Bar, a major seaport of Montenegro, is a coastal town, located in the southern region of the country. The city lies in the centre of the Bar Municipality, and offers a wealth of things to see and do for locals and tourists alike.
Trains regularly visit the town from Belgrade, and ferries can be seen coming and going from Italy. While the northern region of the coast was ruled by Venice and Austria for centuries, the southern region of Bar fell under Turkish rule for more than 300 years. In this southern area, visitors relish at the sight of Ottoman inspired buildings and mosques. The more modern areas of Bar, founded near the turn of the 20th century, feature more contemporary buildings and styles. Old Bar, or Stari Bar as it was known in the past, can be seen in the mountains behind the newer city. Here, visitors can see ruins from this long-forgotten world, as well as various other sites and attractions.
Bar is filled with museums, galleries, and churches. From St. Nicholas’ Church to King Nikola’s Palace, there is certain culture to enjoy. During the 9th century, Bar was the seat of the Catholic diocese. It was elevated to become an archdiocese in 1089, and was given the title of Primate of Serbia.
King Nikola’s Palace, built in the mid 1880’s, is now home to a wide collection of royal furnishings, antiques, and folk costumes, and offers a wonderful waterfront view of the city.
The area around Bar remains nearly untouched by civilization. It is rich in vegetation and offers beautiful views of the natural mountainside and shores. Hiking is a popular pastime in this area. The nearly 50 kilometres of coastline offer swimming, fishing, and various other water activities. Those wanting to really enjoy an adventurous day can boat to the Queen’s Beach from Canj. This inset island can only be reached by sea and is completely enclosed behind a wall of rock.
Bar is home to a number of wonderful beaches, although not all of them are the best for swimming. There is a marina and an industrial port in the city, making the beach much better for boating than for swimming. Susanj Beach, in the northern region, is very popular among tourists and does offer more prime swimming areas.
Other natural attractions in and around Bar include a pine forest and Red Beach, which was named due to the colour of the red sand found here. Bar offers a wonderful array of restaurants, hotels, shops and more than 50 sports clubs and associations within the city, including many water sports clubs. Many chess clubs and celebrities have visited the area over the years, as sports tourism is a main attraction in Bar.
Bar was host to the FIBA Europe Under 16 Championship in 2010, as well as the Men’s U18 European Handball Championship during that same year. Whether sports or nature-minded, tourists are sure to find an array of things to do and see in this lovely city.