St George islet off Perast, Bay of Kotor
TheMediterranean.com The Luxury Gateway
DestinationsStayResortsSailCruisesFlyTrainsLiveLuxury Real EstateShopDineExperienceJournalPlan a TripAbout

Home›History and Culture›Montenegro

Montenegro

Venetian towns on a fjord-like bay and a mountain kingdom of poet-princes: the history, arts and flavours of Montenegro.

Explore Montenegro →
St George islet off Perast, Bay of Kotor · Photo: Benjamin Nilsen / Unsplash

History

The story of Montenegro

On the coast, Montenegro looks to Venice. Kotor, Perast and Budva were Venetian for centuries, and the Bay of Kotor is lined with the stone palaces of sea captains. The Cathedral of St Tryphon in Kotor was consecrated in 1166, and off Perast the church of Our Lady of the Rocks stands on an islet built up by sailors over generations.

Inland, Ivan Crnojević founded Cetinje in 1482, and a printing press there produced one of the first books printed in Cyrillic in 1494. From 1696 the Petrović-Njegoš prince-bishops ruled the mountains; Petar II Petrović-Njegoš wrote The Mountain Wreath, the national epic. Independence was recognised at the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Nikola I became king in 1910, and Montenegro restored its independence in 2006.

A short timeline

  • Illyrians and RomansAntiquity

    The Roman city of Doclea near Podgorica.

  • Venetian Kotor1420 to 1797

    The bay's towns under Venice.

  • Cetinje1482

    Founded by Ivan Crnojević; the press of 1494.

  • The prince-bishops1696 to 1851

    The Petrović-Njegoš dynasty.

  • The kingdom1910 to 1918

    King Nikola I.

  • Independence restored2006

    Montenegro today.

The waterfront at Perast
The waterfront at Perast · Photo: Biljana Martinić / Unsplash
Sveti Stefan and its causeway from above, Budva Riviera, Montenegro
Sveti Stefan · Photo: Elena Rabkina / Unsplash
Budva old town
Budva old town · Photo: Lukas Souza / Unsplash

Arts and letters

Great figures and the arts

Cetinje, the old royal capital, keeps its museums, former embassies and the monastery founded by Crnojević. The Ostrog Monastery, built into a cliff face, is the country's most visited pilgrimage site.

In Perast, the town museum in the Bujović Palace recalls the captains and seamen who made the bay's fortune, and the Maritime Museum in Kotor tells the same story of the sailors of the Boka.

Great figures

  • Petar II Petrović-NjegošPrince-bishop and poet

    Author of The Mountain Wreath; his mausoleum crowns Mount Lovćen.

  • King Nikola IMonarch

    His palace in Cetinje is now a museum.

At the table

The cuisine of Montenegro

From the village of Njeguši, below Lovćen, come air-dried ham and cheese; from the vineyards around Lake Skadar comes Vranac, the deep red native grape. On the bay, the table is grilled fish, mussels and olive oil.

Where to stay and dine in Montenegro →

UNESCO World Heritage

World Heritage highlights of Montenegro

A selection of the finest sites, not the full list.

Stećci

Medieval tombstones, shared with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.

Plan

Explore Montenegro

Before you go, read our notes on customs and etiquette in Montenegro: how to greet, what to wear and how to tip.

MontenegroLuxury Montenegro: Bay of Kotor TravelExplore MontenegroReal estateMontenegro Real Estate: Porto Montenegro and Kotor HomesRead the guideCustoms and etiquetteGreetings, dress, dining and tipping in MontenegroRead the customsHistory and cultureEvery country of the MediterraneanAll countriesThe Bay of KotorPorto Montenegro and the bayExploreSveti StefanThe island village and the Budva RivieraExplore

Keep exploring

More of Montenegro

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.