Cetinje is the historical, cultural, and also religious center of Montenegro. It is here that the residence of the head of state is located; the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church also lives.
This small city can not be called the tourist capital, but here there are some sights that are worth visiting.
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 Ovod to the Tsetinskoe field. This decision was forced - the invasion of Turkish troops forced him to leave his native land with a mild climate, fertile lands with rich vineyards and settle in the harsh mountain region with showers, snowfall, frosty winters and the complete absence of fertile lands.
Such was the price of independence of the Montenegrin people, which is why all the main sights of Cetinje tell about the strong and invincible Montenegrin spirit, talented rulers of the period when the country was finally recognized as an independent state.
In the next 5 centuries a lot of violent upheavals happened 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 Republic of Venice. From V to IX century, this small fortress, literally surrounded by mountains, lived in poverty, almost all of its inhabitants were ordinary peasants, with whom few in the country were considered. People were constantly subjected to raids, people were collected tribute and forced to perform someone else's will.
This state of affairs lasted until the XIX century, when the country was finally 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, and embassies of other countries have opened. In those years, Cetinje was the venue for social events, foreign delegations came here, and the wealthiest citizens played tennis and golf.
Today, Cetinje lives much more modest, the factories located here have long ceased operations, it has become difficult for people to find work, and wages are fairly low at existing enterprises. In fact, the functions of the country's leading city were transferred to Podgorica and Only in 2006, Cetinje was officially returned to the title of cultural capital as a tribute to the great history of this village.
Today in Cetinje there is no trace of the former pomp, but here the spirit of history is fully preserved, which combines all the features of Montenegrin originality.
For tourists, Cetinje is of little interest. Mostly they come here for the sake of the active monastery - the shrines important for the Orthodox world are kept in it.
What to see?
As for tourist attraction, Cetinje is quite inferior to such cities as Budva, Hertz Novi and Kotor. In this area there are only 2 European parks, 3 faculties of the Montenegrin University and 4 museums.
The greatest interest for tourists is the famous Cetinsky Monastery.The Zetsky House, the oldest theater in the country, the majestic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the quiet Vlach Church, and the Palace of St. Nicholas the First, is a beautiful Billiard building.
The Church of the Virgin was built on the foundations of the former monastery, destroyed in the era of Ottoman rule.Unlike the main religious center, there are no significant artifacts here, but in this place is the tomb of the people beloved by Vladyka Nikola I and his wife Milena.
Vlaš 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 founding of Cetinje. The 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 is a skillfully made iconostasis, which is recognized as one of the most luxurious in Montenegro.
One of the oldest theaters in Montenegro has also found its home in Cetinje. It bears the name “Zet's House” and to this day the most famous artists in the country give performances in it.
The former palace of Prince Nikola - the building of "Billiard" together with the house where Peter II was born, and the mausoleums on the Lovcen rock with his remains belong to the historical center of the town.
The most important value of the city is considered to be the Cetinsky Monastery. It is here that pilgrims rush from all over the world, and ordinary travelers, vacationers in Montenegro tend to visit this iconic place.
It is here that such famous shrines are kept as part of the Vivifying Cross of the Lord, the right hand of John the Baptist, as well as the relics of St. Peter of Tsetinsky.
You can see them only as part of an organized group, tourists are denied private viewing.
Great historical value is the palace of Nikola the First - the only king in the whole history of Montenegro. Today there is a museum.
In Cetinje, almost all the embassies erected by foreign countries survived. Nowadays, museums, musical and scientific academies, as well as residential buildings have found refuge in them. For example, the Academy of Fine Arts is located in the territory of the former Russian embassy, in Turkey there is the Academy of Dramatic Sciences, libraries are located in Italian as well as French, and the building of the German embassy is given to the population of the city as a housing stock. All these buildings are distinguished by their beauty, extraordinary original architecture, therefore they serve as a real decoration of the former capital of Montenegro.
