9 Museums That Reveal the Soul of Montenegro

 

9 Museums That Reveal the Soul of Montenegro

 

Montenegro may be known for its stunning coastline, but beyond the beaches lies a rich world of history, art, and culture waiting to be discovered. With over 45 museums across the country—many hidden in the charming streets of Cetinje, the cultural heart of Montenegro—you’ll find stories that bring the past to life. If you’re looking to add depth to your travels, exploring these museums is the perfect place to start.

1.     Cat Museum in Kotor

I would single out the Cat Museum in Kotor as one of the most interesting museums. Considering that Kotor is an unavoidable stop for all tourists who set foot in Montenegro, this is one of the museums that you can visit if you have room in your schedule after seeing all the unique landmarks in this town. Everyone is fascinated by this city of cats, how people treat them, and how much they care. Cats walk freely on sidewalks, streets, and parks; in short, cats are everywhere.

They are especially looked after in Kotor, and a museum dedicated to them has been opened in that city. The idea for the museum arose after a donation from Countess Francesca di Montreale Mantica, which consisted of a rich collection of cat paintings. The idea is to raise the level of awareness of as many people as possible about cats, but also about other animals and nature.

2.      Maritime Museum Kotor

Your visit to the Old Town in Kotor can be supplemented with a visit to the Maritime museum, which is found on the Square of the Boka fleet. The Maritime Museum of Montenegro in Kotor has grown out of the collection founded by the "Boka Marine" Fraternity around the year 1880 and opened to the public in 1900. It gradually enlarged, and in 1938, it was re-arranged and opened to visitors on the first floor of the present Museum building. The Baroque palace of the noble Grgurina family from the beginning of the 18th century was completely restored and adapted to meet the needs of the Museum.  In the museum, among other things, one can find portraits of the famous captains, models of old galleys and sail boats, navigational instruments, and other very valuable exhibits. Also, the museum has exhibited geographic maps, engravings, and aquarelles of the coastal towns. In the Kotor maritime museum, a copy of the oldest document about navigation in the areas of Boka, dating from 1168, is being preserved.

3.     Folk Art Museum of Montenegro in Cetinje

This impressive museum is located in Cetinje, in a building that is a cultural and historical monument of the greatest importance - the Government House building. The building was built in 1910 in the neo-Renaissance style and today is the administrative headquarters of the National Museum, which houses the permanent exhibits of the Museum of History and Art. Some exhibits represent works of inestimable value. From the initial number of contents of 240 works, from the fifties of the 20th century, which made up the first exhibition of the Gallery, the fund gradually increased, until today it numbers over four thousand works. You will never forget the special atmosphere created in the neo-Renaissance architecture. A special segment is represented by the beginnings of Montenegrin modernism, as well as key stages in the development of the contemporary domestic scene through the presentation of memorial rooms dedicated to some of the most important figures of Montenegrin art.

 

4.      Museum of the Town of Budva

The museum activity in Budva dates back to 1962, when it started to compose archaeological collections of the materials discovered by excavations done between 1957 and 1958. The Museum represents the most complex working unit inside the PI “Museums, Gallery and Library” Budva, in an organizational sense, and it carries out activities within the framework of the Museum of the Town of Budva (Archaeological and ethnographic collection). The complexity of such a museum activity results from the necessity both to exhibit cultural and historical features reflecting the evolution of life in a small area within the unique region such as the Mediterranean one is and to reflect the life and history conditions accompanied by ethno genesis echoing the interchanging of Illyrian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine Slavic and other cultures and mirroring the specific profile brought down to the art, archaeology and ethnography of the region. The museum's exhibition space covers over 400 m², arranged in four levels. The first three levels are dedicated to archaeology, while on the fourth floor, the cultural history of the recent period of the Budva area is presented.

6.     Perast Museum

The Museum collection was composed and collected thanks to the donations of the inhabitants, the heirs to local families, during the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The original location of the Museum was the Town Hall, in the square in front of St. Nicholas’s Church. The period of the establishment of the Perast Local History Museum coincided with the establishment of numerous other local history museums during the 1950-ies pursuant to the decision of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of Montenegro. Representative Bujović Palace, built in the 17th century, proved to be ideal for the Museum objects to be collected and put on display in one area. The Palace was reconstructed in 1957, so that twenty years after its establishment, the Museum got its exceptional space, which has so far undergone several stages. The period of the establishment of the Perast Local History Museum coincided with the establishment of numerous other local history museums during the 1950-ies pursuant to the decision of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of Montenegro. Representative Bujović Palace, built in the 17th century, proved to be ideal for the Museum objects to be collected and put on display in one area. The Palace was reconstructed in 1957, so that twenty years after its establishment, the Museum got its exceptional space, which has so far undergone several stages.

