Fortress Old Bar

About

Making the hike up to the 11th century ruins of Old Bar rewards visitors with dramatic mountain views and a first-hand look into Montenegro’s tumultuous past. After changing hands for centuries, the Ottomans occupying the fortress, and town it guarded, were besieged during the by Montenegrin-Ottoman war in 1887. After heavy bombardment, the fortress finally surrendered when Montenegrin forces destroyed the town’s aqueduct, effectively cutting off the town’s water supply. Following an earthquake in 1979 that again destroyed the aqueduct, the town was abandoned and the new town of Bar founded on the coast. Today visitors can roam the ruins at their leisure. While the old Ottoman clock is the most visible standing structure, visitors shouldn’t miss the Turkish baths, which have unique glass tiles in the ceiling to let in light.