Bar

Bar is a working port town on Montenegro's Adriatic coast, backed by the steep Orjen mountain range. The waterfront has a palm-lined promenade with cafés, and the atmosphere is more local than touristy. The old town, Stari Bar, is a few kilometres inland and sits in ruins on a hillside, destroyed by an explosion in 1912 and never rebuilt. Walking through the remains of the Ottoman-era fortress and houses gives you the place largely to yourself. Down by the harbour, grilled seafood and Montenegrin wine are the things to order. The 2,000-year-old olive tree at Mirovica, said to be one of the oldest in Europe, is a short taxi ride away. Bar is also the southern terminus of the Belgrade-Bar railway, one of the great Balkan train routes. The town uses euros, English is limited but manageable, and the beaches along the coast are pebbly rather than sandy.