Central Montenegro: the capital, the lake and the holy mountain

Most British visitors land at Tivat, head for the Bay of Kotor and Budva, and never see the half of Montenegro that sits behind the mountains. I mean half quite literally, because the centre is home to 307,371 of the 623,633 people counted in the December 2023 census. It has the capital, the old royal capital, the largest lake in the Balkans and the country’s most visited monastery. If you’re flying into Podgorica, or you can spare two or three days between the coast and the north, this is where I’d spend them.

What counts as central Montenegro

MONSTAT, the national statistics office, splits the country into three regions, the coast, the centre and the north. They aren’t counties with their own councils, just a way of grouping figures. The Middle region is six municipalities, namely Podgorica, the capital, Cetinje, the old royal capital, and Danilovgrad, Nikšić, Tuzi and Zeta. Add up MONSTAT’s areas and you get about 4,851 km², plus the Montenegrin share of Lake Skadar, which the official table leaves outside any municipality.

The split is lopsided. Podgorica has 179,505 residents and Nikšić 65,705, while Tuzi, the smallest, has 12,979. Nikšić is also the largest municipality in the whole country at 2,087 km². Tourism is even more concentrated. Of the 248,262 arrivals the region recorded in 2024, 204,548 went to Podgorica.

Podgorica and Cetinje, two capitals half an hour apart

Podgorica is a young, flat capital where the Ribnica meets the Morača, with an Ottoman quarter, Stara Varoš, the country’s newest Orthodox cathedral and the Roman ruins of Doclea a few kilometres out. I use it mainly as a base, since it has the broadest choice of hotels in the centre, the airport, the railway station and coaches to everywhere.

About 30 km away by road is Cetinje, which the Constitution calls the “Old Royal Capital”. The Petrović rulers lived here, the foreign legations sat here, and the National Museum is still spread across several of its buildings. If I could only wander around one of the two, I’d pick Cetinje.

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Lake Skadar and Lovćen, the two national parks

Lake Skadar was declared a national park in 1983. MONSTAT puts it at 369.7 km² and just 6 metres above sea level, and the National Tourism Organisation counts around 280 bird species and calls it the Balkans’ largest lake. A day ticket is €5, and boat trips start from Virpazar, Vranjina, Plavnica and Rijeka Crnojevića.

Lovćen National Park, between Cetinje and the Bay of Kotor, is smaller at 6,220 hectares, but the view from Njegoš’s mausoleum on Jezerski vrh is the widest in the country. Entry is €3. For €8 a head you get both parks, which between them sum up the centre, water and limestone.

Ostrog and Nikšić, further inland

You can spot Ostrog Monastery from miles away, white and wedged into the cliff at around 900 metres above the Zeta valley. The National Tourism Organisation calls it one of the most visited sites in the Orthodox world, and pilgrims climb the last 3 km on foot through the forest. It lies near Danilovgrad, halfway between Podgorica and Nikšić.

Nikšić is Montenegro’s second city and the gateway to Durmitor. Near the village of Petrovići is the cave of Crvena stijena, a 180,000-year-old site with 31 layers of occupation. ZPCG trains run between Podgorica and Nikšić five times a day, 1 h 06 for €3.20 in second class, with a stop at Danilovgrad.

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When to go and how to get around

The centre works all year round, and the National Tourism Organisation recommends Podgorica and Cetinje in every season. What you do need to plan for is the heat in the valley. In 2024 Podgorica averaged 30.9 °C in July and hit 41.1 °C, according to Hydrometeorological Institute figures published by MONSTAT. Nikšić, higher up, averaged 25.1 °C in July. Bear in mind that Montenegro drives on the right, so the mountain hairpins come at you from the opposite side to home.

A hire car is the sensible option. Distances are short, but the lake, Lovćen and Ostrog are all a long way from a station. Without a car, the train gets you to Danilovgrad and Nikšić and private coaches link the towns. And if real mountains are what you’re after, carry on from Nikšić or up the Morača canyon into northern Montenegro, which is a different region and a different trip.