Explore the Best Places in Montenegro

A beautiful mountainous town at the foot of the Lovcen mountain, which abounds in charm, attracts thousands of tourists because what Cetinje has to offer is rarely seen or felt. The spirit of old times, the energy of the old world is to date still completely preserved and lived here.

When you step into Cetinje, the history well-preserved in the Cetinje Monastery, the National Museum, and The Blue Palace, the Palace of King Nikola will literally enfold before your eyes…

And perhaps the most valuable is what Cetinje keeps in its heart ae the 3 great Christian relics. Just looking at them leaves one breathless. 

The Three Great Christian Relics of immeasurable value 

Since 1941 Montenegro has been the custodian of important religious relics:

• The Icon of the Our Lady of Philermos – the oldest preserved icon in the world of Virgin Mary
• The hand of St John The Baptist – who baptized Jesus Christ
• Particles of the Holy Cross – part of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified

The relics are set in gold frames coated with brilliants, diamonds, rubies and sapphires. It was always known that these have outstanding value, however their first assessment of value was in Russia in 1859 when they were estimated at 24,930 rubles in gold.

Even though the relics have their material side, for the believers they are priceless. These are miraculous relics that give spiritual strength and sublimity, and these cannot be measured in wealth. 

From Antioch to Cetinje

How these relics arrived to Montenegro is a truly interesting account. They have been preserved and transferred from country to country for centuries, finally reaching Cetinje where they have been for 8 decades. 

After 9 centuries, the relics were transferred from Antioch to Jerusalem, and via Constantinople (todays Istanbul) came to the possession of the Knights of the Holy Crusades of St John the Baptist. They kept then on the island of Rhodes until the middle of the 16th Century when the Turks conquered the Rhodes. The knights then move to Malta, together with the relics, and change their name to the Knights of Malta or Knights of St John, commonly the Knights Hospitaller. 
The wars continued, and after the conquest of Malta by Napoleon, the knights move to Rome and in 1799 the relics ae handed over to Russian Tsar Paul Petrovich Romanov, Emperor Paul I of Russia. The Romanovs kept the relics until the Russian Revolution of 1918 when Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark). The mother of the last Russian Tsar, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, then transferred them from Russia to Copenhagen. 

At the end of her life, she gave them to the Russian Metropolitan Antony Khrapovitsky who brought the relics through Berlin to Belgrade. In Belgrade he gave them to King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic as a sign of gratitude of the Russian people and the Russian church for receiving a large number of refugees from Russia. 

The relics were in the Royal Palace in Belgrade until 1941 when King Peter II gave them to the Ostrog Monastery for safekeeping. The relics remained hidden in Ostrog until 1952. After the war, the relics were with the State Security Service which only in 1978 conveys them to the Religious Commission of the then Government of Montenegro. The hand of Saint John The Baptist and particles of the Holy Cross were handed over to the Cetinje Monastery for their final resting place, and the icon of Our Lady of Philermos to the National Museum in Cetinje, where they are still located to this day.

Cetinje, with all the cultural and historical values it bestows on all visitors, is a place that is unavoidable to experience. The confluence of strength, spirituality, life and struggle is carved here in every stone, and visible at every step. The relics are only a part of the enormous prosperity of Cetinje – so let the roads take you to Cetinje next time you visit Montenegro. 

Who was the famous slave of the Ulcinj pirates and thereafter the son-in-law of the city of Ulcinj?

Is the grave of the famous Jewish ‘messiah’ really in Ulcinj?

The official history still cannot answer but the stories, evidence and legends reveal many secrets of the Old Town.

This Story begins on the Slave Square…

Long time ago Ulcinj was a popular pirate destination and a famous market for slaves. During the Ottoman rule, which lasted longer than 200 years, there was a Slave Square in front of the church-mosque of the Old City.

Today that square is called The Cervantes Square.

It sounds incredible, but a small square of the small town in a small country of the Adriatic coast truly does bear the name of the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. And for a great reason!

