Hidden places in Bar and its surroundings

At the beginning of Marshal Tito Street, the remains of an early Christian church stand among the streets of modern Bar. Its walls now reach about one metre, so the site is easy to miss if you expect an entire building. Up close, you can make out the surviving sections of its stone foundations.

The church dates to Justinian's reign in the sixth century. Archaeological excavations uncovered decorated stone fragments and a necropolis, or burial ground.

The remains can be viewed from outside. It has not been confirmed that visitors can walk across the archaeological site itself. Bar Triconch on Google Maps marks the church, not a separate entrance into the excavation.

The Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle stands beside 24 November Boulevard. Its two bell towers hold three bells each. Grey local stone and red terracotta set its facade apart from the nearby apartment buildings. A broad stairway with sculptures of Saints Peter and Paul leads to the main entrance.

The church was dedicated in 2014, when a pastoral centre also opened for gatherings, book launches and the needs of the Archdiocese of Bar. The building has two levels, with conference space and a crypt alongside the main church. Stained-glass windows and a marble floor are inside, offering a different view of the building when the church is open.

The towers, facade and sculptures can be seen from the town approach. Regular tourist opening hours for the main hall or crypt have not been confirmed, so entry needs to be checked separately. Co-Cathedral of Saint Peter on Google Maps leads to the church.

The Sutorman steam locomotive stands on display outside Bar railway station. From the paved station forecourt, you can see its large wheels, exposed pipes and chimney up close. The station building stands beside it, with tracks still used by trains behind.

The old line between Bar and Virpazar operated from 1908 to 1959, linking the coast with the Lake Skadar area. The history of this railway also includes a saloon carriage used by the royal family. The locomotive is preserved as an outdoor exhibit. Visitors should not assume they can enter it or any carriage.

The locomotive is reached from the area in front of the station. Sutorman locomotive on Google Maps marks the exhibit, not a platform or passenger entrance.

Velja Mogila rises above Gornji Susanj as a large, circular mound of stone. It is about 28 metres across and a little over seven metres high. Stone steps lead to the top, where Bar, the sea and the mountains behind the settlement come into view.

Stone mounds often mark burials, but there is no reliable confirmation that Velja Mogila is a tomb. A local custom of climbing the mound on Ascension Day is also associated with it. Catholic residents once walked up from the Church of Saint Petka to the top.

A walking route leads from the Church of Saint Petka, with stone steps on the final stretch. The climb makes this a separate outing above the coastal neighbourhood. Check the approach and condition of the steps before setting out, and do not count on confirmed parking beside the mound. Velja Mogila on Google Maps marks the mound itself.

Near Old Bar, a walking trail passes through the Dzidzarin olive grove. The municipal tourist map marks 23 old trees and the path between them. Stone bridges and an old mill are marked alongside the olives, so the walk also passes traces of work once done here.

The old stone bridge over Suvi Potok lies on the marked route through the grove. It is not the bridge near Kajnak, which the municipal study marks as inaccessible to visitors. For an independent walk, use the olive-grove map with its marked walking route instead of taking shortcuts between individual trees.

Some very old trees stand in hard-to-reach or private parts of the grove. Stay on the marked public route. Old bridge over Suvi Potok on Google Maps marks one point on the trail. It does not imply that you can drive to the bridge.

In Godinje, stone houses adjoin one another, with vaults, passageways and cellars at ground level. Some walls are up to a metre thick and retain loopholes, narrow openings used for defence. Threshing floors and mills remain among the houses. The layout recalls a small fortified settlement, although people still live here.

Written records of Godinje go back to the thirteenth century, and traces of the Balsic family from the fifteenth have been recorded in the village. The cellars beneath the houses reflect Crmnica's long wine-growing tradition. Homes have been adapted to modern life, but much of their old exterior appearance survives.

Explore the village along its public lanes. Visiting a house or tasting wine in a private cellar requires an arrangement with the host. Godinje on Google Maps marks the village, not a winery open for drop-in visits.

At Tudjemili Viewpoint above Bar, a bench and a low stone table face the town as it spreads down towards the sea. From here you can see its breadth, which houses and other buildings hide from the promenade. The view also takes in the mountain hinterland, including Rumija, Lisinj and Sutorman.

Tudjemili Viewpoint on Google Maps marks the panoramic spot. Parking is listed for the viewpoint, but check the approach road and whether a space is actually available before setting out. A visit here does not include the hike towards Kunora, a separate route from the Tudjemili area.

On the approach to Old Bar, a stone wall encloses Omerbasic Mosque and the smaller buildings beside it. The mosque has a simple rectangular plan and a minaret along its south-western wall. There is a public fountain near the entrance to the compound. Together, these form a religious complex outside the old town walls.

The mosque was built in 1662. Near the entrance stands the mausoleum of Dervish Hasan, dating from the beginning of the same century. A smaller residential building and an imam's house were added later. With the fountain and the enclosing wall, they show how a religious complex developed on the approach to Old Bar.

The mosque exterior can be viewed from the public approach. Check access separately before entering the courtyard, prayer hall or mausoleum, since regular tourist opening hours have not been confirmed. Omerbasic Mosque on Google Maps marks the building outside the walls of Old Bar.