Cetinje Montenegro and monument in Lovćen National Park

Our drive to Cetinje, the former capital of Montenegro and a place we had never been before, was uneventful. We chose to take the new Chinese built and funded toll road only because it is normally faster and safer than the old road that winds through a long narrow canyon. However we had not realized that to access the road we first had to drive a half hour on a narrow dirt road currently under construction. We had no problems but it was definitely not fast. Once on the toll road we enjoyed its smooth surface and few cars and occasional lovely views of surrounding grey jagged peaks, but I still prefer the lower small slow road that we have always taken in the past to get from Mojkovac to the lower elevation of the Podgorica area. We wondered aloud as we drove what percentage of the Chinese road is on high bridges and long tunnels. It seems like at least half.

We have the same reaction to Podgorica every time we go through there. We want to like it but we don’t. Even though there are nice mountains around it the city itself is flat, dusty, dry and the traffic and drivers are terrible. I am always relieved to leave. 

Cetinje, a town of about 14,000 in the foothills northwest of Podgorica is in a pretty spot and greener than we expected. We read that it is among the rainiest towns in Europe which is surprising given its dry rocky surrounding cliffs and mountains. 

We almost found our apartment with no problem but needed to contact our host to pinpoint it exactly. Her mother came and met us on the road and guided us to the little house set back from a one lane dead end road. Their front yard is a mini oasis with grape vines, shrubs, flowers and fruit trees. Our apartment was upstairs and had a nice terrace. The 1 bedroom place was a little oddly arranged, especially the bathroom, but totally fine except for the fact that it stunk like perfumed chemically air freshener. My already sore throat did not do well with this added irritant so we searched for the source of the smell and put them outside and opened all the windows and door. The place still stunk but improved over time, however, as the perfume war off the sewage smell became more apparent. I chose to sleep on the sofa bed and Jim took the bedroom. 

Even though I wasn’t feeling great we walked 5 minutes through a large forested park into town to get cash and some groceries, and strolled down the lengthy pedestrian street shaded with trees and lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. I would guess this walkway is a mile or more long. Quite a few of the buildings appear to be 100-150 years old, and further up the road are numerous old smartly designed Embassy buildings left from the years when this was a busy Capital city. Even though we were there after the high tourist season we saw quite a few tourists as well as many locals of all ages.

We returned to the mall for dinner. We picked a highly rated place and sat outside as we nearly always do. The food was fine but we were surprised the place was rated extra high. We got pastries for breakfast on our way home and stopped at a little health food store to see if I could find something to support my immune system. I chose a tea made from 9 herbs collected in Montenegro and actually like it a lot.

The next morning we decided to take it easy and see if I could ward off the virus I appeared to be fighting. Ordinarily we would have set off on a long exploratory walk but instead we chose a relatively short walk up to a viewpoint and mausoleum for an important Montenegrin leader. The day was warm and clear. We extended our walk and visited the well-known Cetinje monastery built in 1701 on the edge of town. We were surprised by how small the chapel is but it was lovely. Apparently a lot of important old manuscripts and relics are kept at this place. The only things I didn’t like about the place was there was a policeman watching over the tourists coming and going (I wondered if there had been problems in the past), and, most troublesome was seeing a monk drive up in a large shiny Mercedes van. I’m not sure how the Church justifies this show of wealth, but we have seen other priests around the region driving expensive cars as well. The former head of the church who died some years ago was very adamant about taking vows of simplicity seriously. People miss his leadership and wisdom.

When we arrived back home our host’s mother ( no English) presented us with fresh apple pastries still warm from the oven, and gave us several apples from their tree as well. The pastries were delicious and not too sweet.

We went back into town for an early dinner, passing a play area for kids with a big blow-up slide and bouncy house as well as a large area for trampolining. It was like a much lesser version of the park in Bajina Bašta. The pedestrian street was busier than earlier in the day with lots of kids, families and friends strolling or sitting around. 

The next morning I still wasn’t feeling great. I took a Covid test which was negative. Even though I wasn’t motivated to do it I agreed to ride along for the 40 minute drive each way to one of Montenegro’s most famous sites and monuments- Lovćen.

We packed up our stuff and headed out on our little road where we had to maneuver around the heap of logs  (to be cut and used as fire wood) someone had placed in the narrow street the day before. There was barely enough space for our small car to get around the obstacle but we managed. Jim expertly drive (slowly) through the small streets where people darted across the streets unexpectedly and cars stopped in the middle of the road with no regard for safety or easy passage. At the edge of town the road immediately starts twisting and climbing. I had asked our host which of the two roads to Lovćen  was safest and least scary and she said this one. I’d hate to see the other one. Luckily at this time of year traffic was minimal but we did encounter a few crazy motorcyclists zooming around blind corners in the middle of the road. We came very close to hitting one. 

Other than being scary, the road had grand views of the surrounding mountains and Cetinje below, and after 40 minutes we reached a very small parking area by the roadside. We parked and started walking up the road thinking we were near the monument, but when we came around a corner I saw the monument was high above us. Ordinarily I would not have minded but because I was sick I was a bit disheartened. My breathing was impaired and my chest mildly tight, but within 10-15 minutes of steep walking we made it to the entry to the monument where we paid 8 euros each (after paying 3 euros each earlier to enter the park to a guy sitting by the side of the road) and discovered we still had a long climb up to the monument. It looked like there used to be a trail up to the top of the peak where the monument is but it is closed due to erosion, so now the only way up is through a long, stone staircase through a gently curving steeply rising tunnel. I did not count the steps but Google links say there are 461. I was surprised by the absence of information or warning signs for people who might have health or mobility issues. I was also surprised that there were no benches anywhere along the way. 

We huffed and puffed our way up the 90 meter long staircase and finally emerged into bright daylight at the top of the high rocky ridge, elevation 1660 meters. The views were grand (supposedly one can see the whole country of Montenegro from here) although it was hazy. To the west we could see the sea, to the north a piece of the Bay of Kotor, to the south Skadar Lake, and mountains all around including the jagged high peaks of Prokletije National Park.

It is a beautiful spot and an apt place for a monument for Montenegro’s beloved poet, leader, bishop and philosopher, Petar II Petrovic-Njegoš. We walked ahead on the stone path to the monument. Inside the courtyard stand two tall human female figures carved in granite. We could not find any tourist info about the place but Google asserts they are of Njegos’s wife and daughter. Behind them in a high arched-ceiling room covered with small gold tiles stands a large statue of Njeoš, with an eagle behind and above him, also carved in dark  marble. The movement is stark, simple and tastefully designed. Downstairs is the crypt where he is buried. 

We were surprised by the number of tourists there on this October weekday. The monument is high on the list of tourist activities, especially for those visiting Kotor. 

Because I wasn’t feeling great and the breeze was irritating my chest we didn’t stay up there very long. We descended the many steps and trail back to the car, drove back down the winding road and aimed for Virpazar about 90 minutes away.

Photos: on the way to the China road, and the China road. Middle 6 rows: Scenes around Cetinje including our apartment. Last few rows: scenes from Lovćen