Virpazar
A small charming village at the shores of the Skadar Lake.
Virpazar is a small fisherman village located between at the shores of Skadar Lake, close to the Capital Podgorica, but belonging to the municipality of Bar. It lies on the place where rivers Crmnica and Orahovštica meet and flow into Skadar Lake.
Virpazar (at that time known as Vir) was first mentioned in 1242 in the charter of King Vladislav. In the 15th century, it was conquered by the Turks, who saw its strategic location and built the Besac Castle in 1478, which still stands above the village. At the beginning of the 18th century, it was an important trading centre visited by traders from Podgorica and Skadar, a city in Albania.
Because of its important trading role that this small place had, the word 'Pazar' meaning 'the market' has been added to its name Vir, keeping the name Virpazar (Vir-marketplace) up to these days.
In the second half of the 19th century, Virpazar was connected to the city of Bar by road, and from 1908 by the railway too. This place was one of the first post offices in Montenegro.
The village of Virpazar is also well known for July 13th 1941 uprising, when residents of the surrounding villages attacked an Italian garrison and liberated Virpazar, after which Italian occupiers declared Montenegro's independence.
Due to its geographical location, openness to the hinterland and lake, Virpazar is today the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Crmnica region. It is well connected to Podgorica with a roadway and a railroad.
Some of the main offers for tourists are boat rides or birdwatching tours on Skadar Lake. If you didn't know, Skadar Lake is the largest bird habitat in this part of Europe. The Lake is a bird's paradise with 280 species, even for rare species such as pelicans and cormorants. The Dalmatian Pelican has become a trademark of the lake. It is interesting to note that the seagull as a seabird - makes its nests on a freshwater island in Skadar Lake.
Our top choice when it comes to exploring Skadar Lake is Zabes Holidays, a family run business. Equipped for small and bigger groups, with Zabes Holidays you will have the best experience possible touring through this part of Crmnica region. Besides, in Virpazar you can taste some of the most authentic Montenegrin food and drinks, especially wine of the Crmnički Vranac variety as well as grape brandy. Annual festivals like “Festival of Wine and Bleak”, “Day of the Lake Skadar” etc, are taking place at this small yet attractive place.
The daily ticket to the national park of Skadar Lake is 4 € and it can be bought in Virpazar's Visitors Centre.
Things to do in Virpazar:
Virpazar (at that time known as Vir) was first mentioned in 1242 in the charter of King Vladislav. In the 15th century, it was conquered by the Turks, who saw its strategic location and built the Besac Castle in 1478, which still stands above the village. At the beginning of the 18th century, it was an important trading centre visited by traders from Podgorica and Skadar, a city in Albania.
Because of its important trading role that this small place had, the word 'Pazar' meaning 'the market' has been added to its name Vir, keeping the name Virpazar (Vir-marketplace) up to these days.
In the second half of the 19th century, Virpazar was connected to the city of Bar by road, and from 1908 by the railway too. This place was one of the first post offices in Montenegro.
The village of Virpazar is also well known for July 13th 1941 uprising, when residents of the surrounding villages attacked an Italian garrison and liberated Virpazar, after which Italian occupiers declared Montenegro's independence.
Due to its geographical location, openness to the hinterland and lake, Virpazar is today the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Crmnica region. It is well connected to Podgorica with a roadway and a railroad.
Some of the main offers for tourists are boat rides or birdwatching tours on Skadar Lake. If you didn't know, Skadar Lake is the largest bird habitat in this part of Europe. The Lake is a bird's paradise with 280 species, even for rare species such as pelicans and cormorants. The Dalmatian Pelican has become a trademark of the lake. It is interesting to note that the seagull as a seabird - makes its nests on a freshwater island in Skadar Lake.
Our top choice when it comes to exploring Skadar Lake is Zabes Holidays, a family run business. Equipped for small and bigger groups, with Zabes Holidays you will have the best experience possible touring through this part of Crmnica region. Besides, in Virpazar you can taste some of the most authentic Montenegrin food and drinks, especially wine of the Crmnički Vranac variety as well as grape brandy. Annual festivals like “Festival of Wine and Bleak”, “Day of the Lake Skadar” etc, are taking place at this small yet attractive place.
The daily ticket to the national park of Skadar Lake is 4 € and it can be bought in Virpazar's Visitors Centre.
Things to do in Virpazar:
- boat rides
- birdwatching
- kayaking
- wine tasting
- swimming
- fishing (in the areas that are open to fishing).
