Niksic

Nikšić is the second city of Montenegro and it was built as an industrial centre, with a steelworks and, more famously, the brewery that has made Nikšićko beer since 1896. The Bedem fortress on a hill above the centre goes back to Roman and Ottoman work, King Nikola's palace holds the town museum, and the church of Saint Basil of Ostrog was built in 1900 to a design by a Russian architect on the highest point in the town.

Background

The city lies in the west of the country, in the middle of the wide Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa Hill, and had an urban population of 66,700 in the 2023 census. It is the administrative center of Nikšić Municipality, home to 65,705 people and, at 2065 km2, the largest Montenegrin municipality by area. Its story begins with castrum Anderba, a Roman camp of the 4th century AD, which after 459 AD was known as the Ostrogothic fortress of Anagastum. The settlement, then called Onogošt, took the name Nikšić in the middle of the 15th century from the Nikšići tribe. Today the city serves as a centre of industry, education and culture for the country.

Source: Wikipedia, "Nikšić"

Highlights

• The Bedem fortress - the hilltop fortification above the town centre.
• Saint Basil's church - the 1900 church on the highest point of the town.
• The brewery - the Niksicko works, brewing since 1896.
• King Nikola's palace - the town museum in the former royal residence.

When to go

May to October is the most comfortable; winters here are cold and wet. The town is quiet at weekends. Summer is hot on the plain.

Practical notes

The city is industrial and has little that draws visitors on its own. The steelworks and its legacy affect the surroundings. It works better as a base for the Piva and Durmitor than as a destination.

Nearby

Piva Canyon is northwest, and Ostrog is southeast.

Key facts