Cetinje & Lovćen: the back story

About Cetinje & Lovćen: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Podgorica Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Half an hour west of Podgorica, high in a karst valley, Cetinje was the capital of Montenegro for centuries. Above it rises Mount Lovćen, the black mountain that gave the country its name, according to tradition.

The monastery town

Cetinje was founded in 1482 by Ivan Crnojević, who moved his court here from the lake, and his monastery became the spiritual and political centre of Montenegro. The present Cetinje Monastery keeps precious relics and treasures.

Njegoš

Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, prince-bishop of Montenegro in the 19th century, was also its greatest poet, the author of The Mountain Wreath. His residence in Cetinje, the Biljarda, named after its billiard table, is now a museum.

Cetinje is a royal capital in miniature, where former embassies line quiet streets.

The royal capital

Under Prince, later King, Nikola, Cetinje became a little royal capital. European powers opened embassies here, and their buildings, from the Russian to the French and British, still stand in the town. King Nikola’s Palace is now a museum.

Lovćen

On Jezerski Vrh, one of Lovćen’s peaks, stands the mausoleum of Njegoš, designed by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović and completed in 1974. Some 461 steps lead up through a tunnel to it, and on a clear day the view takes in much of Montenegro and the sea.

Our advice: visit Cetinje’s museums in the morning (a combined ticket covers several), have lunch in the old capital, then drive up to Lovćen for the late afternoon light. On the way to the coast, stop in Njeguši for pršut and cheese.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Cetinje & Lovćen: the back story before you go.