Bar

Bar is one of the most popular touristic cities of Montenegro, a city located on the South of the country. It is the biggest seaport of the country, there is a regular sea line between Montenegro and Italy. Here starts the railway towards Belgrade and also not for from the city there is the tunnel Sozina, passing through a mountain range and leading to the countries center and the North. Due to the good geographical position and also due to the numerous beaches and many olive groves Bar attracts more and more tourists each year.

The city is divided into two parts – The Old and New Bar. The Old Bar is a real archeological museum under the open sky, which is surrounded with fruit gardens and olive groves. The New Bar is a modern big city with crowded streets, shops, sandy beach and a picturesque embankment.

The first Illyrian settlements were formed here back in the Bronze age, at that time the city was named Antibari as it was situated on the opposite side of the Adriatic sea from the Italian city – Bari. The Slavs shortened the name to Bar and it reached us in that form. In the beginning of the Middle Ages the city was in the power of the Byzantium, than it passed over to Raska – that was when the city developed the most as the main sea port. Afterwards the city joined Venice, and from the 16^th century and for the next 300 years it was in the power of the Ottoman Empire. That is the reason why there are so many Muslim buildings in Bar (ex. mosques). Despite the fact of the Turkish influence the city managed to keep all three worlds religions – Orthodox, Catholicism and Islam. The earthquake of 1878 nearly ruined the whole Old Bar and than most of the habitants moved down the hill, closer to the port, that is when the New Bar was formed. 

Bar is located in close distance from all the major Montenegrian cities, which are all connected by the main coastal road. You can easily reach the center of the country via tunnel Sozina or using the railway. The city is located within 53 km from the Podgorica airport and within 63 km from the Tivat airport. Also Bar is fairly close to the border with Albania so you have the opportunity to see that beautiful country.

Without any doubt the main touristic sight of Bar is the Old Town which is located at a height of 110 m above the sea level within 4 km from the seashore. It is surrounded with olive groves and fruit gardens. Despite the damage caused by the earthquake there are the remains of more than 200 buildings. You can see the very first towns gate ( 11^th century), the remains of the Cathedral of Saint George ( 11^th century), some left elements of the churches of Saint Ekaterina and St Nikolas. From the time of the Ottoman Empire there are some remains of the steam bath, powder-magazine, clock-tower, aqueduct ( 16-17^th centuries, built to deliver water to the town), Omerbasica mosque (17^th century). The ruins of the habitants houses – poor and rich – will be interesting to those who are fond of history. From the remains of the town’s walls you can enjoy the incredible sight of the marine, seaport, and the New Bar.

The main value of the New Bar is King Nikolas Palace, built in the 19^th century as a present from the king to his daughter and her husband. It includes the big and small palaces, the guardrooms and the winter garden. Nowadays there is a regional museum on the territory of the palace. Here you can see many archeological, historical and ethnographical artifacts. The park surrounding the palace is full of beautiful and rare flowers and trees from all over the world, for example corkwood. 

The city is also well-known for its olive groves. Bar is the main supplier of olive oil in Montenegro. Here you can see the oldest olive tree in Europe – it is more than 2000 years old and it still bears olives! There is nothing strange that most of the festivals and celebrations here are dedicated to the theme of olive trees.

The Bars marine is a great place for those fond of diving. Here you can see the sunken ships, such as the yacht of King Nikola, the Austrian battleship and the German cruiser “Forvac”

Those who are fond of shopping will also stay delighted by visiting Bar – due to the regular sea line with Italy the city is full of stores which can give you great prices for the famous Italian brands.

As you can see Bar is a unique place where everyone will find something for themselves – everything for a quiet, unforgettable and interesting vacation.