The waterfront
Stone fronts and small boats.
Alberto-g-rovi — CC BY 4.0 · Alberto-g-rovi — CC BY 4.0 · Chensiyuan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alberto-g-rovi — CC BY 4.0 · Alberto-g-rovi — CC BY 4.0 · Ingo Mehling — CC BY-SA 4.0
Perast is a small stone town on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, home to only about 237 people by the 2023 census. Its Baroque palaces and churches line a narrow strip between water and hill, with two islets in front, and it is one of the loveliest and quietest towns on the coast. The first written mention dates from 1336, when it was a fishing village with a shipyard. It prospered under Venice, building the Holy Cross fortress and a dozen defensive towers. After holding off an Ottoman siege in 1654 it gained privileges including guarding the flag of Saint Mark. Peter the Great sent sailors to train at its maritime school. Twenty Baroque palaces went up here, and its decline began after Venice fell in 1797. You walk one long waterfront between stone fronts, flowering balconies and small boats. The bell tower of Saint Nicholas rises over the town, with the 873-metre hill of Saint Ilija behind. From the quay you see the islets of Saint George and Our Lady of the Rocks, the second man-made and reached by small boats. The lanes climbing behind the waterfront are narrow and quiet. The town is 9.1 km in a straight line north-west of Kotor, by the Verige strait, the narrowest part of the bay. Streets are narrow and parking scarce, so come in the morning or outside the summer peak. The churches are places of worship, so dress modestly. The climbing steps are uneven, so take care with children.
Stone fronts and small boats.
A tall tower over the town.
In view straight from the quay.
Perast, Bay of Kotor
Buses and taxis come from Kotor, and parking is scarce in summer.
Two hours covers the waterfront, plus an hour for the island boat.
