The most beautiful religious buildings Cetinje (Цетиње) Area

This is one of the most important monuments in the Balkans. You'll need to take a good-quality road from Cetinje. From Kotor, you'll first pass through serpentines with dazzling views, then arrive at a good-quality road. The monument stands at an altitude of 1,657 m. We're standing on one of the great peaks of the Dinaric Alps, on the roof of the Balkans.

Montenegrins come here to honor the memory of national hero Petar II. Petar II was the successor to Petar ^I (1748-1830), the Metropolitan of Cetinje. He was attached to the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Of the Petrović dynasty, Petar ^I was the leader with the most spirituality. Petar ^I appointed his first nephew as his successor. The latter was studying in Russia and did not wish to become a bishop. The torch was then passed to his second nephew, Rade Tomislav (1813-1851). He became the new metropolitan(vladika) of Cetinje in 1830. He is now known as Petar II Petrović-Njegoš (Петар II Петровић-Његош).

Many academics and other specialists consider Petar II to be Montenegro's most impressive leader. Petar II laid the foundations of the new Montenegrin state and was also a poet. However, this metropolitan was also much feared. Members of the Senate who disagreed with him were assassinated. The number of his professional killers reached 70 by the end of his reign.

The view is breathtaking. You can see the road and the passing cars with astonishing clarity. Viewed from a bearing of 190 degrees, you see the last mountains before the sea. It's a long way to Bar, but as the crow flies, it only takes about ten minutes. Concentrate on heading 90 degrees, and the town of Cetinje comes into view. It's so close, you could leap to your feet and land in its center. Further on, Lake Skadar, the first place where wine was produced in the Balkans. The Albanian town of Shkodër is visible on a clear day. A little to the left, at heading 70 degrees, you can see the Albanian mountains that form the Valbona valley. The great Albanian author Ismaïl Kadaré claims that this mountain is legendary. Others claimthat Homer'sIliad originated here.

Choose a parking space next to the garbage cans. The road after the last bend is chaotic.

This monastery is characteristic of Montenegrin religious architecture. It was built at the very beginning of the ^18th century by order of Prince-Bishop Danilo ^I, on the site of the former palace of Ivan Crnojević, the founder of the city. The original monastery (built by Ivan Crnojević in the ^15th century) was located nearby, but completely destroyed by the Turks in 1692. Several fragments of this older monastery were used in the construction of the new church building. We refer to the six capitals in the gallery on the first floor of the lodge and a parapet plate on the apse of the monastic church.

In the center of the monastic complex,the small chapel dedicated to the birth of the Virgin contains two major relics: the right hand of St. John the Baptist and a fragment of the cross of Christ. The building, decorated with an iconostasis painted by Greek artists, also houses the tombs of Prince Danilo and the great voivode Mirko Petrović. In the church courtyard lie Darinka and Olga, respectively the wife and daughter of Prince Danilo ^I. In the residence of the metropolitan, two treasures of Orthodox religious art: the seal of Ivan Crnojević, founder of the city, crosses, mitres adorned with jewels, numerous icons, very old chasubles, as well as a remarkable collection of old books.

These riches of Orthodox art explain the popularity of pilgrims from all over the region, and even from Russia.

This small chapel, located next to the monastery, was built in 1886 at the request of King Nikolaus to accommodate the religious ceremonies of the court. It is a simple building, built on the foundations of the central church of the original Cetinje Monastery, erected by the Crnojević family in the 15th century. It was here that the body of King Nicholas and that of his wife, Queen Milena, were laid to rest in 1989 (their remains were previously in the Russian church in San Remo).

This Serbian Orthodox monastery is the oldest on the lake. Located near the village of Vranjina, it was erected between 1221 and 1233 during the Nemanjić dynasty. After being destroyed several times by the Turks, the monastery was rebuilt by King Nikola (1841-1921), on the occasion of the recapture of the island by Montenegrin forces. Next to the building is a house that King Nikola had built for his fifth daughter Jelena.

This small church would have been built in 1482 by cattle breeders, the Wallachians. Just before the foundation of the city. It was rebuilt several times, and acquired its final appearance in 1864. The fence that encircles the building was made from the barrels of guns that were seized from the Turks during the battle of Grahovo. In front of it, the statue of a woman symbolizes the Montenegrin volunteers of the American army in the year 1914.