Church
Our Lady of the Rocks
Perast · Bay of Kotor
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Church
- COUNTRY
- Montenegro
- REGION
- Perast · Bay of Kotor
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) is one of the two islands off the Perast waterfront, and the only one in the Bay of Kotor built by human hands. It is a man-made islet, accumulated over centuries by the seamen of Perast who, by custom, scuttled old ships and dropped stones at a shallow reef after each successful voyage, until the rock rose above the water and a church could be built on it. The present church dates from 1632, with its interior completed in the 18th century, and the island still belongs to the people of Perast, who maintain it and the museum inside. It is the essential short trip from the town — but a trip that depends entirely on a licensed boat, and on access conditions that change with the season, the weather and the sea.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
According to the local tradition, the island began on 22 July 1452, when two Perast sailors returning from a voyage found an icon of the Virgin Mary on a rock at the reef. They built a small chapel there, and from that point the seamen of Perast kept the custom of adding stones and scuttling ships at the spot after each safe return, slowly raising an island where none had been. The present Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was begun in 1632 on the accumulated rock and its interior was finished in the 18th century, giving it the Baroque form it retains. The neighbouring natural island, Sveti Đorđe, already held a Benedictine monastery, so the man-made island was built to give Perast its own Marian shrine. The island and its church are still tended by the people of Perast through a lay confraternity, and the custom of depositing stones continues in an annual ceremony.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The church interior — a Baroque single-nave church with 68 frescoes on the walls and ceiling by the 17th-century painter Tripo Kokolja, a native of Perast and the bay’s most important Baroque artist.
The famous seascapes — Kokolja’s wall paintings of ships and sea battles, rare early examples of marine painting in the Balkans.
The votive silver collection — hundreds of silver plaques and objects left by sailors in thanks for safe voyages, displayed in the church museum.
The island itself — the man-made rock platform and the view back across the water to the Perast waterfront and the mountains behind.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Our Lady of the Rocks is the clearest expression of Perast’s seafaring identity: an island built by hand, voyage by voyage, by a town that lived by the sea. For a visitor it is also the one place from which to see Perast as a whole — the baroque waterfront and its two towers framed against the mountains — which is why the view from the island is the bay’s most reproduced image. But it is a place reached only by water, and every part of the visit — the boat, the landing, the church and the museum — is conditional on the day and on the operators who serve it.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Our Lady of the Rocks
Our Lady of the Rocks, Perast, Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
42.4868, 18.6887
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Perast
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Waterfront seafood and Montenegrin coastal cooking — konobas along the Perast promenade serving bay fish and local dishes, with seasonal opening and variable reservation needs
Cafés, bakeries and light-lunch options around the central waterfront — quick stops for coffee, pastries and a light meal between the museums and churches
Slower evening dining in Perast or nearby bay settlements — a smaller choice than the larger resorts, so consider nearby Risan or Kotor when local options are limited or full
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Heritage hotels in restored waterfront buildings — accommodation in the historic palaces and stone houses along the Perast promenade
Guesthouses and apartments within Perast — smaller, locally run rooms and self-catering stays in and around the old town
Nearby Kotor- or Risan-area accommodation — a broader choice of hotels, guesthouses and transport options a short drive along the bay
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
Keep exploring
The atlas goes on — more attractions, destinations and stories from every corner of the world.