Hospitality has always been important at this atmospheric stone complex, just 2km south of Rijeka Reževići. Until the 19th century, the Paštrovići would leave a bottle of wine here for passers-by, one of whom in 1226 was King Stefan the First-Crowned of the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty, who founded the Church of the Dormition (Crkva Uspenja Bogorodice), the smaller church of the complex. There are fine frescoes covering the walls, though the frescoes in the larger Church of the Holy Trinity (Crkva Sv Trojice; 1770) – repainted in the 1970s – are more vivid.
Both churches are holding up well considering that they’ve survived attacks by Ottoman, French and Italian armies. There’s usually an elderly black-robed nun holding the fort in the small gift shop selling religious icons and homemade olive oil and honey. Local tradition tells of a Greek or Roman temple and cemetery that once stood on this site.
Just down the hill from the monastery is Perazića Do, a small sandy beach bookended by rocky headlands, overshadowed by a hideously large hotel development that may or may not ever be completed. Near the highway a stone building (1856) was once a school and now houses a museum, gallery and library devoted to the Paštrović tribe, although you’ll be lucky to find it open.