Besac Fortress

Fortress

Fortress · Virpazar, Montenegro 42.2444°N 19.0927°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Besac Fortress

Time needed

45 minutes

Best time

Before sunsetLight across the basin

Cost

TicketedAsk the fee at the gate

Effort

750 m from townOr drive the P16 up

Season

Warmer monthsHours vary, so check

Guide

Not neededGo on your own

Opening

When is Besac Fortress open?

Every day, as of 2026, from the morning into the evening. The fortress is run as the Besac Heritage Retreat, and the operator takes reservations by phone and email, the surest way to confirm the closing time before a late climb from Virpazar.

Restaurant and wine

Is there a restaurant and a wine museum at Besac Fortress?

Yes, both. A restaurant inside the walls serves local specialities, and the Besa wine museum tells the story of the local wine. Tables can be reserved ahead with the operator, which runs both.

History

How old is Besac Fortress and what was it used for?

The Ottomans built it in 1478, straight after the fall of Lower Zeta. It is counted among the oldest military fortifications still standing in Montenegro. Its last use came in the Second World War, when the Italians ran it as a prison, and the whole plateau covers about 1,200 square metres.

Getting there

How is Besac Fortress reached from Virpazar, and what does it overlook?

By a narrow side road off the Virpazar to Bar road, the route that heads over Sutorman, or on foot from the village. The fort sits on a rise that dominates the wide Crmnica plain. From the top the view takes in Lake Skadar and the rooftops of Virpazar directly below.

Best climbed before you plan the rest of your day on the lake: from the upper walls you see Lake Skadar, Virpazar and the Crmnica basin at once. The forest path up is a good walk in itself.

What makes it special

From the courtyard the plan of the fort is easy to read: an irregular triangle of walls round a rectangular core, with two round towers. Besac is the one fortress on the lake that has been restored, so you walk a rebuilt fort rather than ruins.

Walkways run along the masonry walls at more than one level, and parts of the ramparts are open as viewpoints. The barracks stand beside the gate. A restaurant with wine tasting works inside the walls, which is why the courtyard has tables in it.

From the upper platforms, the roofs of Virpazar sit directly below the hill, the flat Crmnica basin runs away inland, and the twin peaks of Vranjina rise across the water.

Visiting

Climbing up from the village brings you to the gate, where you may be asked for an entry fee. Step into the courtyard, with the barracks beside you.

Walk the walls next; there is no set route, so go at your own pace. The walkways climb to the upper platforms, so spend most of your time there and take the photographs from the top.

Finish at the restaurant tables with a coffee or a glass of wine, or wander the grounds before heading down.

Tips

Public transport does not reach the other villages around the lake. If you plan to carry on along the shore after the fort, you need a car or a taxi.

Boat trips from Virpazar run from one hour to eight, so choose the length after you have seen the lake from the walls.

Know before you goIn the warmer months the fort usually opens from about nine in the morning into the evening. Outside summer, ask in Virpazar what time the gate closes.