Пераст: город в стиле барокко

PERAST IN MONTENEGRO

Perast has many interesting buildings, mainly palaces and various temples. There are also many islands, some of which are places of worship. Tourists will appreciate the beauty and solitude of the city of captains and sailors. Venusian influence is noticeable in the appearance of Perast. The main temple of the city is the Church of St. Nicholas with colorful fresco interiors.

Perast is a colorful small town in Montenegro, considered a city of sailors and captains. The population of Perast is no more than 400 people. When you first get acquainted with the village, tourists immediately notice the local architecture. There are many baroque palaces here, there are also Gothic buildings. The development of Perast was influenced by relations with Venice.

What to see in PerastЦерковь Святого Николая, Пераст, Черногория

In the city of Perast in Montenegro there are many attractions. Conventionally, they can be divided into three categories:

-palaces;
-islands;
-temples.

In some cases, the churches of Perast are located on the islands. For example, the Island of the Our Lady of the Rock has a church. In fact, this is an artificial island on which the temple now stands. Sveti Georgije is a famous island of St. George among tourists, which is also called the “island of the dead.” It is closed to tourists, but you can swim around. Today on the “island of the dead” is a closed monastery. On the territory of the island is a beautiful temple.Пераст Черногория

The palaces of Perast are numerous and beautiful. The largest of the palaces is Smekia. It belonged in the old days to one of the significant clans of the city. No less famous is the Bujovici Palace, which house is the Maritime Museum. Those interested in the history of the city should visit the museum and take a look at the local exhibits. not far from the coast is the Mazarovici palace in the Baroque style.

Lučići Palace became a hotel, but from the outside it remained an architectural monument. On a steep rock is the Zmaevici Palace, which belonged to two bishops. The architectural masterpiece of the XVI century is the house of the Sestokrilovici. Sestokrilovici is one of the oldest families in Montenegro. It is also worth looking at other palaces – there are really a lot of them.
There are also many temples in the city. The main temple in the city is the church of St. Nicholas. The interiors of the religious building are decorated with frescoes of Tripo Kokolja. The building is located in the center of the main city square. All the temples in Perast are Catholic with the exception of one – the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Finding a building is difficult without an experienced guide.

Holidays in PerastЭкскурсия в Пераст: город моряков и торговли

Tourists arrive in Perast as part of the tour. Usually this is one of the routes through Tivat, Perast, Kotor. The distance from Kotor to Perast is relatively small, it is filled with attractions. Travelers who travel with a guide can learn a lot about these places. The guide will tell you what to see in Perast, and will also devote some of the sights to the history.

Tourists do not need to look for information on how to get from Kotor to Perast. The tour assumes that travelers travel all together under the guidance of an experienced person who knows the area. You can get from Kotor to Perast by bus or water. It’s nice and romantic to travel on water, it leaves a special impression. Guests of Montenegro, traveling on a journey through the Boka Kotor Bay, will see beautiful picturesque landscapes. It is difficult to compare the sea views of Montenegro with anything else.

Perast has a beautiful promenade where you can arrange photo shoots and take selfies. From the embankment you can see the bay with snow-white yachts and boats. This complements the general surroundings and looks impressive. After visiting Perast, it is difficult to surprise a tourist with sea views – because they received impressions from the Montenegrin coast. You can go on a sea voyage further directly from Perast, some excursions imply just such a vacation.

Sometimes tourists stop at the bay and enjoy the scenery. It seems that he went to heaven – around such a beauty.

City `s history

Остров Богородицы на Рифе

The city of Perast in Montenegro was founded by the Illyrians and named after the tribe of those times – pirusts. In Perast, there are historical artifacts from the reign of the Romans, Illyrians and Christians.

The city of Perast was first mentioned in the official sources of Montenegro in 1336. At that time it was a small fishing village with its own shipyard and several vessels of merchants and fishermen. However, the development of the city was unhurried pace, due to the former more important strategic object located near the island of St. George.

