King Nikola's Palace

Cetinje, Montenegro

King Nikola's Palace served for more than 50 years as the seat of the Montenegrin Royal family. In 1926 it became a museum, from 1980 it was one of the departments of National Museum of Montenegro.

The small palace was built from 1863 to 1867 in a simple style typical of Cetinje houses with certain elements of neoclassicism. The interiors were designed in style of Historicism and Art Nouveau.

In the entrance hall are exposed the Montenegrin crown jewels, which are the most popular exhibition of the National museum.

The Royal Garden was built in 1870 as a pine alley. Gardens were refurbished in 1971. There are many flower beds with crocuses, geraniums, tulips and rose and jasmine bushes.

In the back of garden there is cedar grove with domimant villa with small summer-house, which served fas a guest house for foreign visitors.

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Address

Zmajeva, Cetinje, Montenegro
See all sites in Cetinje

Details

Founded: 1863
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Montenegro

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Amir A. (3 years ago)
The museum is impressive for its decor and its collection of artifacts. There is a stamp and banknote collection on display. Entrance is €5.
David Wisdom (5 years ago)
Just another old house decorated with bought in artefacts.
Stuart Goddard (5 years ago)
There is a modest entrance fee. The main entrance is up a flight of external steps and there are more stairs inside. These are a charming feature and add a certain grandeur to what is essentially a stately house. I could not see what provision had been made for disabled access. I found the paintings interesting for the traditional costume content. There were many artefacts on display, especially related to the family's historic military role plus, of course some notable chairs and other furnishings. There were books and memorabilia on available to purchase in the final area. The way takes you down wide flight of steps into a wooded avenue and the surrounding wooded park. I get the feeling this was originally the way in as architecturally it feels the more impressive entrance especially for an age of guests arriving in horse drawn carriages.
Hello Me (5 years ago)
Very rich, beautiful museum. Representing one small country trought history, how people are living, the way how they lived and one person king Nikola what did for his country
Ian Yates (5 years ago)
The former palace of King Nikola is charming because of the poverty of Montenegro at that time and the tiny scale of the royal palace, reflecting the nature of the country during its brief period of monarchy. It is on the scale of an elegant but cash-strapped English Victorian country house. There are family heirlooms, including paintings, weapons, clothes and photographs of Nikola, his family and relatives. The place is a curiosity and if you are in the former capital, worth paying the entrance price. There is no hard sell in the tiny souvenir area.
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Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.