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its relaxed small-town feel (minus the bustle of bigger Kotor). During the summer, you're
required to pay to park near the entrance of town, and then walk or ride the free shuttle bus
into the town center; at other times, you may be allowed to drive along the waterfront road
and park for free in front of the church.
Remember that Perast, with its cannons aimed at the Verige Strait across the bay, was
an essential link in the Bay of Kotor's fortifications. In exchange for this important duty,
Venice rewarded Perast with privileged tax-free status, and the town became extremely
wealthy. Ornate mansions proliferated here during its 17th- and 18th-century heyday. But
after Venice fell to Napoleon, and the Bay of Kotor's economy changed, Perast's singular
defensiveroledisappeared.Withnoindustry,nohinterland,andnonaturalresources,Perast
stagnated—leaving it a virtual open-air museum of Venetian architecture.
Go to the tallest steeple in town, overlooking a long and narrow harborfront square. Per-
astiscenteredonitstoo-big(andincomplete)church, St. Nicholas —dedicatedtothepatron
saint of fishermen. It was originally designed to extend out into the sea (the old church, still
standing,wastobetorndown).ButNapoleon'stroopscamemarchinginbeforethebuilders
got that far, so the plans were scuttled—and this massive partial-church was instead simply
grafted on to the existing, modest church.
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