The reign of the Venetians brought prosperity to the settlement, and only by 1482, Perast, after the Turkish army occupied a section of the coast between Herceg Novi and Risan, acquired the status of a border city. Then they founded the fortress of the Holy Cross and defensive towers.

Отдых в ПерастеOver time, Perast gained respect on the political map of Montenegro, thanks to the successful battles. After the city repelled the Turkish siege in 1654 it began to protect the Venetian coat of arms of St. Mark. The city really got rich when it received the right to free trade with Venice and the protection of the Venice authorities to repel pirate raids that spread throughout the Adriatic.

Over the course of the 18th century, more than twenty Baroque mansions, two Orthodox and seventeen Catholic churches were built. An excellent maritime academy was founded here, where promising sailor students came by order of Peter I.

Since 1797, after the defeat of the Venetian Republic by the French troops of Napoleon, Perast fell into decay. It passed into the possession of the Austrians, then the Italians, then the French. In 1918, the city became part of the possessions of the Kingdom of Croats, Slovenes and Serbs, and only in 1944 became an independent administrative district of the Montenegrin Republic.

Sights of Perast

Reviews of tourists about Montenegro indicate a large number of attractions in Perast and its environs. The landscape of the city, which so attracts many visitors, was formed due to 12 incredibly beautiful mansions. The oldest of them is the Viskovic mansion, the most beautiful is the Bujovic mansion, within the walls of which is located the main Museum of the city with marine artifacts. Another inscribed in the mountain landscape is the Zmaevic mansion. Almost all palaces adorn the image of the city’s waterfront. Another group of attractions in Perast is 16 medieval churches, only 3 of which can be visited by tourists who arrived in Montenegro.Остров Богоматери в Черногории

Perast, in Montenegro, since the 15th century has been protected by 10 structures named Chardaki, which is recommended for all local tourists to see. Especially the oldest of Chardaki is Markovic’s Tower, located on St. Nicholas Square. Another defensive structure is located on the island of St. George. And through the Verige Strait in ancient times they stretched an iron chain to protect them from enemy ships.

Despite its compact size, Perast has something to see. More than 40 churches and magnificent palaces have been preserved here, all of which are interesting for sightseeing. All the attractions of Perast, in Montenegro, and these are islands, palaces and churches, can be seen within the city and on the nearby islands.

The islands

Our Lady of the RockЗакат на острове Богородица на рифе

Man-made island, raised over two centuries literally from the bottom by the forces of the inhabitants of Perast and passing ships. It is not like any other land in the Adriatic, due to its unusual origin. Tourists with group and individual excursions go here to see and capture the incomparable church of Our Lady of the Rock.

Island of Saint GeorgeОстров Святого Георгия Пераст

Compared with the previous neighboring island, the island of St. George is not accessible for tourists. There is a working monastery for men, only residents of the city can enter the service. Despite the closeness, it is worth exploring from the water, circling the island in a boat. You can notice on the island surface beautiful old buildings and dense cypress groves.

Church of Saint NicholasЦерковь Святого Николая Пераст

The main Catholic church in the city of Perast, in Montenegro is located in the central square. The walls of the church were erected in the XVI century, and its bell tower, more than 50 meters in height, at that time was the highest in the southern part of the Balkans. Of interest are the frescoes located on the inner walls of the temple – they were created by the legendary Tripo Kokol.

Church of the Nativity of the VirginЦерковь Рождества Богородицы Пераст

The only Orthodox church in Perast is located in the shadow of city streets. Built in the XVII century in the Byzantine style, with the inclusion of Baroque elements. Inside, the iconostasis and the wooden platform for the church choir are interesting. This church can be easily found by the high cypress growing nearby.

Church of St. AnthonyЦерковь Святого Антония Пераст

A colorful temple made of old white stone was built in the 16th century with funds from the noble family of Mazarovichi. It was previously part of the monastery complex, which inhabited the order of Franciscan monks. Its representatives arrived in Perast at the invitation of the townspeople to open an elementary school and a nautical school in the city. There was a pharmacy at the monastery, and the Franciscans themselves conducted medical practice.

