Cetinje is the home of many historical landmarks, cultural monuments, monasteries, churches, as well as cultural and religious schools. Cetinje is also the home of three Christian relics, two of which are located in the Cetinje Monastery, and one, the icon of Our Lady of Philermos, in the House of Parliament. Here, we will provide you with a full list of Cetinje’s most famous tourist attractions. The list is also interactive, and your grading is the only criterion used in the ranking of the following landmarks.
The Cetinje Monastery is located in the city center, at the foot of the Orlov Krš mountain. Ivan Crnojević, the ruler of Zeta, founded the monastery at the end of the 15th century. Sultan Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror, attacked Zeta in 1479, forcing Crnojević to flee the country and hide in Italy. Legend has it that while in Italy, Ivan Crnojević visited Ancona and had the opportunity to see a church dedicated to the Mother of God, which was so beautiful that he vowed to build a similar religious building once he returns to Montenegro.
Biljarda was once the residency of Montenegrin ruler Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. Although Njegoš prefered to dwell in the Lovćen mountain, this is the place where he spent a lot of time writing. In addition to this, the building was the topmost government building at the time. The Biljarda was built in 1838 with great financial help from Russia, which always helped Montenegro financially, especially during the country’s reconstruction after any battles against the Turks, when the country was demolished and pillaged many times.
The Castle Church or The Church at Ćupur was constructed where the first Cetinje Monastery, the seat of the Zeta Metropolitanate in the 15th century, once stood. Nikola I Petrović Njegoš ordered the royal church to be constructed in 1886 (his castle is located in front of the church). However, soon after its construction, it had to be taken down because of poor construction, which saw construction start again in 1890, under the direct command of the King, so that nothing goes wrong. The church is dedicated to the Ascent of the Mother of God.
The Eagle's Rock or the Orlov Krš is located on a hill above Cetinje, near the Cetinje Monastery and is a mausoleum of Danilo Petrović, the founder of the famous Petrović dynasty. The Mausoleum was erected on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Petrović-Njegoš lineiage and was built based on a design idea of Jelena, the daughter of King Nikola I. The resting place of Danilo Petrović symbolically enables him to watch over Cetinje and the whole area around Lovćen.
The Njegoš Mausoleum is located at the very top of the Lovćen mountain, at the Jezerski Peak some 1660 meters above sea level. The mausoleum was built to house the remains of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. Petar II was a Montenegrin ruler, poet, Vladika and a pinacle of bravery, the man who strived to free his people from slavery, as well as to make the country prosper economically, socially, culturally and spiritually. Njegoš often spent time at the top of the Lovćen mountain, which enabled him to look at the view of the beautiful Bay of Kotor.
