The town markets in Montenegro have a variety of wares such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and cheese. Other than food items, the markets abound with inexpensive clothes and household goods. The old town of Herceg Novi's is well known for its art galleries. It is also known for its jewellery shopping. Podgorica, the country's capital, also has a variety of shopping centres and shops selling clothes.
The town of Bar is an important harbour in Montenegro and hence it has trading shops which are much bigger than other coastal towns. The city centre has stores which stock up quite a collection of clothes, footwear, food items and also sports equipment. The wide boulevards of Bar have shops on either side which have the choicest clothes that have been designed by top designers from Europe and other parts of the world. If you like Italian designers then Bar will offer you all the choicest fashion clothing that can be found in Milan, Bari and Rome.
To satisfy customers who are very choosy, the owners of the boutiques and stores in Bar use liners to go to Italian cities such as Bari and Ancona, so that they are the first to stock up the latest designs in clothes and footwear in their store windows. This way the storekeepers try to fulfil and keep their female clientele happy. Besides the merchandise for women, the traders also have a wide assortment of clothes, shoes and other products for children and men.
The summer season here sees the Bar boutiques well attended mainly because of the wide variety and good selection of bathing suits. Other than boutiques, bar also has other shops which sell souvenirs, jewellery, food, cosmetics, toys and many more items.
If you are not keen on branded clothes and are of the opinion that they are an unnecessary expense, then there are other options available while shopping in Bar. There are stands located near Bar's green market which sell plenty clothes and footwear. You can also look at objects d'art, handicrafts, and souvenirs which are quite interesting. Do keep some time spare for this kind of shopping.
It is true for Bar, that it is not only famous for its monuments but also for its various markets. The Bar vegetable market or the green market as it is popularly called is stocked with a variety of Mediterranean fruits, vegetables, different meats, fish, and dairy products.
On all Saturdays you will find the markets at Bar swarming with people. You can find locals, domestic and foreign tourists and people from neighbouring coastal towns here. You will be entertained by some interesting conversations if you linger in these markets - conversations between farmers and manufacturers, merchants and buyers in various languages ranging from German, English, Albanian and Italian.
For a first timer at these markets, the main attractions would be the saleswomen at the market who are dressed in their traditional Muslim attire. The women's heads are covered with a white kerchief and they are dressed in pantaloons or long skirts which are riot of colours.
The Oriental flavour that is found in the Montenegrin town of Ulcini can also be found in the town of Bar. Here you will find pastry shops stocked with famous and popular Turkish delights and pie shops known as burekdzini. In Bar you will also find many restaurants where you can indulge in famous Mediterranean fish specialties.
Shopping hours
Shops are usually open from 0900 hours to 2100 hours (Monday-Friday). On Saturdays they are open from 0800 to 1500 hours. However, there are several shops that are open all day even on Saturdays.
Grocery stores open as early as 0600 hours. There are shops in tourist resorts which stay open until midnight during peak tourist season.
Montenegrin Currency
The official currency in Montenegro is the Euro. Notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
