Our Lady of the Rock

Perast, Bay of Kotor, This church is one of the most iconic images of Montenegro, built on an artificial island, with large rocks and sunken old ships by local seaman after two sailors discovered an image of the Virgin Mary on a rock jutting out of the water in the Bay of Kotor in 1452. The Byzantine church is adorned with fantastic frescos. Today, locals continue the tradition of pitching fresh stones at the island’s base with an event known as Fašinada. A parade of boats sets out from Perast every July and welcomes anyone who can gather stones and climb into a boat. Visitors can visit the island at any time, either via organized tourist barge excursions out of Kotor or by hiring a Perast taxi boat or fisherman to take you out in a smaller boat.