Niksic

Sprawled across a vast karst plateau beneath the pine-covered slopes of Mount Trebjesa, Niksic is Montenegros industrial and cultural anchor, far removed from the cruise crowds of the coast. Its broad, tree-lined boulevards, laid out along a radial grid designed by architect Josip Slade in 1883, give the city an open, unhurried air. Walking through Trg Slobode, the central square, you hear the clink of glasses from terraces packed with students and pensioners, framed by utilitarian Yugoslav facades and lime trees. The city traces its origins to the fourth-century Roman fortress of Anagastum. On a limestone rise overlooking the rooftops, the ancient ramparts of the Ottoman-era Bedem Fortress still stand, having fallen to Montenegrin forces in 1877. Just below sits King Nikolas 1890 neo-Renaissance palace, now housing the local museum, beside the stone Cathedral of St. Basil of Ostrog, consecrated in 1900 to honor fallen fighters. On the edge of town, the eighteen stone arches of the Emperors Bridge span the Zeta River valley, completed in 1894 with financial aid from Russian Tsar Alexander III. Daily life centers on the morning green market near the center, where traders stack blocks of brined cheese and jars of clotted skorup cream. Niksic is also the homeland of Montenegrin brewing, producing Niksicko beer here since 1896. In August, the poplar groves around nearby Lake Krupac fill with music fans for Lake Fest, a prominent regional rock gathering. The flat town center is effortlessly walkable. Plan your trip between May and October to avoid biting winter winds, and ride the inexpensive commuter train from Podgorica, which climbs into the plateau in under an hour.