Perast: Hotels and Accommodations

Location and Townscape

Perast lies at the foot of the 873-meter-high Sveti Ilija hill, opposite the Verige Strait in the Bay of Kotor. The authentically preserved historic town is characterized by high-quality architecture integrated into the surrounding landscape and is part of the UNESCO-listed Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor. Perast's main street runs along the sea.

History and Seafaring

Under Venetian rule, Perast experienced an economic, social, and cultural heyday from 1420 to 1797. Its strategic location at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor made the town a control point for defense and the transport of goods in earlier times. The inhabitants of Perast were known as seafarers and as teachers of maritime skills and shipbuilding.

Above Perast stands the Sv. Križa fortress, which was built in 1570. In 1698, Captain Marko Martinović organized the first seafaring school in the Balkans in Perast. The Perast painter Tripo Kokolja painted the Church of St. Nicholas in Perast. Gađanje kokota commemorates the defense against the Turkish fleet at Verige by Perast's troops in 1654.

Culture and Museums

Villa Zmajević, also known as the Bishop's Palace, was built in 1664. The Muzej grada Perasta is located in Palata Bujović, a 17th-century palace. Its collection comprises more than 3,000 objects documenting Perast and the Bay of Kotor from the 15th to the 20th century.

The museum area Ženska soba displays objects documenting the lives and roles of women in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Kapetanski salon presents Perast's maritime history from the 15th to the 18th century; the Muzej grada Perasta also displays nautical charts and ship models. The Church of St. Nikola stands in Perast's central square next to a 55-meter-high bell tower offering panoramic views of the bay.

Islands and Traditions

Gospa od Škrpjela is an artificial island that was created at the end of the 15th century. The present-day church on Gospa od Škrpjela was built by the Venetians in 1630. The church contains a tapestry woven by the Perast woman Jacinta Kunić between 1803 and 1828 while she was waiting for her sailor husband; she used strands of her own hair for the work. The church also contains 68 canvas paintings associated with the interior decoration by Tripo Kokolja.

Visitors to Perast can take a trip to the island of Sv. Đorđe. A trip to Gospa od Škrpjela is also possible; the island is home to a museum and a Catholic church. Along the waterfront promenade, visitors can see the Smekja Palace, a palace dating from 1764 associated with the Smekja family. The palace can be reached while exploring the coast by kayak, boat, or sailboat.

Fašinada is a traditional event in Perast during which boats are decorated with apple branches and filled with stones. Every year on July 22 at sunset, the Fašinada boats sail out and throw stones around the island.

Food and Wine

The restaurant at Hotel Conte describes its approach as reviving old Montenegrin recipes with refined flavor and sophisticated presentation. According to its own statements, it uses fresh local ingredients and pairs the dishes with local and regional wines.

Other destinations: Tresnjica, Kotor, Risan, Zagora, Ljesevici, Strp, Donji Orahovac, Radanovići.

Anyone wishing to book a hotel in Perast can continue their accommodation search afterward.

To the main travel overview: Kotor.