The best museums Montenegro

Installed in the former embassy of Serbia, just in front of the palace of King Nicolas. A small museum of two floors which is worth a visit for its objects of the daily life of Montenegrins in the ^19th century. The best is in the collection of traditional costumes, Montenegrin or Bosnian. The latter, superbly decorated and well highlighted by the lighting, are alone worth a visit to this museum. Legends are rather brief and only in English.

Founded in 1937, the Museum of the City of Perast occupies the elegant ^17th-century palace of the Bujović family. It houses a rich collection of objects (weapons, banners, captains' portraits, navigation charts, etc.) recalling the city's flamboyant maritime past, long dominated by the Republic of Venice. Although smaller than the one in Kotor, this museum is well worth a visit, not least for the superb view it offers from its balcony over the Verige Channel and its two islets.

This early 20th century house on the banks of the Ribnica River belonged to Kuslev, a dentist of the royal family, and was later converted into a museum. The museum's collection on the first floor of the building includes some paintings by the famous painter Petar Lubarda, pottery, vases and jewellery found during excavations at the site of the ancient city of Doclea, Orthodox icons, as well as some lavishly decorated traditional costumes and weapons.

Housed in an 18th century palace, this museum contains a collection that bears witness to the region's maritime past. You can admire battle paintings, furniture that belonged to rich families. You can also see naval uniforms, firearms as well as unusual pieces such as two bottles with a message of love that we will let you discover on the spot. On the ground floor, maritime history enthusiasts can consult the archives.

The former winter residence of the Petrović family (built in 1891), situated in the middle of a shady park, has been part of the Centre for Contemporary Art since 1995. Transformed into an art gallery in 1984, the residence hosted many foreign artists for several years, some of whose paintings are now exhibited on the^3rd floor of the building. Well kept, refreshing and very quiet, the park is one of the most pleasant places to walk in the city.

I gatti di Cattaro... Kotor is indeed the city of all mistigris! Cattaro the Venetian became Kotor. In Slavic language, "cat" is also called kot. The museum of cats has its place in the city. You can learn about the ancestors of the hundreds of well-fed cats that roam the streets. In this museum you can see paintings of the Felis catus, which is so happy in Cattaro. Treat yourself to an hour of sweetness surrounded by a thousand cats! Most of the writings are in Italian, which will simplify the deciphering.

Former castle of King Nikola, today transformed into a library with a cultural center, an art gallery and a museum of archaeological wealth. It is made up of local history broken down into four collections: archaeological, artistic, ethnographic and historical heritage. Discover the "Red Rocks": highest point 15 km from the center of Petrović. There are 31 layers representing the stages of human life from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age.

Money is very symbolic and spiritual. It was in 2012 that the Central Bank of Montenegro opened this museum in a modern art building. Here you will see the various currencies since the very first Montenegrin currency called Perper, used between 1906 and 1916.

Present is also the Dinar used at certain times in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, during and after the Second World War. You will also learn that the Deutsche Mark was used in 1999.

Small museum on four levels with an interesting collection of objects found around Budva in the 1930s. Well captioned, the collection includes a Greco-Lilian helmet from the^5th century BC as well as gold jewelry from the Hellenistic period. Among them are earrings depicting an eagle holding a boy in its claws (an analogy of Zeus' abduction of Ganymede - Greek mythology). Also on display are weapons, costumes and accessories.

Housed in the same building as the Museum of Montenegrin Arts, this museum offers an insight into the political, military and cultural heritage of Montenegro. The artifacts are displayed in chronological order, from the pre-Slavic period to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The collection includes weapons seized from the Turks during the wars of liberation of Montenegro in the ^19th century. Coins, flags from the victories of Grahovo (1858) and Vučji Do (1876) against the Turks. There are costumes and weapons of Prince Danilo (the nephew of Petar II Petrović Njegoš), as well as personal effects of Princess Jelena, the fifth daughter of King Nicholas. Among other things, the museum has theOktoih Prvoglasnik, a particularly valuable incunabulum from the ^15th century. The original icon of the Virgin of Philerma, patroness of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, is also on display.

The museum's permanent exhibition is divided into several segments. In the first section are exhibited objects from the archaeological period found all over the territory of Montenegro. In the second section are copies of frescoes from the most famous monasteries in Montenegro, as well as manuscripts and printed books from the medieval period. Part of the exhibition is devoted to the Petrović dynasty, at the time of the creation of the Montenegrin state (1796-1878) and that of the modern Montenegrin state (1878-1918). The exhibition ends with the events of the ^20th century.

This building is intended to house the headquarters of the National Assembly. Of a baroque style, the building was completed in 1910. This museum houses a rich collection of paintings made in the ^19th and ^20th centuries. Were present the greatest painters of Montenegro or the former Yugoslavia (Petar Lubarda, Pero Poček, Filipović). The museum also presents about ten icons, among which the famous icon of Our Lady of Philerma, exhibited in a separate room, the Blue Chapel.

In the former fortified residence of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, "The Billiard Room" is an ode to the glory of the Montenegrin poet and prince-bishop. The museum houses many personal books printed between 1594 and 1851, but also the billiard table he was so fond of, as well as his custom-made prince's chair (Njegoš was a 2m giant). In the adjacent garden, don't miss a huge relief map of the country, with cities, canyons and mountain ranges in detail.

Behind the church of St. Nicholas there is a small museum. It traces the turbulent history of Perast on two floors. Paintings depict the exploits of local sailors, and there are pieces of Roman and Greek amphorae found in the depths of the bay, ceramic shards and weapons dating back to 3,500 BC found in the Spila cave above Perast. Among the museum's treasures is the finely embroidered icon of Jacinta Kunić.

Inaugurated in the 1950s, this small museum is housed in a lovely late 18th-century mansion surrounded by a lush garden. The collection, on two levels, is made up of various pieces from the underwater world of the Bay of Kotor. The most beautiful piece is a pre-Romanesque carved slab from the Sveti Tome church (11th century) located in Kuti. On the first floor: costumes, jewelry, weapons, and icons from the Dimitrijević-Rafailović school in Kotor.

Just a stone's throw from the main square in the town centre and on the first floor of what looks like a large house, this museum displays a diverse collection of objects found during excavations in the area. Traditional costumes, old weapons and rural utensils from the 19th century. The museum also has a beautiful mesh vest from the 14th century that was recently discovered in the Lim River. A beautiful testimony to the historical wealth of Berane.

This museum is a historical complex of interest consisting of several buildings within the old town. After entering the museum, you can see on the left some vaults protected by gates. For a long time, these vaults were used as prison cells. Legend has it that the famous Spanish writer Cervantes (1547-1616) stayed here after being wounded at the Battle of Lepanto. The large tower, located next to the church-mosque is known as the Balšića tower, dating from the end of the 14th century and thus from the Balšića dynasty. The small square, opposite the church and the tower, is known as the Slave Square. Indeed, this is where the main black slave market of the city developed with the city of Tripoli in Libya. Still in the enclosure of the citadel, you can see the remains of the first foundations of the citadel (cyclopean constructions). To see them, go under the vaulted passage at the end and to the left of the square from the entrance gate. The ruins are clearly visible after a few steps on the left, behind a small wall. The Church of St Mary, in the middle of Slave Square, houses a small collection of ancient artefacts, including two Bronze Age axes, and stone sculptures of Turkish and Ionic origin (an order of Greek architecture that emerged around 560 BC).