Today, the city is separated into Old Bar and New Bar, the former being filled with old streets of cobblestone paved by the Turks, as well as fortifications that have remained intact for over 500 years. The majority of the city populus lives in Novi Bar, which is located nearer to the shore, but there are some who prefered to stay in Stari Bar, mostly because their families have been living there for generations. Novi Bar is characteristic for its wide boulevards, alleys of palm trees and oleander shrubs. The city was widely accepted to have been the cleanest city in former Yugoslavia.
The Chruch of Saint Jovan Vladimir is the third largest Orthodox Christian temple in the world, just behind the Temple of Christ the Savior in Moscow and the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade. The temple is located in the very heart of the city, just next to the main highway. At the temple’s current location, there stood a concrete cross up until 1979, where night services were held, and it was only in 2006 that the temple’s construction was started. After 10 years of construction, the temple was finally completed in 2016, being consecrated on the 25th september of the same year, on the 100th anniversary of Jovan Vladimir’s death.
This Old Olive tree is the most famous tree in all of Montenegro, and a great tourist attraction at the same time. The tree is one of the oldest in Europe, as well as the whole world, and has been under protection of the law since 1957, when it was declared a natural monument. In its 2000 year-old life span, the olive tree suffered fires twice, managing to recover each time, and it still bears fruit today. The olives harvested from the tree are used to make healing olive oil. Olive oil from Bar is considered to be of great quality.
The oldest fortification in Montenegro, Old Bar Fortress, is located beneath Mount Rumija, on a steep cliff. The fortress tells a turbulent story of the many civilizations that once inhabited the area.The fortress has a good defensive mechanism, which is further attributed to by its location and the drinking water that is located in the area. All of these reasons led to the city’s formation 4km away from the sea, opposing many cities on the Montenegro Riviera. The fortress holds the remains of several churches, dating back to various times, the remains of the Saint George Cathedral from the 11th century
The Castle of the only Montenegrin King, King Nikola, is located in the Boulevard of King Nikola, near the city center. This castle complex was actually built by the orders of Serbian King Petar Karađorđević, who was King Nikola’s son-in-law. After he had married Zorka, the King’s daughter, King Petar lived in Montenegro. King Nikola bought the castle from his son-in-law. The castle was constructed in 1885, on the sea shore, and the complex consists of the big castle, the small castle, a chapel, a guard tower and a winter garden.