Legends say that Cervantes in his youth was a slave of the Ulcinj pirates. Finding an important letter on him from the Spanish king during his capture, the pirates estimated that Cervantes was a valuable slave and that they could fetch a good amount of gold for him. More precisely they wanted 500 gold coins for him, which was quite a sum. As no one in Spain had or did not want to pay the huge sum, Cervantes spent 5 years in Ulcinj.

The locals called him Servet, which was part of his name. At the time, a completely unknown Spaniard with his unusual behavior attracted much attention. He would sing during the day and stay up until late at night to write. The ladies liked to listen to him, one in particular. According to folklore, that Old Town lady stole Cervantes’ heart and a great love ensued.

Five years later, when his father arranged his release, Cervantes returned to Spain together with the beautiful Ulcinj lady. Upon his release, and return to Spain, Cervantes created one of the most famous novels in the world after the Bible, and the most translated peace of literature – Don Quixote.

Don Quixote and the story of Dulcinea del Toboso are closely linked by many researchers to Ulcinj. Primarly because the famous novel was written after Cervantes’ captivity in Ulcinj, but also because the name of the main heroine of the novel, Dulcinea actually means a girl from Ulcinj – the name stems from the word Dulcigno, which was the name of the city at the time.

 Whether Servet was really Cervantes, and Servet’s writings were later published as Don Quixote has not yet been officially confirmed. However, it is known with certainty that Cervantes was a slave somewhere on the Mediterranean and for the people pf Ulcinj it was more than certain it was Ulcinj. This is why they proudly glorify their square and call it the Cervantes Square.

Who carved the Star of David in the Balsic Tower?

In Ulcinj Old Town, right next to the mosque is the famous Balsic Tower. Its mystical interior and even more intriguing history indicates that this is where Djerdj Balsa died, the most famous Prince of Balsices, as did a very important figure of the Jewish history, Shabbetai Zevi, a false messiah and a reformer of the Talmud. His controversial life as a self-proclaimed messiah and his death in exile in Ulcinj are still the subject of scientific and historical controversy and research.

Who was Shabbetai Zevi (Sabbatai Zevi, Shabbetai Tzvi), why are there still discussions about him and how did he end up in Ulcinj?

Zevi lived in the 17th Century, and was born in the city of Izmir, a very important city of the then Ottoman Empire, as a son of a rich Jewish family. Zevi himself was very educated, of above-average intelligence and destined for a leader. He was a great supporter of freedom and his fellow followers saw him as a savior, a man from the future who would return Jews to Israel and Palestine.

Encouraged by the conviction that he is a great prophet of divine powers who would change the world, in his 40th year he proclaims himself the messiah – one of the whole world and all nations. He gained a large number of supporters and followers far beyond the Ottoman Empire.

On the wings of the fame he gained, he even demanded from Sultan Mehmed IV to renounce the Koran and accept the Talmud. Events followed and Zevi is imprisoned, and it is believed that the sultan put Shabbetai to a test, saying he would accept him as a messiah if the arrows shot towards him came back – which of course was impossible. In the end, the sultan spared his life but demanded Zevi convert to Islam. Shabbetai Zevi became Aziz Mehmed Effendi and sent to the ends of the empire, Ulcinj, where is stayed in the Balsic Tower officially as Sultan’s keeper of the gates, but deep inside he still believed in his messianic mission.

Did Shabbetai Zevi really live and die in the Balsic Tower, where was he truly buried (as there are some indications that his remains are located on the private property of the Manic family in Ulcinj), was he only a rabbi or a great messiah, was he a Muslim or a Jew?... These are just some of the mysteries that intrigue and interest worldwide historians to this day.

In one of the most beautiful coastal cities, over two centuries, two great personalities lived, and as such immortalized the city at the same time – Miguel de Cervantes with his Dulcinea and Shabbetai Zevi with his Star of David on the Balsic Tower and his secret grave. These two, among others, brought Ulcinj to a significant spot on the stage of the world history.