Virpazar is a small settlement on Lake Skadar in the Bar municipality, Montenegro. It's located in the Crmnica region, only 15 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea.

The first mention of Virpazar dates back to 13th century. In those times, a settlement was established near a river whirlpool, where people used to come on small river boats to visit the local market. From 1888, it was connected with Bar via an unsurfaced road, and from 1908 with narrow gauge railway line. When a dock was constructed in 1905, Virpazar became the most important port on Lake Skadar.

Virpazar, during the summer tourist season, is visited by many tourists who are mostly lovers of nature, national parks and protected areas. In the urban part of Virpazar there are several restaurants with traditional cuisine where you can try a wide variety of specialties of fish from Lake Skadar and taste the famous wines of Montenegro.

During the summer season are organized many cultural and entertainment events such as "Days of Skadar Lake", literary evenings, artists colony, performances at the festival "Bar Chronicle" while in the winter you can enjoy the festival "Days of wine and bleak ".

You can also get to Virpazar by bus from Podgorica or Sutomore. Longer-distance buses for example, from Ulcinj, Bar towards Podgorica also stops there but it is important that you tell the bus driver that you want to stop in Virpazar or they will probably drive past it because it is so small. The bus stop is a shed along the roadside on the main road. 

Bar (Italian: Antivari) is a coastal town and seaport in southern Montenegro. It's the capital of the Bar Municipality and a center for tourism. Bar is a shortened form of Antivari, which is derived from the town's location across the Adriatic Sea from Bari, Italy.

Local archaeological findings date to the Neolithic era. It is assumed that Bar was mentioned as the reconstructed Roman castle, Antipargal, in the 6th century. The name Antibarium was quoted for the first time in the 10th century.

Bar is located on the coastal western border of Montenegro on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is approximately 53 kilometres from Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. To the east is the largest lake in the Balkans, Lake Skadar. To the west, across the sea, is Italy.

Bar is the administrative centre of Bar Municipality, which includes the town of Sutomore and other small coastal towns. The municipality of Bar is divided into 12 communes (mjesna zajednica), consisting of 83 settlements.

Although there are some nice stony beaches in Bar itself, many tourists choose destinations in other small towns in the Bar municipality, notably Sutomore, with its beautiful long sandy beach. The natural area around Bar is mostly untouched and is rich in vegetation. The Bar municipality stretches to the southern shore of Skadar lake and encompasses Krajina region. This entire area is suitable for leisure activities and hiking. Smaller settlements near Bar, such as Dobra Voda, Sutomore and Čanj, are a favourite destination for sunbathing, as they incorporate long sandy beaches.

Places of interest

The Old Olive of Mirovica is said to be one of the oldest olive trees in Europe and one of the oldest trees in the world. In 1957, it was placed under state protection. Numerous legends and traditions are associated with the tree. For instance, families that had a dispute would come to the tree to make peace. This explains its name, Mirovica, mir meaning peace.

King Nikola’s palace was built in 1885. It was a present from King Nikola to his daughter Princess Zorka and his son-in-law, Prince Petar Karađorđević. The construction included a large palace, a little palace, a chapel, guardhouses and a winter garden. In 1910, a spacious ballroom was added. A botanic garden has Mediterranean vegetation including a cork tree. There is also a large flower garden in a stainless steel structure of interesting shape. it was a gift from King Emmanuel of Italy to King Nikola. It is now a restaurant called Knjaževa bašta (The Duke’s Garden). At the front of the palace, there was a wooden pier. Between 1866 and 1916, King Nikola owned ten yachts. One of them, Sibil, was bought from Jules Verne, the novelist. The last yacht bought was the Rumija. In 1915, it was sunk in the Bar harbour by the Austro-Hungarian navy. The palace complex houses the Bar city museum. It is also used as a venue for festivals, concerts, exhibitions and literary events.

Nehaj Fortress, partially preserved, is located near the small seaside town of Sutomore. It has been held by both Venetians and Ottoman Turks. It was first recorded as the 16th century Fortezza dei Spizi, a Venetian fortified town.

The Bar Aqueduct was constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries.