Cetinje

Cetinje was the capital of Montenegro when the country was a small mountain principality holding out against much larger neighbours, and the town still carries that history at walking scale. The monastery holds relics that draw pilgrims, including a hand of John the Baptist; the Biljarda, the residence Njegos built in 1838, is called the billiard house; and France, Russia, Britain, Italy and Austria-Hungary built consulates and embassies here when the capital had fewer than 6,000 people, many of them now schools. The town sits on a small karst plain about 670 metres up, ringed by limestone mountains including Mount Lovcen.

History

Cetinje was founded in 1482, when Ivan Crnojević moved his capital from Obod into the hills, to a more defensible field at the foot of Mount Lovćen; his court and the monastery he founded in 1484 were the first recorded Renaissance buildings in Montenegro, and the town took its name from the Cetina river. The Crnojević press, the first printing house in south-eastern Europe, worked here from 1493 to 1496. After two centuries of attacks and hardship the town revived from 1697 under the Petrović dynasty; Petar II Petrović Njegoš built his residence, the Biljarda, in 1838, and under Prince Nikola I came the first hotel, the Lokanda, a new palace, the Girls' Institute and a hospital, while European powers built consulates along its streets (Wikipedia, Cetinje).

The main sights

• Cetinje Monastery - the pilgrimage site and its relics.
• King Nikola's palace - the new palace of Prince Nikola I's reign.
• The old embassies - consulates of European powers, many now schools.
• Lovcen and Njegos mausoleum - the mountain and tomb above the town.

When to go

Spring through autumn is the comfortable window; winters are mild but wet. Combining Cetinje with the drive up Lovcen makes the strongest day, and clear autumn days give enormous views from the mausoleum.

Before you go

Cetinje is quiet to the point of sleepy and some museums keep short or seasonal hours - check before making a special trip. The monastery has a strict dress code and the relics are shown in a small chapel with limited access. Many visitors treat it as a stop between the coast and Lovcen rather than a stay, which is reasonable given the limited accommodation.

Nearby

Lovcen National Park and the Njegos mausoleum, Kotor down the serpentine road and Lake Skadar.

Key facts