Private Montenegro Tour: Perast and Kotor – from Dubrovnik

Pick-up from selected hotels within the Dubrovnik city area.

The Bay of Kotor is often described as awe-inspiring. This “last fjord of Europe”, like a winding crack in the ominous Montenegrin mountains, glistens of clear Adriatic Sea, with its rugged shores adorned in deep-green forests and picturesque seaside settlements.

Short boat ride from Perast to the man-made island of Our Lady of the Rocks, housing a 17th century church.

Perast is surely one of the strangest, and by its history one of the most beautiful places in Kotor bay. Today it is often called the quietest town in Boka. Its narrow streets and numerous, mostly abandoned renaissance, and baroque palaces, testify about the former richness of the Kotor bay, and about the days when there used to be led a luxurious life of its inhabitants.

Two little islets floating in front of Perast are the symbols and the main attractions of the Bay of Kotor. One of them, Gospa od Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Rocks), stands out in its beauty, but the legend behind its name makes it even more enchanting.

Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial island created in the 15th century. According to the legend, on 22nd July 1452, two brothers from Perast, both fishermen, found an icon of the Virgin with Christ on the sea-cliff. They brought it home but tomorrow morning it was gone. It appeared at the same sea-cliff, so two brothers took it home one more time. The same thing happened - the icon disappeared again and reappeared on the sea-cliff.

They understood this as a Virgin's wish to stay there forever. They vowed to build a church dedicated to this icon of the Virgin, the patron saint of seafarers and fishermen.

A small island was made by people from Perast who were throwing rocks and stones around the cliff. In the center of the island they built a little chapel. For centuries, in traditional event called Fašinada, held every year on 22nd July, they were dropping stones and over time the surface of the island has grown. Now, in the center of the island is a catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rocks.

In the town of Kotor, a local expert guide will unveil the intricate history of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Old part of the town of Kotor developed within a small triangular area enclosed by the town walls which extends to the Fort of St. John. During guided tour into this charming little town your experienced guide will show you all important historical sights, as well as Town Walls, 5 km long, built by the Venetian who began to work on them in 1420 and continued strengthening them until the middle of the 18th century. Enclosing the whole Old Town, the walls formed an unique fortification project which could resist attacks for months and survive long sieges.

You will also see Cathedral of St. Triphone, built in 1166, is a Romanesque basilica, whose nave is separated from the aisles by alternating square pillars and antique columns, famous Maritime Museum with reach and valuable collection of maritime heritage of this area. At the end of guided tour you will have some free time and opportunity to explore town of Kotor on your own.