The Story of Perast and Our Lady of the Rock

Only twenty minutes of driving from Kotor, following the coast of Kotor bay there is very picturesque baroque town called Perast. The history of Perast, as the history of entire bay is thousands of years long. But, what defined nowadays Perast is the period from 15th to 18th century. This was the time when the Bay of Kotor was shared between the Ottoman Empire and Venetian republic.

Because of its position on the border between these two opponents, Perast became extremely important. The settlers of Perast, protecting Venetian territory, deserved a lot of privileges. One of the most, important was tax free trading on all Venetian markets. This made them very wealthy so they didn’t regret investing in their magnificent palaces and impressive churches that are dominating not only Perast but entire bay.

Another reason why you should visit Perast are two stunning Islands called St. George and Our Lady of the Rock. While St. George is natural Island with Benedictian monastery, our Lady of the Rock was made by locals. It took them amazing two hundred years to build the base for the beautiful church by throwing the rocks in the water. Its baroque interior and rich treasury are telling the stories of local life, and this is what makes this Island a must see in bay of Kotor.