Montenegrin Bar contains a modern city with the life, which do not decrease even over the summer season, and monuments of cultural and historical heritage, and an important transport hub, and all the delights of resort life.
The old and the modern parts seem to be separated from each other. But the Old Bar was built in 4 km far from the bank of the Adriatic Sea and the New one was located in the seaside plain.
The first annalistic facts about Bar city are related to IX century, but it is known that Illyrians lived there in neolith period. Romans destroyed the Illyrians settlement in approximately in XIII century and built here a new fortress.
During Roman time the name of the city sounded as Antibarrium, which meant the antipode of Br city, located on the other side of the sea in Italy. The name of Bar appeared later, when the Slavic people came to that land. Bar city got its prosperity in XIII century, exactly that time it had its emblem, Statute and coins.
Because of its strategic geographic location Bar was the victim of numerous internecine wars, passing from hand to hand. It have been under the power of Venetians. The Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1571, by settling in it for three long centuries.
The old Bar
Nowadays the traces of these two important periods may be found there. The Bishop’s Palace of the Venetians time and the Clock Tower (or Sat-Kula), built during the reign of the Turks, is close neighbor here. The Old Town is situated on a hill and is surrounded by fortress walls.
The Old Bar
The fortress walls of the Old Town hide the ruins of former greatness, such as St. George’s Cathedral, St. Veneranda’s Church, St. Nichola Church and others. The St. Jovan’s church has been preserved without destruction, it can be seen next to the Bishop’s Palace.
Take a look at the aqueduct, which was built by the Turks in the 17th century and which supplied the city with drinking water from mountain springs 3 km away. This building has 17 spans of different sizes, and the aqueduct is still in working condition even today!
In 1878, the bar was liberated from the Turkish occupation and returned to Montenegro, but soon the city was destroyed almost completely because of an explosion in its powder depots. By the decision of the Montenegrin king Nichola I the New Bar was founded in the coastal area.
Transport in Bar city
At the beginning of the last century the city began to develop actively as a trade and port center. Today the port of Bar passes up to five million tons of various cargoes.
Yachts in the port of Bar
There is a passenger terminal and port pool, which can place more than 1000 small ships and a yacht berth. You can take a ferry trip to Bari – the Italian city.
There is also a railway station in Bar, which was opened in 1908. You could get to the town of Virpazar from that railway station that time. A direct railway connection with Belgrade has been there since 1976.
Bus service from Bar works as a clockwork operation, so Bar can be considered the most important transport hub of the country. No other Montenegrin city can boast of a port, railroad and bus system at the same time.
Bar quay
King Nicola’s palace
The King Nicola’s palace was built in 1885 as the summer residence of the monarch. You can enter the palace – today the Museum of local lore is situated here. Archeological, historical and ethnographic expositions are presented there.
Christian churches in Bar
The Orthodox Cathedral of St. Ivan Vladimir is still under construction. It was started to build in 2006, and the divine services have already been conducted here.
St. Ivan Vladimir’s Church
The oldest Christian object in Montenegro is the Bar Triconch – it is the foundation of the church of the VI century, which can be seen in the city center, among multi-storey buildings and wide avenues.
Olive tree in Miroviča
An old olive tree that is more than two thousand years old is the most ancient sight you can find in the city countryside in Miroviče. The unique tree still bears fruit and its trunk diameter is more than 10 m!
Old olive tree in Bar
Bar in Montenegro from a bird’s-eye view
Great video about the Bar, where the city is well shown from different angles.
