BAR OLD TOWN, OLD OLIVE TREE, DŽIDŽARIN OLIVE GROVE
Olive roads – visit to Džidžarin – an hour’s walk in this olive grove with 10,000 olive trees will bring you back to nature and its beauty. The Municipality of Bar has around 100 thousand olive trees, more than half of which are more than 1000 years old. Premium quality olive oil and famous Bar olive specialties are made here. According to legend, no young man used to be allowed to get married before planting a certain number of olive trees – which was a guarantee that he could support his family.
Old Olive Tree at Mirovica is a natural monument which has been protected by law since 1963. It is 2,242 years old and is considered to be the oldest tree in Europe. The trunk is 10 metres wide. According to legend, meetings of feuding families used to be held around the olive tree and this is where they used to make up, which is why this place is still called Mirovica (the place of peace).
Old Bar is the biggest urban agglomeration in ruins in Montenegro. It has witnessed tumultuous historical events and medieval civilizations. It is located on a steep slope, inaccessible from three sides, at the foot of Mount Rumija.
The defensive position and a fresh water source were the most important reasons why Old Bar, unlike other towns in the coastal area, is located 4 km from the sea. This town, whose inhabitants lived off craftmanship, olive oil and salt trade, was built in succession, over centuries. Its oldest parts are located on a protruding plateau of a rock, which is home to the town gate from the 11th century. Not far from here, separate from the inhabited part, stands the Citadel, which had a defensive purpose.
The town is still home to remains of many churches of various styles from different periods. The foundations of a Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St. George from the 11th century, and two Gothic churches of St. Catherine and St. Venera have all been preserved, whereas a gunpowder magazine and bath survived from the Ottoman period.
The western part of the town was fortified later. First in the 14th century, and then during Venetian rule, in the 16th century. This part of town also holds the remains of the Church of St. Nicholas which was most probably built in the 13th century by Helen of Anjou, wife of Serbian king Uroš.
A well-preserved church dedicated to St. John stands in the small square in the centre of the town. The well-preserved aqueduct remains from the 16th and 17th centuries stand outside of the town, north from the upper fortress. The aqueduct used to bring water from the mountains to the town.
Price includes: transportation, guide.
Price does not include: lunch and entrance tickets: Bar old town 2 €, Old Olive Tree 1 €.
Trip cost depends on the number of people.
