Cetinje

Approximately in the midway between Podgorica and Budva, at the foot of Mount Lovcen, there is a historical and cultural capital of Montenegro - Cetinje, also called the city-museum. Its population is about 15 000 inhabitants. There is the residence of the president and the metropolitan of the Montenegrin-Primorsky Metropolia of the Serbian Orthodox Church, some departments and a large number of cultural and historical sites. The city covers an area of 10 km² and is located in a unique climatic zone at an altitude of 670 meters above sea level.

History of the city.

The city of Cetinje, named after the river flowing through the valley of Cetinje, is first mentioned in written sources dating back to 1440. Its appearance and development is associated with the name of Ivan Crnojevic, who decided to move the capital of theexisting state of Zeta to a less accessible place. In 1482 the court of the ruling dynasty was located here, and two years later the Cetinje monastery was being built. In 1499, the reign of the Crnojevic dynasty ended, and a significant part of the Zetas retroceded to the Ottoman Empire. Although the city retained its autonomy, however, both Turks and the troops of the Venetian Republic during the 16th-18th centuries repeatedly attacked the city.

The heyday of Cetinje was connected with the coming dynasty of Petrovic Negosi. In 1838, Peter II built in the city his residence - the Palace of Billiards. And after the recognition independence of Montenegro at the Berlin congress in 1878, Cetinje became the capital of a new European state.

After the First World War, Montenegro joined the SACC. However, after the end of World War II, the capital was moved to Podgorica. And at the moment Cetinje received the status of the second capital of the state.

Attractions of Cetinje.

In Cetinje there is a lot of attractions that will be especially interesting for believers. The oldest building in Cetinje is the Vlaška Church, built in 1450 by the Słuchen shepherds. The church has preserved unique frescoes created by Greek masters, and its fence is made of captured weapons of Ottoman army soldiers collcted by local residents during the liberation wars of 1876-1878.

On the square in front of the church there is a monument "Lovchenskaya Vila" - a female figure with a laurel wreath and a raised sword. Monument dedicated to Montenegrin emigrants returning home from America with the noble goal of defending the country in World War I, but unfortunately the ship sank with all on the board.

The main symbol of Cetinje is the Cetinje monastery, one of the most important religious shrines in Montenegro, which is obligatory for visiting for every believing Christian. The monastery was destroyed several times, restored, but has exsisted in its present form since 1724. A curious fact is that until 1863 it was simultaneously a prince residence.

In the lower temple of the Cetinje monastery, the relics of St. Peter of Cetinje are preserved, on which is placed the ark with the incorruptible hand (the right hand) of John the Baptist and the Particle of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

Next to the monastery there is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin on Chipur - the burial place of the last rulers of the Montenegrin dynasty Petrovic Njegos.

Lifehack: because Cetinje is in the mountains and in a unique climatic zone, it is always several degrees colder there than on the coast, and in addition, rains are much more frequent.

In addition, connoisseur of art and history have a great opportunity to learn there. In the Palace of King Nikola there is the State Museum. Construction of the palace began in 1863 and lasted for 4 years. Nikola Petrovic-Nyegos glorified the Negos dynasty, thanks to his political views and the desire to bring Montenegro to the rank of equal with the developed European countries.

The exposition presented in this museum is one of the most interesting in Montenegro. Here you can see the collection of military orders decorated with gold and precious stones, paintings, flags, stamps and other historical values. Particularly unique is the court library with a collection of about 10,000 books of secular and religious themes.

The Blue Palace is also of interest - a small building of sky blue color in the neo-Renaissance style, built in 1895 for the son of King Nikola I. Since 2010, the palace is the official residence of the President of Montenegro, and its entrance has the guard of Honour.

No less striking examples of the palace architecture of Cetinje are the buildings of former foreign embassies: British, Turkish, Russian, French, Austro-Hungarian and Italian.

In the Government House there are two museums - the Historical and Art Museum, an art gallery with the works of Pierre Auguste Renoir, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and other painters. There is also an icon painted by the Holy Evangelist Luke, the Filerme image of the Mother of God.

The Palace of Billiards is located next to the Cetinje Monastery. It was built in 1838 by the project of Yakov Ozeretsky in the form of a medieval castle. The name of the palace was due to the first in Montenegro billiard table installed in it, which, unfortunately, was burnt during the Second World War. In the two-story palace there are 25 rooms. The building is surrounded by a stone wall with four towers. Here is the Museum of Negos and the Ethnographic Museum. In a special glass pavilion there is a relief map of Montenegro - a model of the country, executed by the Austrian soldiers during the First World War in a scale of 1:10 000.

Lifehack: a ticket to each of the museums costs 2-5 €. But if you plan to explore the Ethnographic, Historical, Art Museums, Billiards, relief map and the Palace of King Nikola I, you can buy one ticket for 10 €.

What to see in the vicinity of the city?

From Cetinje, you can drive to Ivanova Koryta by car or by taxi, from where the ascent to Lovcen begins, to the Lake Peak - the highest point of the Lovchen Mountains, accessible to the visit, where the mausoleum of Peter II Petrovic-Negos is located. The height of the peak is 1657 meters above sea level. The highest point of the Lovchen Mountains is Stirovnik, which is 1749 meters above sea level.

And if you go on the road to Kotor from Ivanova Korita, you can get to the village Negusi - it's a family estate of the Montenegrin dynasty of rulers, here is the house-museum of Peter II, and here they cook the famous Negusky cheese and prshut. If buy these Montenegrin delicacies - so only here. Return to the coast can be back through Cetinje to Budva, or go further to Kotor along the serpentine of the Royal Road.

How to get to Cetinje?

Distance from Cetinje to Budva is 29 km. You can get to the city on two main roads: from Budva and from Kotor. Both roads are mountainous, both are full of dangerous turns. It is on these roads that tourists usually come to Cetinje, by cars or buses. But it is from the steep turns of these mountain roads that unforgettable views of the surroundings are burst upon the eye.

For those wishing to enjoy the sights and walks around the city leisurely, there are several hotels and restaurants.

Tucked away in a small valley among the mountains, Cetinje is an original cultural and historical center of Montenegro. Here you can see the most significant museum collections, touch the history of the country, get acquainted with the monuments of architecture.