The round tower
Old stone among the trees.
BuhaM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milica Buha — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milica Buha — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milica Buha — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Miomir Magdevski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Falk2 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Besac Fortress is a small stone fort on a hill above the village of Virpazar, at the western edge of Lake Skadar. Pines surround it and it overlooks the lake and village, making it one of the best places to take in the view. Virpazar itself is a well-known base for boat trips on the lake. Travel guides say the Ottomans built the fort around 1478 after taking Lower Zeta, that it has been a protected monument since 1957, and that it has been restored in recent years. Virpazar is a small village in the Crmnica region, on the Crmnica River which flows into the lake nearby, with only 277 people at the 2011 census. It has a station on the Belgrade–Bar railway. You climb a stone path to the gate and enter among walls, a round tower and stone buildings, with a paved walk before you. From the top you see roofs below, channels of water and blue mountains. In the village below, wooden boats line up on green water, with small restaurants. The fort is about 0.7 km in a straight line from Virpazar, and guides give a 10 to 15 minute walk up, which can be tiring in the heat. Trains stop at the station, so it is an easy trip from Bar or Podgorica. We know of no official opening times, so ask in the village. Boat trips on Lake Skadar leave from here, so agree prices first. Bring a hat and water in summer.
Old stone among the trees.
Roofs, channels and blue mountains.
Wood on green water.
Besac hill above Virpazar, Bar municipality
By train or car to Virpazar, then on foot up the hill.
Yes, boats leave from the village itself, so agree the price first.