PLACES TO VISIT PERAST

 A 15-minute drive from Kotor is Perast, a magnificent medieval village under the protection of UNESCO. The two of them together are the best things to happen to a burgundy passport holder. I will try to tell you about Perast, but even if I take refuge in the "fairytale" or "poet" clichés, words are insufficient in the face of its beauty and the feelings it evokes. That's why we took a lot of photos.

Here are 2 of the 4 most famous sights of all Montenegro:

1. Iconic silhouette of Venetian Gothic architecture

2. Two charming islands right in front of it: One of them is Sveti Djordje, which is a monastery island and is closed to touristic visits. George Island. Inside, there is only a church and bell tower belonging to the monastery. The other is Lady of the Rocks, which was made by human hands 600 years ago. There is a church on it, but it is open to visitors. We will talk about his interesting story in the places to visit section soon.

If you go without visiting its museums and churches, it will only take you 10 minutes to walk around Perast. But in fact, 16 churches and 17 Venetian mansions are hidden in the side streets of this small medieval town. Of course, some of these are now dilapidated, but some have been renovated and unearthed. Therefore, do not be limited to only the main line and the square. Visit the side streets of Perast.

St. Nicholas Church or St. Nicholas Church is a Catholic church from 1691 with a 55-metre bell tower located in the main square of Perast. These bells, added to the church in 1713, were the largest bells in Europe at their time. You can climb the bell tower for a small fee of 1 Euro. In our opinion, climbing the tower is one of the best experiences in Perast. Because the tower has a wonderful view overlooking the bay and 2 islands. Click for location. Number 1 on the map.

The island of Lady of the Rocks, entirely man-made, is a church island. This church has now been converted into a museum and is definitely worth seeing. The story of the island's construction is based entirely on religious reasons. A sailor returning from his voyage in 1452 found an icon of the Virgin Mary in a hilly area where the island is now. The people of Perast came to this point and started throwing stones for the sailors returning from the expedition after that day. Naturally, these stones accumulated over time and formed an islet. This tradition is still kept alive with the Fasinada Festival on July 22.

Ancient documents show that the church on the island existed in 1484, albeit makeshift. It took 1535 for the church to be consecrated in the name of the Virgin Mary. In 1579, it was renamed Our Lady of the Rocks. There were many holy relics inside the church, but it was plundered by Tunisian and Carthaginian pirates in 1624. The church and the island on which it is located gained its present form in 1630. That is almost 200 years after the icon was found here. The church was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, but was rebuilt in accordance with its original form.

The first thing that catches your attention when you enter is the highly decorated mihrab. The altar, the work of Antonio Capellano of Genoa, was brought to the church in 1796. The icon, which was found here at the time, and which is called the formation of both this island and the church, is also located in the middle of this altar.

The sailors who returned from the voyage safely in time stamped their voyages and adventures at sea on silver coins. About 2000 of these silver coins adorn the walls of the church.

There is also a small museum inside the church, such as the maritime museum. Inside, there are nearly 70 paintings depicting sea and seascapes, old nautical instruments and weapons from the 18th century. The most remarkable work in the museum is the embroidery work woven by Jacinta Kunic in the 18th century. What makes this embroidery work special is the fact that the woman completed the embroidery with her own hair in 20 years, which she started to weave with Chinese and Japanese silk after her husband who sailed to the sea and never returned. Since the woman has aged in 20 years and her hair has turned white, you can see her hair turning from brown to white in the embroidery work. In fact, according to a classic rumor, the woman almost went blind because I was going to finish this job with her hair. His masterpiece, in which he dropped 700 stitches per square centimeter, holds the record for the most detailed embroidery in the world.