Cetinje

Cetinje was Montenegro's royal capital and remains its historic and cultural centre, set in a karst field below Mount Lovcen. It holds the former royal court, the old foreign legations, the Cetinje Monastery and the national museums, and is still the country's honorary capital.

King Nikola's palace museum, Biljarda (Njegos's residence), the Cetinje Monastery with its relics, the National Museum and art gallery, and Embassy Row — the run of former legations from the era when Cetinje hosted Europe's diplomats.

From Kotor it is about 40 minutes up the serpentine road; from Budva roughly 35 to 40 minutes. Buses run from both, and many visitors combine Cetinje with Lovcen and the Njegos mausoleum in a single day trip.

It is the tomb of Petar II Petrovic-Njegos, poet and prince-bishop, set on Jezerski Vrh in Lovcen National Park above Cetinje. A stairway of 461 steps climbs through a tunnel to the mausoleum and a terrace with a view over most of Montenegro.

Yes, particularly for history. Half a day covers the museums and old town on foot, and pairing it with Lovcen and the mausoleum fills a scenic day out of Kotor or Budva. It is quiet and noticeably cooler than the coast.

Spring through autumn. Cetinje sits at about 670 m, so it stays pleasant when the coast is baking in high summer. Winters are cold and snowy and some museums keep shorter hours out of season.