Princess Milica of Montenegro

Getting around

Antivari to Virpazar by carriage

A journey by carriage between Antivari and Virpazar took five to six hours, depending on the horses' strength and road conditions.

At the table

Drinks from trees and skins

In arid regions, people drank tree sap like birch and beech juice, obtained by scraping the inner bark of young trees to quench their thirst. Rakija was produced in small, primitive stills and stored in sheep or goat skin bags.

What people wore

The iconic red Montenegrin cap

Men wore a distinct red cap called a kapa, which featured gold embroidery; during this period, it was common to decorate the top with the initials of the local tribe or the ruler.

Music

Gusle: The Monochord of Montenegrin Epic Poetry

The gusle, a single-stringed instrument played with a horsehair bow, was the most important traditional instrument for accompanying epic poetry and historical songs. Musicians often improvised lyrics at home or during festivities, with the instrument being passed from person to person.

Daily life

Traditional stone huts and smoke-filled rooms

Houses were typically built from stone with roofs of thatch or wooden shingles, often lacking chimneys so smoke simply escaped through the structure. Many homes consisted of a single room on the ground floor serving as kitchen, parlor, and bedroom, sometimes shared with livestock.