Cetinje

Cetinje is a town in the old royal capital of Montenegro, resting on a karst plain surrounded by limestone peaks at roughly 650 meters (2130 feet) elevation. The compact old town features buildings from the 19th century with low pastel facades, broad plane-tree-lined avenues, and a central square where the royal palace and several museums stand.

Ivan Crnojević moved his court here from Obod in 1482 and founded the monastery as the center of Montenegrin church and secular power. During the 19th century, European monarchies built embassy buildings and the town experienced a brief golden age as a diplomatic center in the Balkans.

The town takes its name from the Cetina River that flows through the valley and has shaped life here for centuries. In the streets around the monastery, visitors meet Orthodox monks in traditional dress, while locals in the square's cafés drink afternoon coffee and discuss community matters.

The streets in the center are easy to explore on foot, as most sights lie within a 15-minute walk of each other. Because of frequent rain, bring a waterproof jacket and watch for slippery pavements during wet weather.

Despite its size, the town holds five separate museums within the same building complex, each dedicated to a specific theme such as art or ethnography. The system allows visitors to focus on one area or move through all of them in sequence, discovering different collections at their own pace.