Bar, Montenegro (see on Montenegro map) - this city, whose name has nothing to do with a drinking establishment, is located in the very south and is the main seaport of Montenegro. In the region of Bar there are many small settlements located on the coast - Sutomore, Dobra Voda, Shushan, Topolica and Big Sands - an ideal place for a beach holiday.
A bit of history
According to archaeological excavations, the area of Bar was inhabited as early as the Bronze Age. The Romans named the area "Antibarium" because it was opposite the Italian city of Bari. Then the Slavs came to the coast and shortened the name to "Bar". The territory of Bar was under the rule of Byzantium, the Serbian state of Nemanjic, Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Being a part of the Ottoman Empire, Bar began to actively deteriorate: mosques, baths, an aqueduct, and a clock tower were built. In 1878, the Montenegrins liberated the city, but due to an explosion in the powder warehouses, it was completely destroyed; and New Bar was erected in the coastal region.
Now Bar is the largest trading port; in the city there are a lot of shops of clothes and shoes brought from Italy. There is a regular ferry service from Bar to the Italian cities of Bari and Ankora; for a one-way ticket, you will pay about 70 euros for a bed in an outside cabin (seating is much cheaper).
The bar is famous for its olive groves - already in 1927 a large olive processing plant operated here.
Attractions
One of the main attractions is the palace of King Nikola, which includes a large and small palaces, a chapel, a winter garden and a botanical garden. But the main value among history lovers is, of course, Stari Grad, i.е. the ruins of the old Bar, in which 240 buildings have been preserved.
One of the oldest monuments of the old city is the gate of the 10th-11th centuries. Remarkable are the ruins of the Cathedral of St. George of the XI century and two churches - St. Catherine and St. Veneranda, as well as some of their monuments from the era of Turkish rule (the aqueduct of the 16th-17th centuries, the clock tower built in 1753).
At the southwestern wall of the Old Bar is the well-preserved Omerbashich Mosque with a minaret (1662) and the tomb of Dervish-Khachan (XVII century); next to the mosque are buildings for pilgrims and imams.
In the vicinity of Bar there are several ancient monasteries:
• Benedictine monastery of the Mother of God of Ratach between Bar and Sutomore, founded in 1247 and destroyed by the Turks in the 16th century;
• Ribnyak Monastery in the village of Zuptsy with the Church of St. Vasily Zakhumsky;
• Monasteries of Gorni Brceli and Dolni Brceli (the lower one was founded in the 15th century; the upper one, existing since the 18th century, served as the winter residence of Bishop Danila).
In the village of Spich near Sutomore, the ruins of the church of St. Roca (founded in the XIV century; had two altars - Orthodox and Catholic); west of Sutomore - the church of St. Thekla (also has altars of two confessions). In Sotonichi - the Orthodox Church of St. Anastasia XIV century.
Not far from Bar, 1 km. to the north-west of Sutomore, on the site of the medieval town of Nekhai, are the ruins of the Khai-Nekhai fortress, founded in the 15th century by the Venetians; in Nehai - the church of St. Dmitry with Orthodox and Catholic altars.
Festivals and holidays
• Festival "Bar chronicle" (book fair, theatrical performances, etc.);
• international television festival (held annually in November since 1995);
• "Meetings under the old olive" - a festival of children's creativity; held in November;
• Masliniada - an exhibition and review of folk costumes; takes place in December;
• every year (since 1998) a swimming marathon is held in Bar in August.
The Bar Riviera includes about 20 pebbly and sandy beaches of various sizes, the total length of which is 9,000 m. Thanks to untouched natural forests with a variety of Mediterranean plants that grow right on the seashore, the air on the beaches of Bar is amazingly clean and fresh all year round.
Holidays in Bar are ideal for both lovers of tranquility and outdoor enthusiasts. Diving enthusiasts will also not be disappointed and will surely rejoice at the underwater yacht of King Nikola and other sunken ships.
