Charming country of Montenegro, famous for prestine beaches and ski resorts, carefully preserves its culture and history. There are many museums, public and private, large and small, universal and unique. Visiting them is a great opportunity to make your vacation more interesting.
Montenegrofortravellers chose ten of the most diverse and unusual museums from all over the country.
Herceg Novi Municipality
Muzej-kuća Kapetana Miroslava Štumbergera / Museum House of Captain Miroslav Štumberger
Herceg Novi, Baošići bb, 85340
www.hercegnovi.travel
Slovenian navigator, a participant in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and the First World War, Štumberger was moved to the naval base at the Bay of Kotor in 1918. Two decades later, he became the commander of the Naval Administration of the South Adriatic, and then at the age of 45 he retired and settled near Herceg Novi.
Štumberger is also known as an inventor, he came up with 500 interesting devices, 20 of them are patented. In the 1920s, he made a great contribution to the development of rockets, torpedoes and sonars. Later, he helped to create an effective system for clearing submarine bombs.
In his traditional stone house in the village of Baošići, the inventor and sailor collected historical objects related to Boka, set up a garden and a small vineyard. In 1955, the house became a museum, and before his death, Štumberger bequeathed this museum to the city. Ancient icons, paintings, carpets, weapons, books, as well as hand-made models of sailing boats now proudly presented at the exposition of Štumberger’s Museum House.
There are several more museums in Herceg Novi, including the City Museum and amusing Kanli Kula Fortress.
Danilovgrad Municipality
Muzej Magarca / Donkey Museum
Gradina Martinićka, 300 m od Ciglane Spuž
www.facebook.com
Once upon a time, donkeys worked very hard for Montenegrins, but development of transport and technology left them useless. Now there are no more than 150 donkeys in the whole country. Darko Saveljić, a resident of the village of Gradina Martinićka near Danilovgrad, decided to help this endangered animal species and organized a small farm. Its first inhabitants were old, sick and homeless donkeys. Here, they grazed freely to the sounds of classical music, had plenty of food and medical help.
To support this honorable venture, Darko started to sell the rare and healthy donkey milk and beauty products based on the milk. Doors of the farm are open to visitors, primarily for those who need psychological support.
Several international foundations, and then prestigious travel guides, drew attention to Darko’s initiative, and it helped to turn the humble farm into unique museum.
The museum officially opened in 2019. The exposition highlights the importance of donkeys in the history of humankind and consists of special tools, plows, harnesses, carts and so on.
Of the 40 animals that are now on the farm, several are always available for communication with people, but donkey riding is allowed only to desibled children. And on New Year's Eve, the farm has the Ball with Donkeys, probably the only ball of this kind in the world.
The farm is 17 kilometers (10 miles) away from the capital; buses run every half hour from Podgorica or Danilovgrad. During the week, the museum is open for children from Montenegrin kindergartens, and on Sundays from 10:00 to 13:00 it welcomes everyone. And please think of your Ticket in advance — disabled children are exempted from the Entrance Fee, but the rest of the visitors must bring at least a kilogram of carrots or apples, or two loaves of dry bread, this Entrance Fee will feed the donkeys on the farm.
Bar Municipality
Zavičajni muzej Bar / Bar City Museum
Bar, Šetalište kralja Nikole, bb
www.kulturnicentarbar.me
This elegant palace was built in 1885 by the architect Josip Slade-Šilović as a summer residence for the King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš. In fact, it is a luxurious compound, consisting of the Big and Small Palaces, a chapel, a winter garden and a park. Since 1960, it houses the City Museum of Bar.
The different parts of exposition are devoted to local history, archeology, ethnography and art. Some interiors of the residence are carefully restored. The former ballroom now hosts art exhibitions and music concerts.
The museum is open 6 days a week from 9 am to 8 pm. Closed on Sunday.
The ticket costs 1 Euro for adults and 0.5 Euro for children. Access to the park is free.
The museum is a member of the Kulturni Centar Bar, and one of the several interesting historical sights of the city.
Budva Municipality
Spomen Dom Crvena Komuna / Red Commune Memorial House
Petrovac, Obala 111
www.muzejiigalerijebd.me
In 1920, the Communist Party won the election in Petrovac, and this humble village became the first communist township on the Adriatic. One of the rooms of the museum’s historic building is dedicated to these events. In addition, the museum has a gallery of Marko Krstovom Gregović (1867-1941), a native of Petrovac and the first Montenegrin artist who received an academic diploma in Vienna. There is a cinema hall with 160 seats and the open amphitheater in front of the museum, in the warm season you can enjoy concerts and plays right by the sea.
Together with Spomen Dom Reževići in the nearby village, Spomen Dom Crvena Komuna belongs to Budva Cultural District.
There are also Archaeological Museum of Budva, Modern Art Gallery and Memorial Museum of Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša, famous Balkan writer and politician.
