Court Church

Central Montenegro


Built in 1886 on the ruins of the original Cetinje Monastery, this little church has a lovely gilded iconostasis, but its main claim to fame is as the burial place of Cetinje’s founder, Ivan Crnojević, and Montenegro’s last sovereigns, Nikola I and Milena. The pair may have been unpopular after fleeing the country for Italy during WWI, but they received a hero’s welcome in 1989, when their bodies were returned and interred in these white-marble tombs in a three-hour service.

Though Montenegro was still a part of communist Yugoslavia, a quarter of its population were reported to have attended the ceremony, and the royal couple’s great-grandson Crown Prince Nicholas (a Parisian architect) was mobbed by adoring royalist fans.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Central Montenegro attractions

1. King Nikola Museum

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2. Njegoš Museum Biljarda

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3. Relief Map of Montenegro

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4. Ethnographic Museum

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The former Serbian embassy houses a well-presented collection of costumes and tools explained by English notations.

5. Cetinje Monastery

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It’s a case of four times lucky for the Cetinje Monastery, having been repeatedly destroyed during Ottoman attacks and rebuilt. This sturdy incarnation…

6. British Embassy

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The former British embassy, built in the Georgian style in 1912, now houses a music academy.

7. Ulica Njegoševa

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8. Blue Palace

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Built in 1895 for Crown Prince Danilo, this elegant building has since been commandeered by the Montenegrin President – hence the manicured gardens. It's…

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