Perast looks like a tiny piece of Venice by the Adriatic Sea. Its amazing medieval architecture attracts crowds upon crowds of tourists, and each and every house in this charming little town has a story. 

One of the most beautiful and interesting buildings in Perast is the palace of the Bujović family. It raises above the water on the northwestern tip of the town, the first to be seen by visitors.

This palazzo is a true embodiment of the wealth and pomposity, since it is built at Perast heyday.

For more than 70 years, the City Museum resides in the former Bujović residence. The rich Museum collection includes paintings, antique furniture and household objects, jewelry, traditional clothes, as well as weapons and maritime artifacts.

This magnificent palace was designed in the late 17th century by the Venetian architect Giovanni Battista Fontana.

The Smekja family mansion is less embellished, but very spacious, in fact, this is the largest palace in Perast. The three-story stunner was built of stone from the island of Korcula in the middle of the 18th century.

Now the palace is beautifully restored and converted into a luxurious five-star hotel.

About 70 meters from the Smekja palace, stands 17th century house, a residence of two noble families, Brajkoić and Martinović.

The Lucić-Kolović-Matikola Palace was completed in the second half of the 18th century. The peculiarity of this neat little mansion — dormer windows on all four sides of the building.

Not far from the central square you can see a charming house with unusual square turret.

This house belonged to the Mazarović dynasty, one of the oldest and most influential families of the Boka Bay.

The Mazarović family had a few more dwellings in Perast. For example, an elegant Baroque-style mansion a little further and higher from the turret. Both houses date from the 18th century.

Unfortunately, the building has been abandoned for many years and now is simply crumbling.

The Visković Palace is another former home of a noble family, which has not been used for a long time and now very badly damaged.

The Visković Palace, in fact, is a harmonious ensemble of several structures.

The oldest part of the complex is a defensive tower constructed around 1500.

Next to the Visković Palace is the Vukasović-Kolović family house.

It is relatively new — from the 18th century — and has been perfectly preserved to this day.

Bronza Palace dates from the same period.

This two-story building is an excellent example of the dazzling Baroque architecture.

On its exterior, we can notice many elements of this style: a balcony with a balustrade at the second floor, a belvedere with delicate curls, intriguing stone work on the portal.

Another feature of the many Baroque-style palazzos around the Bay of Kotor — the oval windows on the ground floor.

The Balović Palace went down in Montenegrin history due to the fact that in the summer of 1846 the Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović-Njegoš spent his vacation here and composed the famous poem — Paris and Elena or A Night is More Precious Than a Century.

The Balović Palace was built in the 18th century and looks like a typical residential building of the time.

It is a monumental and balanced edifice with a belvedere.

The perfectly restored home of Zmajević dynasty, also known as the Bishop Palace, stands at the distance from the sea.

A wearied stairs lead to the gate.

The Palace was constructed on a rocky slope in several phases. The inscription on the facade indicates that all work was completed in 1664.

For a very long time, the Palace was in a state of collapse. But several years ago, a large-scale restoration of the house had begun and today it is a grand and marvelous mansion once again.