When in Montenegro
Virpazar, boat cruising and wine tasting tour
No other town in Montenegro can boast two shores except for Bar Municipality. This town not only has the magnificent Adriatic coastline, but also Skadar Lake coastline. When you travel, you shouldn’t miss a national park so, When in Montenegro, visit Virpazar, a small village in the heart of Skadar Lake.
You’ll go on a boat cruise and taste Vranac wine, which is a black skinned grape variety native to Montenegro, and enjoy panoramic roads and views. We would describe this tour like fine mixture of tranquility and wildlife. For those looking for cultured refreshment, there are many typical houses of this region that offer fine meals accompanied with, above mentioned, famous Vranac wine.
The Skadar Lake National Park
Skadar Lake is one of the biggest bird reserves in Europe, and the large wetlands are perfect habitats for its 270 bird species. A day trip here can be really inspiring and you’ll see why this National Park attracts many tourists. You’ll have it all in one place; historic towns, small villages, monasteries, large open spaces, reed canals, wildlife, kayaking, bird-watching, vineyards and local food. This beautiful body of water offers a wonderful insight into Montenegrin culture, history, and the local way of living. You can expect to see multitude of birds, such as Gray and White Heron, Pigmy Cormorant, various species of ducks, seagulls, various types of eagles, such as Eastern Imperial Eagle and many more. Insects, snakes, frogs and turtles can be seen any time of year. If you’re lucky enough, you might see a trademark of this lake, a Dalmatian Pelican, which only lives in this area and in Ulcinj Salina. Also, almost 50 species of freshwater fish live in these waters. Lake-fish lovers will be delighted once they read that the local specialty is carp. It is served either fried, smoked or marinated in oil, and accompanied with red wine.
Virpazar and Besac Castle
A little fisherman’s village with its three old stone bridges serves as a gateway for many tourists when visiting this National Park. Virpazar was an important trading town (”pazar” meaning ”marketplace”) with a small port connected to Bar by a famous train Ćiro. At the initiative of King Nikola, a regular railway was established between Bar and Virpazar in the early 1900s. A train called Ćiro was famous for being really slow, with a maximum speed of 25km/hr and the trip lasted for 3 hours. Today with a modern railway, the trip from Bar to Virpazar lasts about half an hour. Before the trading, this village was strategically important, so the occupying Ottomans in the 15th century built a fortress called Besac. It was also a place where many battles happened and it was a prison during WWII. For the curious ones who want to visit it, it’s on the hill with an uphill walk that lasts about 10 minutes. Today a part of this fortress is an open restaurant where you can drink, eat, while also enjoying the views of Virpazar, the lake and its surroundings. Pretty inviting, isn’t it? Among many interesting things that you’ll find here, a big bronze monument in the centre of Virpazar definitely stands out. It pays homage to the Partisans who died in the first uprising in Montenegro, which happened in July 1941 in this very town. It was against the Axis powers during WWII. Although it didn’t end in victory, it reminds us of an important part in Montenegro’s history. And after history, our next task is to go on a boat ride to visit more beautiful sites. In summertime, we can eat kasaronje, which is water caltrops that nest on water lilies and is a real treat of Skadar Lake. Water caltrops have an irregular shape, dark color, and don’t look really attractive. Yet, they are rich in starch and other nutritional ingredients, and people eat it raw.
Boat cruise
Is there a better way to admire the wildlife that was mentioned earlier, than to go on a boat cruise? Blanketed with water lilies, not only will you have our local guide with you, but you will also have a person from Virpazar to explore the lake with us. About two thirds of the Skadar Lake lie in Montenegro, the other third is Albanian. The Montenegrin side has been a National Park since 1987. It’s on the Ramsar Convention’s List of Wetlands of International Importance and it’s been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Status. Let’s find out together what is so invoking about this place.
Lunch break and wine tasting
When visiting a foreign country, visitors are often interested in the culture and the local way of living. That is why on this tour you’ll see how the environment of Skadar Lake has offered local families work in eco-tourism. We’ll visit a beautiful little vineyard in an authentic place in Limljani village, which is 7km away from Virpazar. If you keep track and remember train Ćiro, at time Limljani village had 4 train stations). In this family atmosphere you’ll be delighted by the natural benefits of the climate, organic food, the air, and most important, red wine. As we said earlier, the most popular red wine in Montenegro is from indigenous Vranac grape. It is high in alcohol (16%) and has notes of cherry, blackberry, mint and plum. Many families in this region produce its own wine, but we will take you to a place where a high-quality wine is made. The wine story of Pejanović family began in 1912 with the planting of the first plantations. In 1928 the first wines from this family estate were poured. This is how the production of red and white wines began, followed by many prestigious awards that only confirmed the quality of wine making. In this authentic place , you will taste the local food accompanied with more than one type of wine. You’ll have to try their handmade syrups with mint, lovage, pomegranate and rose. And as we mentioned rose syrup, depending on the season, we’ll have a sneak peak into the host’s rose garden and maybe indulge in a conversation with her and find out how rose syrups are made.
Panoramic roads
After this calm and exciting trip is concluded with traditional food and drinks, we might as well head back to our meeting point as we take the panoramic road that offers a mesmerizing view of the Adriatic coastline.
Duration
7 hours
Difficulty
Moderate walking
Language
English, Italian, Spanish, Montenegrin
What makes it special?
- Local atmosphere
- Panoramic roads
- Rose garden (Spring and Summer months only)
What's included?
- Licensed Tour Guide
- Transportation
- Boat ride
- Wine and food tasting
What's not included?
- Individual costs
- Besac entry fee (1€)
-
National Park entry fee
(5€ per person, free for children under 7 years)
Pricing
1 person
236 €
2 persons
282 €
3 persons
327 €
4 persons
364 €
Discount
20% off for children under 12 years
Book now
Please note
WHAT TO BRING?
- Local money € / cash (not all beautiful places on this tour accept card payment)
MEETING POINT
Our meeting point will be at Topolica Sports Hall in Bar. You can request a pickup from any destination in Bar for free.
*If you’re in another town and don’t feel like coming to a meeting place, inform us and we’ll start this tour where it suits you. No additional charge for transportation will be for Virpazar, Ulcinj, Podgorica and Budva. Additional charge will be for all other towns. *
PERSONAL INFO
You will have to send us your passport or ID information 24 hours before the start of this tour.
LUGGAGE
Only back packs and travel bags allowed, for bigger luggage contact us.
ANIMALS
Only small size pets allowed. It is important to inform us about your pet before the tour.
LANGUAGE
The tour can be bilingual or trilingual (English, Italian and Spanish) which is a perfect chance for you to have a cultural exchange in Montenegro.