Danilovgrad

What to see and do

• Ostrog Monastery, the monastery of St Basil of Ostrog, built into the cliff of Ostroška greda at about 900 m above sea level, high above the Zeta valley and the most visited monastery in the country. The Lower monastery, around the Church of the Holy Trinity of 1824, has the parking, the guest house and the start of the pilgrims' path; the Upper monastery, pressed into the rock about 3 km above it on foot or 2.1 km by a narrow road, holds the relics of St Basil, who died here on 12 May 1671, in two cave churches with 17th-century frescoes. A fire on 1 June 1923 destroyed much of the complex, rebuilt by 1926. It is a working monastery with no entrance fee, so dress as you would in any church; baptisms are held daily at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00, and the guest house (konak) takes pilgrims overnight. The walk up, the phone numbers and the drive times are on the monastery's page; other monasteries are on the churches and monasteries page.
• Ždrebaonik monastery, with the Church of St Archangel Michael, which has kept the relics of St Arsenije Sremac since 1856.
• Spuž fortress above the village of Spuž, which is mentioned in a charter of 1378; the Ottomans rebuilt the fortress in the early 18th century. Other strongholds are on the fortresses page.
• The Vojvoda Mirko bridge over the Zeta, begun in 1868, opened on 16 September 1870 and completed in stone in 1893, with seven arches and a length of about 150 m.
• The Homeland Museum (Zavičajni muzej), the Art Colony and the old balconied houses along the main streets; the country's collections are on the museums page.
• Gradina at Martinići, an early medieval fortified town identified with Lontodokla, and the antique remains at Taraš, Crkvine and Podvrh.
• Monument to Fallen Fighters in the centre, unveiled in December 1959: a white obelisk about 15 m high by the sculptor Drago Đurović and the architect Mirko Đukić, with four bronze Partisan figures of 4 m and a crypt with a mosaic. The Obadov brijeg memorial, about 4 km from town beside the Podgorica-Nikšić road, is a concrete sculpture of 1974 by Slobodan Vukajlović to the 6th Montenegrin Brigade, which held the pass against German forces from 13 November 1944. More are on the memorials page.
• Kayaking on the Zeta: a summer trip of 4 km that takes about two hours, run by a camp on the river, from age 7 and in groups of up to 10. Other rivers and lakes are on the kayaking page.

The Zeta valley

The Zeta is 65 km long, all of it in Montenegro, and it runs twice. It forms on the Nikšić field, sinks into the Slivlje sinkholes at the field's southern edge, flows about 3 km underground and re-emerges below the Planinica pass at Glava Zete (Perućica) at 74 m. From there it winds about 42 km through the Bjelopavlići plain to the Morača, which it joins below the walls of ancient Doclea; on that stretch it takes 11 tributaries from the left and 8 from the right, and its level varies by up to 12 m. The plain averages about 55 m above sea level, 18 km long and 2.5-8 km wide. Garač, 1,436 m, overlooks the town from the south-west and Prekornica, 1,926 m, rises to the north-east; both are on the mountains page. Trout fishing on Danilovgrad waters is closed from 1 November to 1 April under the national fishing order.

History in brief

The name Zeta is first recorded as Zenta around 1080. The town itself began in 1863, when the Senate ordered the market moved to Ćeranića Glavica. The engineer Dragiša Milutinović (1843-1900) completed an urban plan in 1869 for 15,000 residents, meant to make the town Montenegro's main trade centre, and Prince Nikola named it after his uncle and predecessor Prince Danilo. The Zeta bridge opened in 1870, the first water supply on 12 July 1897. The monument in the centre followed in December 1959 and the Obadov brijeg memorial in 1974.

Getting there and around

• By road: on the main Podgorica-Nikšić road; the access road to Ostrog leaves it at Bogetići and climbs to the Lower monastery.
• By train: Danilovgrad station is on the Podgorica-Nikšić branch, with five local trains a day; the fare from Podgorica is €1.80 in second class. The train guide has the timetable and tickets; the bus guide covers the intercity buses, and the town has a bus station.
• By air: Podgorica Airport is 30.3 km away, about 42 minutes; Tivat Airport 99.5 km, about 2 h 02 min.
• Health: the health centre (Dom zdravlja Danilovgrad), Prve bokeljske brigade bb, telephone +382 20 812 106; ambulance 124. The nearest hospital is the Klinički centar Crne Gore in Podgorica, Ljubljanska bb, telephone +382 20 412 412, 20.2 km away, about 29 minutes. No pharmacy in town is open around the clock. Postcode 81410.

Road distances below are free-flow routing on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic.

When to visit

Ostrog is open all year as a working monastery, and the pilgrims' path is walked in every season; the biggest day is Krstovdan, the Exaltation of the Cross on 27 September, when the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral serves the liturgy at the Upper monastery. The Zeta kayak trip runs in summer, and the trout season on the local waters is closed from 1 November to 1 April. The town, the bridge and Spuž can be seen in any month.

Nearby

• Ostrog Monastery, 19.7 km to the Lower monastery.
• Podgorica, 21.9 km down the valley, with Doclea at the Zeta-Morača confluence.
• Nikšić, 31.5 km up the valley, where the Zeta rises, with Bedem fortress.
• Cetinje, 51.0 km, the Old Royal Capital with the national museums.

Questions

Is there an entrance fee or dress code at Ostrog?

No fee. Ostrog is a working monastery and a place of pilgrimage, so visitors dress and behave as they would in any church. Services and baptisms are arranged through the monastery itself; the details are on the Ostrog page.

Is Ostrog in Nikšić?

No. The monastery is in Danilovgrad municipality, 19.7 km from the town; Nikšić is the nearest large town and is often listed alongside it.

Is Danilovgrad on the railway?

Yes, on the Podgorica-Nikšić branch, with five local trains a day; from Podgorica the ticket is €1.80 in second class.

How far is Danilovgrad from Podgorica?

21.9 km by road, about 30 minutes; Podgorica Airport is 30.3 km, about 42 minutes.