Special interest deserves the house student. In the old days, it housed a gymnasium, which was supervised by the Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna - it was for her money that the Institute of Noble Maidens was built in this country, she also paid the director’s salary and paid textbooks for students. After the death of the empress, the Russian royal court continued to support the gymnasium until 1913.
In Cetinje is located one of the residences of the President of the country - this is the beautiful Blue Palace, near the entrance of which the flags of the country are developing, and all the guests are met by strict guards 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.
Interest for tourists is also the Museum of Money, it is located on the territory of the former National Bank. It was built in 1905. Here you can find out the complete history of the country's currency circulation. Particularly attract visitors to the area of money storages with very heavy blocks of banknotes and the country's largest bill worth 500 billion dinars.
Beyond the city is worth a visit Lipskaya 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 it was recently opened for visiting - in 2015. Three routes of varying complexity are offered for the visit; on the way of tourists, there will be a meeting with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites that visually resemble a variety of intricate shapes.Do not forget to just 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 differs using only local farm products, exceptional satiety and loyalty to the ancient culinary traditions formed in the conditions of the harsh climate and scarcity of land.
The signature dish that can be tasted in any restaurant in Cetinje is prshut, thin slices of beef or pork ham.
It can be served both as an integral part of snacks, and as an independent dish.
Guests of the historic capital are also offered minced meat in the form of long meatballs - this dish is called chevapchichi.
The menu often includes pungeri razhnichi - these are soft pieces of meat, strung on wooden skewers and wrapped in thin layers of food.
In any cafe you can always order cold cuts, which includes the cutting of all types of national meat product.
For breakfast in hotels and inns, guests are offered a national corn porridge - tsitsvara. Usually it is filled with soft melted cheese, and for dessert they serve pieces of unleavened dough, seasoned in syrup.
Fans of the first courses should definitely try fish soup orba, as well as many other dishes from trout.
Most recipes of national cuisine use dairy products., for example, kaymak - it is served instead of cream and butter. The technology of its production 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, soft cheese is formed, which melts easily when heated.
How to get there?
Usually, there are no organized excursions to Cetinje - this is not surprising, because there is no sea in the region, therefore, the tourists do not indulge him with their visits. However, it is with Cetinje that it is very convenient to travel to the historic Lovćen mountain, where Peter the Second's mausoleum and Skadar Lake are located. The bus does not get there, so it is best to use a taxi or rent a car.
In general, the city is fairly well located - it is located 32 km from Budva and 34 km from Kotor.
It is through Cetinje that people often travel to another capital of the country, therefore, public transport runs daily from the bus station in the direction of Podgorica, a ticket for which costs about 2-3 euros.
Actually From Cetinje you can also get to almost all resorts in the country where there are bus terminals. The distance between Budva and Cetinje can be covered in just 40 minutes, getting to Kotor will take a little longer - about 1.5 hours, but the road connecting Cetinje and Herceg Novi takes more than two hours.
Where to stay?
Cetinje is an excellent option for those who want to briefly plunge into the atmosphere of silence and complete rest. Tourists in the town offers several types of accommodation - hotels with cozy hotel rooms and ready-made dinners, as well as a large selection of apartments for every taste.
The region is widely represented the private sector, where you can always rent a house or room.
If we talk about the cost, it is estimated that the rest in a 4-star hotel will cost about 4,000 rubles per person per day, in a 3-star price will be lower - only 2,500 rubles. the lowest class hotels offer rooms for 1000-1200 rubles per day.
There are about 50 hotels in the region. The most popular are several.
- Hotel "Monte Rosa" is located 7 km from the mountain Lovcen, the cost of living is close to 4,500 rubles per person. It offers a restaurant, cafe, free parking, free Wi-Fi, car rental and bicycles. This room has a bar as well as a fridge and TV.
- "Apartments Kapisoda" located 1 km from the center, for visitors there is a common kitchen with oven, a large barbecue area, a garden and a terrace. Additionally, you can pay for bicycle rental. It is worth staying at a hotel about 2800 rubles per day.
Stroll through the streets of Cetinje, you can see the video below.
