Cetinje is the historical, cultural, and religious center of Montenegro. It is here that the residence of the head of state is located, and the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church also lives.
This small city can not be called a tourist capital, but here there are sights that are worth it to visit.
Description
The history of the city of Cetinje dates back to 1482. At that time, Ivan Tsrnoevich issued a decree on the transfer of the capital from the ancient fortress of Gadfly to the Cetinje field. This decision was forced - the invasion of Turkish troops forced him to leave his native land with a mild climate, fertile land with rich vineyards and settle in a harsh mountainous region with heavy rainfalls, snowfalls, frosty winters and a complete lack of fertile land.
Such was the price of independence of the Montenegrin people, which is why all the main attractions of Cetinje tell of a strong and invincible Montenegrin spirit, talented rulers of the period when the country was finally recognized as an independent state.
Over the next 5 centuries, many violent upheavals occurred in the life of the region. For a long time, the region was under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire, as well as Austria-Hungary and later the Venetian Republic. From the 5th to the 9th centuries, this small fortress, literally surrounded by mountains, lived in poverty, almost all of its inhabitants were ordinary peasants, whom few people in the country considered. The people were constantly raided, people collected tribute and forced to carry out someone else's will.
This state of affairs lasted until the 19th century, when finally the country was recognized as independent and a new state appeared on the map. Since then, the area of Montenegro has almost doubled, industrial and commercial enterprises have appeared, embassies of other countries have opened. In those years, Cetinje was the venue for social events, foreign delegations came here, and the most affluent citizens played tennis and golf.
Nowadays, Cetinje lives much more modestly, the factories located here have long ceased their activity, it has become difficult for residents to find work, and at existing enterprises the salaries are quite low. In fact, the functions of the leading city of the country were transferred to Podgorica and only in 2006 Cetinje was officially returned the title of cultural capital as a tribute to the great history of this settlement.
Today in Cetinje there is no trace of past pomposity, but here the spirit of history, which combines all the features of the Montenegrin originality, is fully preserved.
For tourists, Cetinje is of little interest. Basically, people come here for the sake of the existing men's monastery - it contains shrines important for the Orthodox world.
What to see?
As for tourist attractiveness, Cetinje is quite inferior to cities such as Budva, Herce-Novi and Kotor. Only 2 European parks, 3 faculties of the Montenegrin University and 4 museums are equipped in this area.
Of greatest interest to tourists is the famous Cetinje Monastery, the country's oldest theater "Zetsky Dom", the majestic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, the quiet Vlaška church, as well as the palace of St. Nicholas the First - a beautiful building "Billiards".
The Church of the Virgin was built on the foundation of a former monastery, destroyed during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Unlike the main religious center, there are no significant artifacts, but it is in this place where the tomb of beloved Bishop Nicholas the First and his wife Milena is located.
The Vlaška church is not included in tourist routes, but it makes sense to visit it yourself. This is one of the oldest churches in the country, built during the time of the founding of Cetinje. Attention of tourists is attracted by the fence of this temple, made of guns taken from Turkish soldiers during the battle for the liberation of the country. Inside the church there is a skillfully made iconostasis, which is recognized as one of the most luxurious in Montenegro.
In Cetinje found its refuge and one of the oldest theaters in Montenegro. It is called "Zetsky Dom" and to this day the most famous artists in the country give performances in it.
The former palace of Prince Nikola - the building of the Billiards, along with the house where Peter II was born, and the mausoleums on the Lovcen rock with its remains are referred to the historical center of the town.
The most important value of the city is the Cetinje Monastery. It is here that pilgrims from all over the world rush, and ordinary travelers, vacationers in Montenegro seek to visit this cult place.
It is here that such famous shrines are stored, as part of the Holy Cross, the right hand of John the Baptist, as well as the relics of St. Peter of Cetin.
You can watch them exclusively as part of an organized group; tourists are refused private viewing.
Of great historical value is the palace of St. Nicholas the First - the only king in the entire history of Montenegro. Today, there is a museum.
In Cetinje, almost all embassies built by foreign states have survived. Nowadays, they have found refuge in museums, music and science academies, as well as residential buildings. For example, the Academy of Fine Arts is located on the territory of the former embassy of Russia, the Academy of Dramatic Sciences is located in Turkish, libraries are located in Italian and French, and the building of the German embassy was given to the population of the city as a housing stock. All these structures are distinguished by beauty, unusual original architecture, therefore they serve as a real decoration of the former capital of Montenegro.
