In 60 seconds
Resting serenely at the foot of Saint Elijah hill directly opposite the narrow Verige Strait, Perast is the most aristocratic maritime enclave in Boka Bay. Although home to only a few hundred permanent residents, the waterfront town boasts sixteen ornate baroque sea captains' palaces and nineteen historical churches, testimony to its eighteenth-century golden age under Venetian naval protection. Just offshore float two iconic miniature islands: the cypress-shaded Saint George monastery and the artificial sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rocks, built from centuries of sunken rock-laden ships.
Best for
Known for
Skip if
You need modern nightlife or bustling family resorts; Perast is an exquisite, quiet, and preserved open-air museum town.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Perast fits them. Choose interests
See
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Unique man-made island sanctuary built by sailors sinking stone-laden vessels, featuring baroque art and silver votive tablets
Take a 5-minute wooden boat to the island to admire the silver votive plates donated by sailors surviving ocean storms.
Magnificent 1694 Venetian Renaissance palace featuring five stone ground-floor arches and carved stone balconies
Visit the upper loggia for portraits of naval captains who trained imperial Russian officers under Peter the Great.
Eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Waterfront stone pier dining serving fresh Adriatic cuttlefish risotto, grilled sea bass, and Montenegrin wine
Dine directly over the lapping fjord waves on a stone table illuminated by candles as boats drift past.
Charming stone garden terrace serving morning espresso, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, and warm walnut strudel
Enjoy a quiet coffee while watching local fishermen row their wooden skiffs out toward Saint George.
Beyond the obvious
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Highest baroque stone belfry in the eastern Adriatic, rising 55 metres directly behind the main square
Climb the tight internal stairway to the open belfry for an unmatched aerial vista of the twin islands and strait.
After dark
Casual open-air wooden bar at the northern end of Perast offering cold craft beers, spritzes, and swimming pontoons
Take a swim off the stone pier and dry off in the sun with a refreshing glass of Montenegrin Krstač white wine.
Orientation
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Pristine pedestrian seaside promenade lined with Venetian palazzi, marble jetties, and historic churches
Take an unhurried 1.5-kilometre walk from end to end along the traffic-free shoreline.
Stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Restored 17th- and 18th-century sea captains' estates transformed into luxury boutique heritage retreats
Stay in a sea-facing stone suite with French windows looking out directly onto the twin sanctuary islets.
Practical
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
A tiny force of Perast citizens repels a massive Ottoman army of 5,000 men, earning everlasting Venetian privileges.
Russian Emperor Peter the Great sends Russian aristocrats to the nautical academy of Marko Martinović in Perast.
Upon the fall of Venice, Perast is the very last Venetian territory to lower the banner of Saint Mark, kissing it with tears.
Further out
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Second-century Roman villa preserving remarkable floor mosaics, including the only known depiction of the god Hypnos
Inspect the intricate black and white mosaic depicting Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, reclining peacefully.
