Lovćen

Štirovnik

Lovćen (Montenegrin: Lovćen, Ловћен, pronounced [lɔ̂ːʋtɕɛn]) is a mountain and national park in southwestern Montenegro.

The Mount Lovćen rises from the borders of the Adriatic basin closing the long ang twisting bays of Boka Kotorska and making the hinterland to the coastal town of Kotor. The mountain has two imposing peaks, Štirovnik (1,749 m) and Jezerski vrh (1,657 m).

The mountain slopes are rocky, with numerous fissures, pits and deep depressions giving its scenery a specific look. Standing on the border between two completely different natural wholes, the sea and the mainland, Lovćen is under the influence of both climates. The specific connection of the life conditions has stipulated the development of the different biological systems. There are 1158 plant species on Lovćen, out of which four are endemic.

National Park encompasses the central and the highest part of Lovćen mountain massif and covers an area of 62.20 km². It was proclaimed a national park in 1952. Besides Lovćen's natural beauties, the national park was established to protect rich historical, cultural and architectural heritage of the area.

Lovćen's area abounds in numerous elements of national construction. The old houses and village guvna are authentic as well as the cottages inkatuns – summer settlements of cattlebreeders.

A particular architectural relic worth mentioning is Lovćen's serpentine road winding uphill from Kotor to the village of Njeguši, where the birth house of Montenegrin royal family of Petrović is situated.

Njegos's Mausoleum

The biggest and most important monument of Lovćen national park is Njegoš's Mausoleum. The location for his burial place and the mausoleum at the summit of Jezerski vrh was chosen by Njegoš himself as his last wish.

The front of the Njegos's Mausoleum

Entrance to the tomb

Sculpture of Njegos

Beautiful sight

Old chapel

However, Njegoš's express wish was to be buried in a small chapel which he had built in his lifetime. This was done, but the original chapel was destroyed when the Austro-Hungarian army invaded Montenegro in First World War (1916). Njegoš's remains were then transferred into Cetinje Monastery and buried in the chapel rebuilt by King Alexander in 1920s. Contrary to Njegoš's express wishes to be buried in that chapel, the then communist powers of Montenegro destroyed the chapel and built in its stead a monumental mausoleum in Viennese Secession style.

Sight from the old road to Kotor via Njegusi

Njegos's birth-house

Interior of Njegos's house

Village Njegusi

 One of the landmarks of mountain Lovcen and the Lovcen National Park is a well, also known as "Ivanova Korita", named by Ivan Crnojevic,one of the rulers of Montenegro before the Petrovic dynasty.This part of the national park is famous by its beautiful landscape and many hiking tracks and several restaurants and hotels.This used to be king Nikola's favourite summer resort where he used to have a stable and a summer-house, which had been recently renovated. Lovcen today, is a must see for tourists who come to visit Montenegro, and the pride of many Montenegrins.

Ivanova Korita

Cetinje - Old Royal Capital

  Cetinje (Montenegrin: Цетиње / Cetinje; Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [tsětiɲe]) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro (Приjестоница / Prijestonica), with the official residence of the President of Montenegro. It had a population of 13,991 as of 2011.

It is the centre of municipality (population 16,757 in 2011). The city nestles on a small karst plain surrounded by limestone mountains, includingMt. Lovćen, the Black Mountain from which Montenegro gets its name.                                                                                

Cetinje is a town of immense historical heritage, founded in the 15th century. It became the center of   Montenegrin life and both a cradle ofMontenegrin culture and a Serbian Orthodox religious center. It is because of its heritage as a long-term Montenegrin capital that it is today the honorary capital of Montenegro.

The founding of Cetinje was conditioned by the historical, political, and economic background in the 15th century. Wars of conquest led by theTurks forced Ivan Crnojević, the ruler of Zeta at that time, to move the capital of his country from the fortified town of Žabljak to the inaccessible parts, to Obod in 1475, and soon after it at the foot of Mt. Lovćen. In the field of Cetinje in 1482 his court was built and two years later the monastery was built as well. By building the court and the monastery a new capital was founded. Its name was Cetinje. It was named after the River Cetina that runs through it. The new monastery became the domicile of the Zeta metropolitan. So, Cetinje turned out to be not only the center of secular life but also the spiritual center where Đurađ Crnojević, the son to Ivan Crnojević, founded the first printing house in the Slavic South.

Rapid progress of Cetinje under the rule of the Crnojević dynasty was interrupted at the very end of the 15th century. Actually, Zeta lost its independence in 1499 so the only free part of the country, which was called Montenegro since then, was reduced to a mountainous territory between Crnojević River and The Bay of Kotor.

In the next two centuries Cetinje stagnated in its development. It was very often under the attack of Venice and the Turks. So, in the 16th and 17th century Cetinje was exposed to tough temptations. In this period the court and the monastery of the Crnojevići dynasty were destroyed. It was only by the end of the 17th century, in 1697, that Cetinje began to flourish again under the rule of the Petrović dynasty and Danilo Petrović as its founder.

Leading the liberation wars and strengthening the unity in the country preoccupied Danilo and his successors. They didn’t have enough time to dedicate to the building of Cetinje. It was only during the rule of Petar II Petrović Njegoš that the remarkable progress has been made. In 1838 his new royal residence called Biljarda (Billiard house) was built. Cetinje was enlarged by building new houses that gradually led to urbanization.

Montenegrin independence was recognized by the decision of the Berlin Congress (1878) and so Cetinje became the capital of a European country.

Many modern buildings designed for foreign consulates were built due to the newly established relations with various European countries. The buildings of the French, Russian, British, Italian and Austro-Hungarian consulates are regarded as the most beautiful of these.

Cetinje made great progress under the rule of Prince Nikola I Petrović when numerous public edifices were built. Those include the first hotel, called ‘Lokanda’, then the new Prince’s palace, the Girls’ Institute and the hospital. This period also saw the first tenancy houses. In the 1860 report Cetinja had 34 households.

Montenegro was proclaimed a kingdom in 1910. This had a great effect on its development. At this time the Government House, the symbol of state power, was built. The population census from the same year recorded a massive growth in the world's smallest capital, registering 5,895 inhabitants.

Between 1878 and 1914 Cetinje flourished in every sense. Many renowned intellectuals from other South-Slavic parts came to stay there and made a contribution to the cultural, educational and every other aspect of life.

Recent panorama of Cetinje

Royal Palace of the Petrovic dynasty

                                                         

At the time between the two World Wars, Cetinje expanded its territory, as it was now a centre of the Zeta region. But when it was decided by the Parliament of Montenegro that the administrative organs should be located in Titograd (previously and presently Podgorica), Cetinje went through a harsh crisis. By building certain industrial sections and at the same time neglecting the development of the city's traditional and potential cultural and tourist capacities, the chance to create a strong basis for more solid prosperity was lost.

Presidential Palace

                                                   

Museums in Cetinje include:

• Museum of the Cetinje Monastery
• State Museum
• "Petar Petrovic Njegoš" Museum
• Ethnographic Museum
• Electric Industry Museum
• History Museum
• Art Museum

Russian Embassy

                                                         

Vlaska Church

                                     

All these except the Museum of the Cetinje Monastery and Electric Industry Museum are integrated in one institution called the National Museum of Montenegro. Numerous museums and the huge fund of museum items that are kept there established Cetinje's reputation as a museum town.

"The Biiliard House"