay with a marvellous view to the sea.