Rising from a green vale surrounded by rough, grey mountains, Cetinje is an odd mix of former capital and overgrown village where single-storey cottages and stately mansions share the same street.
A collection of four Cetinje museums and two galleries are collectively known as the National Museum of Montenegro. A joint ticket will get you into all of them (adult/child €10/5), or you can buy individual tickets.
History MuseumMUSEUM
Housed in Cetinje’s most imposing building, the former parliament (1910), this fascinating museum is well laid out, following a timeline from the Stone Age to 1955. There are few English signs but the enthusiastic staff will walk you around and give you an overview before leaving you to your own devices.
Montenegrin Art GalleryGALLERY
The national collection is split between the former parliament and a striking modern building on Cetinje's main street (mainly used for temporary exhibitions). All of Montenegro’s great artists are represented, with the most famous (Milunović, Lubarda, Ðurić etc) having their own separate spaces.
King Nikola MuseumPALACE
Entry to this 1871 palace, home to the last sovereign of Montenegro, is by guided tour (you may need to wait for a group to form). Although looted during WWII, enough plush furnishings, stern portraits and taxidermied animals remain to capture the spirit of the court.
Njegoš MuseumPALACE
This castle-like palace was the residence of Montenegro’s favourite son, prince-bishop and poet Petar II Petrović Njegoš. It was built and financed by the Russians in 1838 and housed the nation’s first billiard table, hence the museum’s alternative name, Biljarda.
Cetinje MonasteryMONASTERY
(Cetinjski Manastir)
It’s a case of four times lucky for the Cetinje Monastery, having been repeatedly destroyed during Ottoman attacks and rebuilt. This sturdy incarnation dates from 1786, with its only exterior ornamentation being the capitals of columns recycled from the original building, founded in 1484.
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