Of particular interest is the Student House. In the old days, it housed a gymnasium, which was supervised by the Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna - it was with her money that the Institute of Noble Maidens was built in this country, she also paid a salary to the director of the institution and paid textbooks for students. After the death of the empress, the Russian royal court continued to support the gymnasium until 1913.
One of the residences of the President of the country is located in Cetinje - this is a beautiful Blue Palace, near the entrance of which the country's flags are developed, and all guests are met by strict security in scarlet uniforms. However, the head of state does not live here, but uses this beautiful place to meet with friendly government delegations of other powers.
The Museum of Money is also of interest to tourists; it is located on the territory of the former National Bank. It was built back in 1905. Here you can find out the full history of the country's monetary circulation. Especially attracting visitors is the area of money vaults with heavy blocks of banknotes and the largest bill in the country with a denomination of 500 billion dinars.
Outside the city is worth a visit to the Lipsky cave. According to tourists, this is one of the most beautiful caves in the whole country. She gained fame back in the 19th century, but was opened for visits only recently - in 2015. Three routes of different complexity are offered for visiting, on the way of tourists a meeting with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites that visually resemble a variety of intricate figures awaits. Do not forget to bring a jacket with you - the temperature in the cave does not exceed 8 degrees even in the hottest summer weather.
What to try?
The national cuisine of Montenegro is one of the best in the world, it is distinguished by the use of only local farm products, exceptional satiety and fidelity to the ancient culinary traditions formed in the harsh climate and scarcity of land.
The signature dish that can be enjoyed at any Cetinje restaurant is prosciutto, thin slices of beef or pork ham.
It can be served as an integral part of snacks, or as an independent dish.
Guests of the historical capital are also offered chopped meat in the form of long cutlets - such a dish is called Chevapchichi.
The menu often includes pungeri rajnichi - these are soft pieces of meat strung on wooden skewers and wrapped in thin layers of prosciutto.
In any cafe you can always order cold cuts, which includes cutting all types of national meat product.
For breakfast in hotels, guests are offered national corn porridge - Tsitsvara. Usually it is seasoned with soft cream cheese, and for dessert served pieces of unleavened dough, aged in syrup.
Fans of the first dishes should definitely try the ear of the orb tribal, as well as many other trout dishes.
Most recipes of national cuisine use fermented milk products, for example, kaymak - it is served instead of cream and butter. The technology of its manufacture is quite simple - the milk is heated, and as soon as the whey begins to separate, the entire top is removed and kept in a cool place for at least a couple of days. After processing, a soft cheese is formed, which, when heated, easily melts.
How to get there
Usually organized tours are not arranged in Cetinje - this is not surprising, because there is no sea in the region, therefore, tourists do not pamper it with their visits. However, it is with Cetinje that it is very convenient to travel to the historic mountain Lovcen, where the mausoleum of Peter the Great and Skadar Lake are located. There is no bus to get there, so it’s best to use a taxi or rent a car.
In general, the city is quite well located - it is 32 km from Budva and 34 km from Kotor.
It is through Cetinje that people often go to another capital of the country, therefore, public transport daily runs to the side of Podgorica from the bus station, a ticket for which costs about 2-3 euros.
Actually from Cetinje you can also get to almost all the resorts of the country, which have bus stations. The distance between Budva and Cetinje can be covered in just 40 minutes, it will take a little longer to get to Kotor - about 1.5 hours, but the road connecting Cetinje and Herceg Novi takes more than two hours.
Where to stay?
Cetinje is a great option for those who want to plunge into the atmosphere of silence and complete peace for a short time. Tourists in the town offers several types of accommodation - hotels with cozy hotel rooms and ready meals, as well as a large selection of apartments for every taste.
The private sector is widely represented in the region, where you can always rent a house or room.
If we talk about the cost, it is estimated that rest in a 4-star hotel will cost about 4,000 rubles per person per day, in a 3-star hotel the cost will be lower - only 2500 rubles. the lowest class hotels offer rooms for 1000-1200 rubles per day.
In total, about 50 hotels are located in the region. The most popular are a few.
- Hotel «Monte Rosa» It is located 7 km from Lovcen Mountain, the cost of living will approach 4500 rubles per person. It offers a restaurant, cafe, free parking, free Wi-Fi, car and bicycle rental. The room has a bar, as well as a fridge and TV.
- "Apartments Kapisoda" Located 1 km from the center, visitors have a shared kitchen with an oven, a large barbecue area, a garden and a terrace. You can also pay for bike rental. Staying at a hotel is about 2800 rubles a day.
You can walk along the streets of Cetinje by watching the video below.