7.     National Museum of Montenegro in Podgorica

The National Museum of Montenegro (Podgorica) is a must-visit for any traveler to the country. Located in the heart of the city, the museum houses a wealth of artifacts that tell the story of Montenegro’s rich history and culture. From ancient artifacts to modern art, the museum offers something for everyone. This is the most prominent museum in Montenegro, housing a vast collection of artifacts related to the country’s history, art, and culture. The museum is a network of different sections, including the Museum of History, the Ethnological Museum, and the Art Museum. It's a great place to start learning about Montenegro’s rich heritage. A national museum was established in Montenegro in 1896 with the intention of gathering and presenting the nation’s historical treasures, works of art, and cultural heritage. The National Museum of Montenegro is a complex type of museum that is divided into several organizational units: The Njegoš Mausoleum, King Nikola’s Palace, A permanent display at the History Museum, Njegoš Biljarda Palace, the birth home of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, Montenegrin Art Museum, Atelje DADO, Art Gallery “Miodrag Dado Đurić.”, and Montenegrin Archaeological Museum.

 

8.      Museum of King Nikola, Cetinje

The Museum of King Nikola was founded in 1926 in the castle of the Petrović Njegoš royal family. The castle was built in 1867. The Museum of King Nikola united the holdings of the Military and National Museums, institutions founded in the 19th century, as well as the entire preserved collection of objects from Montenegrin royal residences. Therefore, the collection now contains material of great importance for Montenegrin political, military, and cultural history, which continuously guides us through the process of establishing Montenegrin statehood, from the beginnings of the Middle Ages until 1918.

The museum's permanent exhibition is conceived as a reconstructed interior of the royal palace, which displays a wide variety of objects related to the Petrović Njegoš dynasty. In the rich royal library, there are also copies of books published by Crnojević's printing house - The first book ever printed among the South Slavs - Oktoih first vowel, printed in Cetinje in 1493.

The King Nikola Museum is the most attractive museum for tourists, boasting the largest number of visitors every year.

Museum of Natural History of Montenegro, Podgorica

This small but well-set-up museum has informative displays of Montenegrin flora, fauna, and fossils, including all the taxidermied birds, bears, and baying wolves you can handle.

The beginning of the development of the Natural History Museum of Montenegro goes back to 1961, when the Natural History Collection was established by Ordinance of the Government of Montenegro. The Republican Institute for Nature Protection was established in the same year, and the Natural History Collection was attached to the Institute.

At that time, the primary intention was to create a basis of exhibits that would be exhibited and which would attract the visitors. That has been successfully implemented, and the collection consisted of several hundred stuffed birds, primarily from Skadar Lake, but also a large number of other exhibits. The special value of the Collection has been the herbarium of the Balkan countries. Some of the collections found at the Natural History Museum of Podgorica are mammoth teeth, fossilized fish and shells, a large collection of insects, and many native and exotic animals. You will also see a wide collection of many plant species. 

 

Museum of Contemporary Art Podgorica

 
It is located in the most beautiful part of Podgorica, in the park on Kruševac, along the Moraca River. The central object of the entire complex is the Petrović Palace, once the residence of the Petrović dynasty. It was built in 1891 and has a cultural monument status. The peculiarity of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro is a fund of over 1000 exhibits from 60 non-aligned countries, unique in the space of Southeastern Europe.
The museum currently has 3 exhibition spaces, namely the Petrović Palace, Perjanik House, and the Gallery of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro.
From the rich heritage of the former Gallery of Non-Aligned Countries “Josip Broz Tito” and the former Center for Contemporary Art of Montenegro, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro today proudly preserves and continually develops the Collection of Sculpture and Installation in modern and contemporary art. The collection includes works by some of the most significant artists in Yugoslav sculpture from the second half of the 20th century, as well as contemporary Montenegrin sculpture. The collection reflects the exceptional diversity and vitality of modern and contemporary art, offering insight into a wide range of expressions—from classical sculpture in wood or stone to contemporary spatial installations.