The Old Town of Bar
The Old Town of Bar

The Old Town of Bar, only 4 kilometers away from New Bar lies atop a steep cliff at the base of mountain Rumija. Old Bar contains a fortress-like city center, surrounded by walls from the 11th and 12th centuries, which were later rebuilt in 14th and 15th centuries.

When visiting this part of Bar you’ll behold the old city gate from the 11th century. Next to the gate is a Citadel, which served exclusively for the defense of the town. As a section of the old town was built during the golden age of Venetian trade during the 15th and in the first half of the 16th century, a great many historic monuments are authentic relics of that era. Two of the churches are particularly well preserved: St. Katarina from the 14th and St. Venerande from the 15th century.

The old town also holds the Turkish baths - “hamam” from the 17th century, an armory/ powder magazine, as well as other interesting sites, such as the ruins of the church of St. Nicholas, which was built in 1288. by the wife of the Serbian Czar Uroš, better known as Jelena Anžujska (Helen of Anjou) or Jelena Kurtnejska. Underneath the old town you can find the ruins of the aqueduct dating back to 16th and 17th centuries, which was used to supply water to the town.

Old Bar also houses a settlement called Podgrad, which dates back to medieval times, and remains a bustling residential area even today. This neighborhood has several old taverns, shops, traditional crafts workshops, and a farmers market famous for quality meats. Podgrad has two mosques, and a Catholic church of St. Mary. Should you desire to explore the environs of Old Bar we recommend a leisurely walk to a place called Mirovica, where there lives a well known 2000 year-old Bar olive tree.