St. Jacob's church is easy to recognise from a distance as it has four spherical globes on the tower's helm edge. The three-naved Gothic brick hall church (built in 1334) has been the church of seafarers since the Middle Ages. It was consecrated together with St. Mary's and St. Peter's. Since the church did not suffer any damage during the 2nd World War, the boxed pew and historic organ are still intact. The small 'Stellwagen organ' is one of the best preserved examples of North German organs from the 16th century.
A lifeboat commemorates the sinking of the four-masted barque 'Pamir' in 1957. It is located in the north tower chapel and represents the 'National Memorial for Civilian Shipping' today.
St. Jacob's is a memorial site for international seafarers and placed in its vault beneath the Pamir chapel, which serves as a Columbarium (a place of memory), are the urns of those whose lives were intertwined with the sea. An ensemble of three-storey brick eaves houses built in 1601 stands in front of St. Jacob's. These served as residences for the pastors and preachers of St. Jacob's Church.
References:Herceg Novi was founded (on a former small fishing village, existing since Roman Empire times) as a fortress in 1382 by first Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko I and was called Sveti Stefan or Castelnuovo. The Turks conquered Herceg Novi in 1482, and ruled for 200 years, until 1687. However, there was a short pause between 1538 and 1539 when it was held by the Spaniards before they were defeated in the Siege of Castelnuovo. Turkey ruled again until 1687, from then until 1797, the town was ruled by the Venetian Republic.
The Herceg Novi old town is amazing. It is on a fairly steep hill that leads all the way down to the sea. Wandering through the small stairways to the various plazas and fortresses is a many hour adventure.