Kotor Municipality
Cats Museum
Kotor: Trg Gospa od Anđela, Stari Grad 371
www.catsmuseum.org
Few years ago, Italian animal shelter Badoer received a large collection of cat-themed items — greeting cards, photographs, postage stamps, old books, souvenirs. The collection needed a home, and the Montenegrin city of Kotor was chosen as a place of a very special museum. And for reason — hundreds of cats feel comfortable on pedestrian streets of the Old Town, furry beauties are kind of unofficial symbols of Kotor.
Today, the Cat Museum occupies two rooms of a stone mansion in the Old Town.
It is open from April to October, every day from 10 am to 6 pm (during peak season to 8 pm).
Admission is 1 Euro for adults, 0.5 Euro for children. Donations are always welcome, and they all go to the city cats.
Kotor Municipality
Muzej Grada Perasta / Perast City Museum
Perast, Obala Marka Martinovica
www.muzejperast.me
The Perast City Museum was founded in 1937 on the basis of private collections donated by noble local families. After 20 years, it moved to Renaissance-baroque Bujović Palace, splendid architectural monument dating from 1694. The collection includes maritime, historical and ethnographic exhibits, more than 2000 in total. Most of them are from the 17th and 18th centuries, when Perast was at the peak of his power and prosperity.
The Perast City Museum is a part of the Association of Municipal Public Institutions, which also includes the Historical Museum with the Lapidarium and the Gallery of Solidarity in Kotor. The whole area of the Bay of Kotor is full of culture and history.
Kotor Municipality
Rimski Mozaici Risan / Roman Mosaics in Risan
Risan is a lovely and very old town near Kotor, it was first mentioned in the IV century BC. At the beginning of the 20th century, construction workers accidentally discovered the remains of Roman villa with unique mosaic floors. Now it is a very interesting museum.
Small colored pebbles — white, gray-blue and black — put on in amazing images, for example, a very rare image of Hypnos, the god of sleep.
Risan mosaics are about two thousand years old, it is the oldest architectural monument in Montenegro.
The museum is open daily from 8 am to 1pm, the ticket price is 5 Euros for visitors over 12 years old. There is a 50% discount for guided groups.
Nikšić Municipality
Zavičajni muzej u Nikšiću / Heritage Museum
Trg Šaka Petrovića br.1
www.muzejniksic.me
Nikšić is the second largest Montenegrin city after the capital. Founded in 1951, the Museum is located within the walls of the Palace of the King Nikola I. The grand Neo-Renaissance building is another creation of the famous architect Josip Slade-Šilović.
The Museum presents a comprehensive historical exhibition dedicated to the municipality of Nikšić, from ethnography to the art objects.
There are also city's Cultural Center, archive and library in the Palace.
Ticket price for the Museum is 2 Euros for adults, 1 Euro for children and students.
In the warm season, the museum is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm ( to 1 pm on Sundays). From October 1 to April 1, the museum open from Tuesday to Saturday only, 8 am to 3 pm.
Podgorica Municipality
Prirodnjački muzej Crne Gore / Natural History Museum of Montenegro
Podgorica: Trg Vojvode Bećir-Bega Osmanagića 6
www.pmcg.co.me
The Museum of Natural History in Podgorica is the only museum in the country dedicated entirely to nature. The exposition is divided into two sections, biological and geological. Over 15,000 objects are presented, including rocks, minerals, fossils, plant and animal species. There is a large thematic library, and since 2001 the Museum has published the first in Montenegro electronic popular science magazine Natura Montenegrina.
The museum is open every day, from 9 am to 4 pm, the ticket coast 3 Euros.
There are more interesting museums in Podgorica:
Muzej grada Podgorice,
Moderna galerija,
Galerija Risto Stijovića,
Muzej Marka Miljanova,
Centar savremene umjetnosti,
Kusleova kuća.
Cetinje Municipality
Muzej novca / Money Museum
Cetinje, Njegoševa br. 122
www.cbcg.me
Vast collection of the Central Bank of Montenegro dedicated to the numismatic heritage of the country, is a core of the Money Museum. Opened in 2012, it is located in a historic building of the very first Montenegrin bank.
The permanent exhibition is called From Perper to Euro. The Montenegrin Perper was the national currency from 1909 to 1918, then Perper was replaced by the Krone of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, then by the Yugoslav Dinar, the German Mark and, subsequently, the Euro. The Museum holds temporary exhibitions, shows and other interesting events.
There are also machines for coinage and banknote printing. Visitors can purchase an exact copy of the Perper coin minted on the site or a souvenir Perper banknote with their own portrait.
From November 1 to April 1, the Museum is open 6 days a week (closed on Sunday) from 8 am to 4 pm, and from April 1 to November 1 it is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm.
The ticket costs 2 Euros for adults. For children, students and senior citizens it is free of charge.
Cetinje is considered the cultural capital of Montenegro. There are many museums, including Ethnographic Museum of Montenegro and Art Museum.