‘Unsung’ coastal town in Europe has pristine beaches and cheap UK flights
WHILE Spain and France are inundated with tourists everywhere, Brits often overlook Montenegro as a beach holiday destination.
And those Brit holidaymakers who do visit Montenegro normally head to city’s such as Budva, Kotor or Podgorica, the country’s capital.
One place Brit holidaymakers might not have heard about is Bar, a small coastal town located in the country’s southern tip.
Bar is described as an “unsung resort town” by travel website Celebrity Cruises.
The town of Stari Bar is nestled among the hills at the foot of Mount Rumija, encircled by Byzantine city walls that date back all the way to the 11th century.
Another highlight is Bar Aqueduct.
Located on the northern edge of Stari Bar, the huge stone aqueduct ferried water into the old town until 1979.
Stari Bar is roughly three miles away from the newer part of Bar where visitors will find plenty of places to eat.
The town centre has plenty of bars and restaurants serving beer and cevapi – a local grilled meat dish often served with sauce in pitta bread.
Other attractions in Bar include the peach-hued King Nikola’s Palace, which was built for King Nikola I Petrovic – the country’s last monarch.
Now a museum filled with antiques, King Nikola’s Palace sits right in front of Topolica City Beach.
Topolica City Beach is a wide pebble beach that’s backed by a promenade and palm trees.
Šušanj is another beach in Bar and is considered to be more photogenic compared to Bar’s main strip.
Located on the northern fringes of Bar it is backed by beach bars and restaurants.
Other nearby attractions include Lake Skadar National Park, which is home to the largest lake in the Balkans.
It’s home to around 270 different species of birdlife like the Dalmatian pelican.
Other bird species found in the park include storks, little egrets, cormorants, herons, eagles, and falcons.
There are thought to be 50 types of fish species living in the lake’s water, including carp and the endemic ukljeva.
Holidaymakers can also visit the world’s oldest olive tree in neighbouring Tomba, which is thought to be 2,000 years old.
Bar is a 60-minute drive from Podgorica where direct flights operate from the UK.
Return fares from London to Podgorica start from as little as £31.
While Montenegro is somewhat overlooked by Brit holidaymakers, it is a firm favourite among celebs.
Famous faces like Marilyn Monroe, Princess Margaret and Brad Pitt have been spotted at Sveti Stefan, a five-star resort.
Other celebs are frequent visitors to the quieter beaches of Montenegro, including the likes of The Rolling Stones and Madonna.
Both have performed concerts on Jaz Beach in the area surrounding the town of Budva – another popular town in the country.
What's it like to visit Montenegro?
Last year, travel writer Mary Gallagher visited Montenegro, here’s what she thought of the Balkan country.
This tiny Balkan country makes an unlikely location for an Only Fools And Horses fan base, but its stars — led by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst — are worshipped like legends.
There is even a Nags Head pub, named after the one in the show.
Which is probably a little different from the hangouts frequented by Elizabeth Taylor, Angelina Jolie and Novak Djokovic, who have all stayed at Aman’s luxury Sveti Stefan resort in the country.
A thousand miles from Del Boy’s Peckham, Montenegro is 80 per cent mountains.
I’d heard of its fabled peaks, but the real thing is truly spectacular to see, with giant swathes of limestone cliffs jutting into the sea.
There are also 117 beaches and five national parks calling out for Brits to explore.
Public transport isn’t great, but taxis and car rentals are cheap — and every road offers beautiful sea or mountain views.
A drive through the coastal town of Kotor takes me to Lovcen National Park.
Here, I join mesmerised tourists hitching a gondola on the country’s new cable car for an 11-minute, stomach-flipping ride.
One of our group kept their eyes shut the whole time until we squealed at the sight of the Bay of Kotor.
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