Fort of the Holy Cross

Fort of the Holy Cross, locally Tvrđava Sveti Križ, sits on the ridge above Perast and was built under Venetian rule in the 17th century to defend the inner-bay…Fort of the Holy Cross, locally Tvrđava Sveti Križ, sits on the ridge above Perast and was built under Venetian rule in the 17th century to defend the inner-bay approach through the Verige strait. The garrison position covered the choke point where the Bay of Kotor narrows to a few hundred metres between Verige and Otok cape, working alongside the lower coastal batteries at Perast.

The site today is a partially-collapsed stone ruin: an enclosed terrace, traces of magazine rooms and gunports facing the strait, with the cross-marked bell tower foundations at the highest point. A walking path of about 30 to 45 minutes climbs from the back of Perast village; the trail is unticketed and unstaffed, with no signage at the ruin itself. The terrace returns a wide view of the islands of Our Lady of the Rocks and Sveti Đorđe.