Things to do
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Rijeka Crnojevica River Gorge
Fifteen kilometres of reed-lined canyon run between the village dock and the open lake, and the boats from Virpazar never see them. Take a boat from here in the morning, then drive up to Pavlova Strana in the late afternoon for the horseshoe bend.
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Lovćen National Park and Mausoleum of Petar Petrović Njegoš
Checking the Cetinje forecast before you leave the coast decides this trip: on a clear morning the platform behind the mausoleum shows you more than half of Montenegro, and in thick cloud it shows you almost nothing.
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Old Bridge of Rijeka Crnojevića
Walk across Prince Danilo’s two-arched stone bridge in Rijeka Crnojevića, a river village on the old lake road below Cetinje, then stay for a fish lunch on the waterfront.
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Cetinje Monastery
Cetinje’s monastery keeps the relic venerated as the right hand of John the Baptist, one of the most important relics in Christianity, in the same small church compound as the relics of Saint Peter of Cetinje.
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National Art Museum of Montenegro
One icon is the reason to give this museum an hour: a small Byzantine Virgin that belonged to the Knights Hospitaller, the crusading order that once ruled Rhodes, and is now kept in the museum's Blue Chapel.
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Njegoš Museum
Before you drive to Lovćen or back to the coast, stand over the relief map in the courtyard to see the road ahead. Buy the Biljarda ticket, not the map-only one: it covers the house as well.
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King Nikola's Museum
Waiting for a group to form at the door is part of the visit, because the palace is seen by guided tour only. Afterwards, leave by the back, where the royal garden is the best shade in town between museums.
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Pavlova Strana Viewpoint
Half an hour's drive from Cetinje, this layby hangs right over the horseshoe bend of the Crnojević river. There is room for only a few cars at the edge of a narrow road, so come outside the summer midday rush.
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Cetinje Old Town
Walk the old legation streets once the museums close. The former French, Russian, British and Austro-Hungarian missions still stand within a few minutes of each other, between the cafés of Njegoševa.
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Ethnographic Museum of Montenegro
Half an hour here shows you how the Montenegrin countryside dressed, spun and worked, in silk, silver and carved wood.
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National Museum of Montenegro
Worth doing as one outing: a royal palace, the poet Njegoš's house and the art and folk collections sit a few minutes apart in Cetinje, and a single ticket gets you into all of them.
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Court Church at Ćipur
Give it ten minutes after the monastery: step inside for the royal tombs, then walk round the old footings outside.
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Lipa Cave
A show cave a few minutes' drive south-east of town, entered only on a guided tour that starts with a short train ride from the car park. The visit takes about an hour, and the air inside stays near 10°C, so bring a jacket even in August. It opens from April to November, with five tours a day from May to October; arrive half an hour early for the ticket.
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Obod Cave
Walk it from the village bridge in good shoes, and bring a torch if you mean to step inside the mouth.
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Orlov Krš
A short, steep path climbs from the car park by the monastery to this hilltop and the tomb of Prince-Bishop Danilo, about twenty minutes on foot. From the top the whole town lies in its stony bowl, with Lovćen behind it. Come late in the afternoon for the light, and wear proper shoes for the loose stone.
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Vlach Church
A small stone church at the north end of the centre, older than the town around it. Its churchyard fence is made from the barrels of rifles captured from Ottoman troops, set upright in rows. Walk the length of the railing to see them close up, and fit it in between the museums, since it is a few minutes from Njegoševa street.
