Montenegro – The Besac Fort Dog – Virpasar

Virpasar is a village by Skadar Lake. The favourite pastime here is a boat trip to see some of the 270 species of bird who live on and around the lake. My recommendation is to walk over the bridge and take the road that runs behind the Hotel Vir. After about five minutes of uphill there’s a sign to the right saying ‘Besac’ indicating the 15th-Century fortification being restored with the help of EU funding even though Montenegro is not part of the EU. I was assured by the advertising at the entrance the 1 Euro entrance fee helps the restoration too. For this small  amount, the visitor will see wonderful views of the lake with reed beds in the foreground and the mountains of Albania in the background. The fortification itself, built by the Turks in 1478, is tiny, with one central watchtower situated within the outer walls. There’s a circular staircase, made from metal and wood, which leads to the top of the tower.