At a certain angle, the two rounded peaks of Mount Lovcen look like a set of brawny shoulders without a head.
This wasn’t lost on Petar II Petrovic Njegos. Njegos is arguably Montenegros most treasured and revered national hero. Before he died, he chose Lovcen as the location for his masoleum, decreeing it would represent the “head” on the shoulders of his beloved country.
A poet/prince/bishop, Njegos was by every measure a giant. At 6 feet, 8 inches, his physical size was imposing. But it was a gigantic intellect that secured his place as the country’s most illustrious patriarch. Njegos’ poetry has been compared to Homer & Horace. His most famous poem is “The Mountain Wreath”. Difficult to find in print, and especially in an English translation, it is available online through some scholarly websites.
Here as some pictures of our visit to Njegos at his final resting place.
I find it pretty amazing that he died before his 40th birthday, yet he accomplished so much. This crypt is in the lower level of the moselum.

We were about half-way up the mountain when I took this picture of the masoleum on the top. It just looks like a concrete block box from the road below, doesn’t it?

As we got closer, we saw a cave-like opening in the mountain at the top of a long walkway leading from the parking lot. See the opening, above the orange tile roof of the visitors center?

We parked our car and then walked, or should I say climbed, flights of stairs through the mountain to the top. Each of 60 landings were separated by a set of 10 stairs. I meant to ask someone if there was any significance, but forgot to.

As we came out of the darkness at the top, we saw this walkway leading to the front entrance to the masoleum. The two big statues standing guard are of black marble. In fact what looked like plain concrete block from below is actually entirely made of marble. Walkways, stairs, walls, floors, roof. Everything but the wrought iron gates, bronze doors, & aluminium flag pole is marble.

Njegos, also in black marble, sits with an eagle behind him. This imposing statue is all that greets the visitor stepping through into the main level of the masoleum.

on the back side of the building was another long walkway that follows the ridge top of the mountain and leads to a circular observation area.

The view is breathtaking, isn’t it?