• Montenegro Guide

  • Introduction to Montenegro
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Entry requirements
  • Money
  • Public holidays

• Explore Montenegro

  • The coast
  • Podgorica, Cetinje and around
  • The mountains

• Cities

Montenegro Guide

Podgorica, Cetinje and around

As the country's commercial, cultural and political heart, pretty much everything converges in Podgorica, yet with a population of just under 150,000 – which comfortably makes it one of Europe's smallest capital cities – it retains a distinctly languorous and provincial air. After its almost total destruction during World War II and the rash of unsightly postwar redevelopment that followed, there's little in the way of genuinely exciting sights – hence it's not really a place to linger, and most people don't. However, its location close to both the coast and mountains, and standing as the country's main transport hub, means that you're quite likely to touch base with the city at some point. From Podgorica it's a short journey south to lovely Lake Skadar, the largest body of water in the Balkans; as one of the most important birding sanctuaries in southeastern Europe, it's a haven for ornithologists. There's plenty of culture to take in here, too, with island monasteries and the ruins of a couple of ancient fortresses.

In stark contrast to Podgorica, Cetinje, 30km to the west, has been endowed with a rich cultural and historical legacy – largely thanks to its one-time status as the country's capital until Podgorica took over the reins in 1948. An almost timeless air pervades this somnolent little town, and its clutch of stately buildings and first-rate museums make it an obvious and enjoyable day-trip, either from the capital itself or from the coast. Moreover, you don't have to venture far from town to sample some of Montenegro's marvellous natural heritage: rugged limestone Lovćen National Park, just a stone's throw away, affords ample if not particularly strenuous walking opportunities, though for most people its chief draw is the mausoleum of poet-prince Petar II Petrović Njegoš, which sits atop Jezerski vrh, one of the park's two highest peaks. Njegoš's birthplace is just outside the park in the idyllic village of Njeguši, which lies on the Cetinje– Kotor road, as spectacular a route as any in the country.