Church of St. John the Baptist

Церковь Иоанна Крестителя Пераст

The structure of the XVI-XVII centuries is known for being the only one where commoners could enter the service. Its unique object is a 2-storey belfry with a bell of the 15th century. The facade of the church is made of local stone in the late Renaissance style, with a decoration in the form of a cross-shaped rosette.

In Perast there are also 3 respected churches with the prefix “Holy”: Mark, Cross and Anna. The first is located along the embankment and used to be a place of service at the city nobility, the construction of the second was dedicated to the ancient church famous in the city, which was destroyed in the Middle Ages. The Church of St. Anne keeps inside valuable frescoes made by the local master Tripo Kokolja.

Palaces

It seems incredible that in a small Montenegrin city there are so many palaces that have survived from the XVI-XVII centuries to the present day in good condition. Their main style and popular at that time during construction was Baroque, and all of them previously belonged to wealthy and noble families.

Balovici PalaceДворец Баловичи Пераст

A small building, the owners of which were representatives of the Balovichi clan. They were engaged in fishing, trade and military affairs. The revered patron of Perast Peter Negosh once created poems in the walls of this mansion.

Palace Braikovici-MartinoviciДворец Брайковичи-Мартиновичи Пераст

The building with openwork balconies belonged to the revered Marko Martinovic, known far beyond Montenegro. It was he who established friendly relations with Russia under Peter I and taught marine science to students from Russia.

Bronze PalaceДворец Бронза Пераст

The clan with the unusual name Bronze was a revered family, both in Montenegro and beyond. Venice expressed deep gratitude for the fight against piracy, and the Montenegrin authorities awarded the clan a knightly order.

Bujovici PalaceДворец Буйовичи Пераст

Enthusiastic reviews of tourists point to the Bujović Palace, as one of the most beautiful old buildings in Perast. Its walls are built of stone brought from Herceg Novi. And these stones are a real artifact from the ancient Ottoman past. In the Bujovici palace are exhibits of the Maritime Museum of 1937, which everyone can see.

Viskovici PalaceДворец Висковичи Пераст

The oldest palace in Perast, the construction of the beginning of the XVI century. The first tower was erected, which participated in the city’s fortification system, and the remaining parts of the structure were attached much later.

Zmaevici PalaceДворец Змаевичи Пераст

The unusual location of the Zmaevici Palace attracts all visitors to the city – it is located on a steep cliff. The clan was represented at different times by 2 bishops, therefore the building, Montenegrins are also called the “episcopal house”. It is one of the largest palaces in the city.

Smekja PalaceДворец Смекъя Пераст

The largest palace in Perast, which belonged to the richest noble family, whose representatives at one time opened the way to the Baltic Sea.

It is also worth seeing three more palaces while in Perast: the clans of Lučići, Mazarovići and Shestokrylovichi. All of them are ancient architectural monuments, representing the same Baroque style of the XVI-XVII centuries.

6 things to do in Perast

Город Пераст в Черногории

-See the sights of Perast in Montenegro, walking along the streets of the city and its promenade, overlooking the Bay of Kotor.
-Visit the church of St. Nicholas of the XVI century, the Museum of the city with marine artifacts.
-Take a private boat to the island of St. George in Perast, Montenegro, and take a walk through its territory.
-Participate on July 22 in the celebration of Fashinada, near the island of Lady of the Rock.
Visit Montenegro’s oyster farm Milos, in Perast.
-Sunbathe on the concrete ledge of the promenade in Perast, choosing an alternative to the beaches in Montenegro.

Embark on the most romantic Perast tours in Montenegro with Open Balkans. Medieval Venetian houses, man-made islands on the reefs, picturesque mountains bordering the bay of a deep turquoise hue – all this and more you will find in Perast.

Excursions from