Medun

Medun stands on a rock spur northeast of Podgorica and was Meteon, an Illyrian stronghold of the Labeatae taken by Rome in 167 BC, and its cyclopean walls of large unmortared blocks still stand around the crest, with medieval work built on top of them. Below the fortress is the house and tomb of Marko Miljanov, the nineteenth-century Montenegrin chieftain who learned to write in his fifties and became a significant writer.

History

The Illyrians built the fortress, later a town, between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, and it was known as Medeon, Meteon or Modunense; its walls of large trimmed blocks set it apart from lesser Illyrian towns, and hollows cut in the rock on the way to the upper town are thought to have served rituals of a snake cult (Wikipedia, Medun).

The main sights

• The cyclopean walls - Illyrian masonry of large unmortared blocks around the crest.
• The hill position - the spur commanding the plain towards Podgorica.
• The Marko Miljanov house - the chieftain and writer's home and tomb below the fortress.
• The medieval work - later building on the Illyrian foundations.

When to go

April to June and September to October are most comfortable; the climb is hot in summer. Mornings are best. The house museum has limited hours.

Good to know

The climb to the fortress is steep and there is no shade. The house museum keeps irregular hours. There is little interpretation on the archaeological site.

Nearby

Podgorica is southwest, and Bukumirsko Lake is northeast.