25/06/2014
Why You Should Visit Cetinje, the ‘Museum of Montenegro’
As I watched the bus disappear over the hill and the dust settle at my feet, I looked around and soaked in my first glimpse of Cetinje, the historic capital of Montenegro.
It was quiet. Deathly quiet. What did I expect, though, from a town now dubbed the museum of Montenegro? It’s no longer a thriving hub of politics, royalty, and business. Instead, it acts as a portal to the past – a living museum, if you will, without the actual living part.
There are a couple of bars and restaurants dotted around the main square, but these are simply used to satiate the knowledge-hungry visitors when they actually get hungry. There are very limited accommodation options, too, with the reliable source of Wikitravel stating that there are only two places to stay in Cetinje.
Despite accommodation and dining limitations, there is in fact a lot to do. Mostly, I have to say, in the form of museums. Like I said, Cetinje is considered the museum of Montenegro. Museums within a museum. Museum-ception. However, if you are willing to learn about this fascinating country then I guarantee that Cetinje is well worth a visit.
The abundance of museums house all manner of information. The modern art museum hosts regular roaming exhibitions of famous local artists, like Dimitrije Popovic, whose surreal, abstract pieces I had the pleasure of viewing. I have to add that the staff were particularly knowledgeable here, giving a brief but extremely detailed introduction to the artist himself and his work. Knowing more about Popovic and how his works linked to other aspects of Cetinje really helped concretise the story behind the town.
Out the back of the modern art museum there is a large 3D sculpture of Montenegro, on which it’s fun to pick out where you’re staying and other landmarks like Kotor Bay.
Then there’s the Ethnographic Museum, a personal favourite of mine, which provides an insight into the history of Montenegrins through well-thought out displays of clothing and other textile goods. Here, it would have been nice to see more objects and artefacts amongst the material displays, but it’s obvious that the latter is a vitally important part of the country’s history. You can find a small collection of handmade souvenirs and books in the museum to further expand your knowledge of the country.
The State Museum is the former residency of Nikola Petrovic, once the king of Montenegro. Many of the rooms are laid out as they were when the king and his family lived there, and you get a free of charge tour by a knowledgeable expert who tells you all about each member of the family and all the objects on display (even, impressively, every person in each photograph). I learnt the most about contemporary Montenegro in this museum, including the tensions between royals and the relationships with surrounding countries.
For many people (often me included), the interior of a house-turned-museum can be dull. But the colourful backstory of this family really brings the objects to life.
Then there’s the National Museum of Montenegro, a place you need to put aside a lot of time to visit. Within this building there is a history exhibition and an art display, the former showcasing memorabilia and objects from the past, including old maps, armour, weapons, and textiles, and the latter offering a huge display of paintings and sculptures from numerous artists.
It’s not just the interiors of the museum that offer something aesthetic and informative, though. In and around Cetinje itself you will find clean, well-kept streets, rolling green scenery, and buildings that are reminiscent of a time gone by.
For me, Cetinje formed one of the many highlights of my trip to Montenegro. It complemented my trip to Kotor and provided a much needed contrast to lazy days spent on the beach in Budva. I didn’t know much about the country before I visited, but I left knowing a considerable amount about regal politics of the past, who married into which neighbouring countries, the attire of bygone eras, and contemporary creative works. A definite mishmash of elements, but ones that come together nicely to craft a rounded picture of Montenegro’s past and why it is the way it is today.
