Bar is the main seaport of Montenegro and a tourist centre with many beaches as well. It is the final point of the Belgrade-Bar railway line, constructed in 1976, and it is connected to Italy by ferry. Bar has a long history, and its initial name, Antivari/Antibarum/Antibari in different languages means “in front of Bari”. Bari is a city in southern Italy separated from Bar by the Adriatic Sea.
When you arrive in Bar, it is actually the new city of Bar, which grew during the XX-XXI centuries. The historical Old Town of Bar, or Stari Bar is a few kilometres away. It was located not near the sea but in a mountain region. The Old Town of Bar was a part of the Byzantine Empire, later it was under the rule of Venice, but the longest part of its history is connected with the Ottomans. The Ottoman rule here lasted from the end of the 16th century till 1878, when it was conquered by Montenegrins.
The Old Town of Bar was abandoned after the earthquake of 1979, which destroyed its aqueduct providing water. Now, it is being partially restored. While walking along Stari Bar, you’ll see some interesting churches (some of them are destroyed, and others are restored), the Clock Tower, the Turkish hammam of the 18th century, and probably the main attraction here is Stari Bar fortress. It is quite large, and you can get to the top of its walls to enjoy the mountain views of Mount Rumija.
You’ll find an interesting archaeological exhibition devoted to the history of Stari Bar in the Archbishop’s Palace.
Not far from the Old Town of Bar, you can find one of Bar’s symbols – a very old olive tree that is supposed to be more than 2,250 years old. It is one of the oldest trees in Europe. Due to its historical value, it has been protected since 1957. The diameter of the tree is about 2.5 meters.
According to tradition, you should walk around the tree 3 times: once for love, once for health and once for luck! Definitely worth trying, if you are here.
Bar is famous for one more fact. In 1904, Guglielmo Marconi made a radio connection between Bari and Bar, and this was a very important event for the future development of radio. There is a memorial board devoted to this event in the centre of Bar.
In 1885, Montenegrin King Nikola built his summer residence in Bar, and now you can visit it as a museum, which includes collections of historic costumes, furniture and weapons. The Palace also has a nice green territory around it.
The centre of Bar includes a very long and green embankment, and it is a pleasure walking along it even during the hot and sunny summer months. Besides, it is a wonderful place for enjoying sunsets, when the Sun goes towards the sea.
The architecture of Bar is a mix of Yugoslavian buildings of the 20th century (which can look a little bit fantastic or unusual sometimes) and modern buildings of the 21st century.
You can find Orthodox churches (for example, St Jovan Vladimir church in the very centre of Bar), Catholic churches (the Catholic Cathedral of St Peter has an interesting architecture), as well as mosques in Bar.