3 Best Sights in Perast, Montenegro

St. George is a natural island, but its sibling, Our Lady of the Rocks, is artificial. Folklore says that in 1452, local sailors found an icon depicting the Virgin and Child cast upon a rock jutting up from the water. Taking this as a sign from God, they began placing stones on and around the rock, slowly building an island over it. By 1630 they had erected a church on the new island. The original icon, attributed to the 15th-century local artist Lovro Dobričević, is displayed on the altar. Over the centuries, locals have paid their respects to it by donating silver votive offerings, some 2,500 of which are now on display. The church is also home to more than 60 paintings by local hero Tripo Kokolja, one of the three men honored in Perast's main square.

The other island, home to the Monastery of St. George and dating back to the 12th century, is closed to the public. In the 18th century, the island became a favorite burial place for local sea captains, whose crypts remain today. Though closed to the public, you can snap photos from the shore or from neighboring Our Lady of the Rocks.

To visit Our Lady of the Rocks, hop on a taxi-boat from Perast's waterfront (a 5-minute trip that costs €5 round-trip); there is no shortage of options.

In the 17th-century Renaissance-Baroque Bujović Palace, on the water's edge, Muzej Grada Perasta (Perast Town Museum) displays paintings of local sea captains and their ships, plus a horde of objects connected to Perast's maritime past.

These beautiful mosaics are from a 2nd-century house in a small excavation site that is worth a brief stop if you are in the area. Particularly charming is the mosaic depicting Hypnos, the Roman god of sleep. Tour guides and detailed information panels in many languages are available.