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Cetinje: Free viewpoint at the mausoleum on Orlov krš

By Susanne JungbluthUpdated

On our second Montenegro holiday, we stayed for a week in a small house in Cetinje. On the way to go shopping, we decided to make a short detour to Orlov krš.

In front of the town’s beautiful monastery, a well-maintained trail leads up the so-called Eagle Rock/Eagle Hill high above the town. The trail is short but has a steep climb.

A wide, grassy field at the Cetinje Mausoleum features a circular stone path leading toward a domed monument topped with a cross under a clear blue sky.

Mausoleum on Orlov krš

The mausoleum on Eagle Rock is one of the historical highlights of the old royal capital Cetinje. It was built in 1896 to celebrate the bicentenary of the Petrovic Njegos dynasty.
It is said to have been built according to plans, ideas and sketches by Princess Elena with the help of the French architect Fruse and the sculptor Voutier. It is dedicated to the founder of the dynasty, Bishop Danilo Petrovic.
Since 1957, the mausoleum has been an official cultural monument of Montenegro.

The tomb of Bishop Danilo I at the Mausoleum in Cetinje, Montenegro, features a stone sarcophagus under a domed canopy with a gold-starred blue ceiling, set against a backdrop of rolling green hills and a clear blue sky.

When you reach the large square at the top of Orlov krš, you see an area that is unfortunately somewhat unkempt, with a fence around it.
At the far end of the plateau is a canopy supported by four columns. The stone sarcophagus stands there as if under a blue starry sky.
You can walk around the canopy and take a closer look at the sarcophagus. A relief can be seen on the surface. It shows symbols of the religious and secular authorities of the ruler Danilo. A round medallion in another place depicts the bronze profile of the ruler.

A weathered bronze medallion in Cetinje, Montenegro, depicts a profile portrait of a man with a beard and a traditional fur hat, set within a circular stone frame.

Free viewpoint

Those who walk the short distance up will be rewarded not only with a view of the mausoleum, but also with one of the most beautiful free viewpoints in the city.

First, you can enjoy the panorama of the city. You can see the monastery, the churches and squares of the city.

An elevated view of Cetinje, Montenegro, shows a cluster of colorful buildings and green parks nestled in a valley surrounded by rugged, rocky mountains under a clear blue sky.

But I was much more excited by the view of the Lovćen mountains. From here, you have a beautiful view all the way to the Njegoš Mausoleum and the Lovćen National Park. For me, it was certainly even more impressive, as we had undertaken a fantastic hike there just a few days earlier.

A distant view from Cetinje shows the rocky, sunlit peaks of Lovćen National Park under a clear blue sky.

We stayed up there for a while and were completely alone during this time. Only on our way back did we meet other visitors. We were thrilled by the view and there was a lot to discover.

A wide, high-angle landscape view of Cetinje National Park in Montenegro, featuring a dense green forest interspersed with jagged limestone rock formations under a bright blue sky. In the distance, rugged, grey mountain peaks rise above the rolling hills, creating a layered horizon.

You can follow the short route from the large main car park in Cetinje to Orlov krš on the map:

Published 24 May 2021

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