Travel Guide Cetinje (Цетиње)

Founded at the end of the 15thcentury as the center of the medieval kingdom of Zeta, Cetinje acquired its present face in the second half of the 19thcentury, especially following the official recognition of Montenegro's independence in 1878. Several embassies were established there, as well as a national theater, a luxurious hotel and the first public reading room of the country. Capital of Montenegro until the end of the First World War, the city loses this status with the unitary kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes which has only one capital, Belgrade - kingdom to which Montenegro is annexed in 1918. Cetinje remained the administrative and political center of the country until 1946, when Montenegro regained statehood within the Yugoslav federation. It was replaced in this role by the new capital Podgorica. The loss of this status put an end, for a time, to its urban development without affecting its status as the historical and cultural capital of the country.Today, Cetinje is a city of about 15,000 inhabitants that has retained an old-fashioned charm from its royal past. Here, one has the impression that time stopped at the end of the 19th century. Five national institutions, the National Library, the National Museum of Montenegro, the Archives of Montenegro, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Royal National Theater Zetski Dom are located here, and since December 2005, the official residence of the President of the Republic of Montenegro, previously located in Podgorica, has also been located here.In fact, in the Constitution of Montenegro, Cetinje remains the political capital and national events, as well as the opening of the parliamentary session, take place there. With a School of Fine Arts and a School of Music, Cetinje also hosts, since 1991, a Biennial of Contemporary Art.A city on a human scale, organized around two pedestrian arteries and surrounded by greenery, this little nugget nestled in the foothills of Mount Lovćen will delight lovers of art, history and good living.