Bar Aqueduct
Barski akvadukt
A stone aqueduct on the northern side of Stari Bar.
The aqueduct once brought spring water from the hills to the fortress. Today it forms a striking feature of the approach to Stari Bar.
How to Get There
On foot from Bar center ~34-51 min.
From TGD airport (Podgorica) by taxi/transfer ~46 min.
From TIV airport (Tivat) by taxi/transfer ~72 min.
Description
What this place is
The Bar Aqueduct is a stone water supply structure on the northern side of Stari Bar, about 4 km from modern Bar. It was built in the 16th century under Ottoman rule to bring water from Mount Rumija to the fortified town.
Key features
- The only surviving aqueduct in Montenegro – a rare Adriatic hydraulic monument.
- Ottoman 16th-century construction – integral to Stari Bar’s water system.
- Main bridge with 17 arches on 18 piers – spans of varying widths adapted to the terrain.
- Water channel formed by stoneware pipes (~12 cm diameter, ~30 cm length) laid along the crown.
- Destroyed by the 15 April 1979 earthquake, later fully rebuilt and back in service.
What to see
- The arcade below the fortress with viewpoints over the ravine.
- The upper channel bed with fragments of ceramic pipes.
- Vistas of Stari Bar and Mount Rumija from the path along the piers.
History
Built in the 16th century, the aqueduct carried water roughly 3 km from a spring on Mount Rumija, crossing a valley by a multi-arched bridge of rough-hewn stone, with the conduit formed by ceramic pipes.
In 1979, a powerful earthquake leveled the structure; it was subsequently reconstructed in full. Today it again operates and stands as one of Stari Bar’s signature landmarks.
