Culture & etiquetteBy Clever Tourists · Published
In Montenegro's Orthodox churches and monasteries, cover your shoulders and knees, whether you are a man or a woman. Ostrog Monastery is the strict one: shorts, miniskirts and bare shoulders can get you turned away from the Upper Monastery, so dress before you arrive. Sources disagree on headscarves for women and on whether anything is available to borrow, so bring a scarf and do not plan on a loaner. Rules are set by each monastery and we found no official English notice from Ostrog or Cetinje. We were in Montenegro from August to September 2023, including Nikšić and Cetinje.
• Women: shoulders covered and a skirt or trousers below the knee. Carry a scarf for your hair.
• Men: covered shoulders and long trousers. One report of Ostrog's rules asks men for long sleeves too, so a light shirt is the safe choice.
• Everyone: no shorts, tank tops or miniskirts. Shoes stay on.
• Bring: your own cover-up. Hot weather does not relax the rule.
Ostrog is a working pilgrimage site built into a cliff, and it treats dress more seriously than a town church. One Balkan report describes the attire rules as rigorously enforced, with women covering their heads and limbs and men in long sleeves and trousers. Travel guides are softer and say shoulders and knees, with visitors in shorts or tank tops turned away from the Upper Monastery.
The headscarf: sources conflict. One says optional, another says women may be asked to cover their heads, and a third says head coverings are not strictly enforced for tourists. Bring one and put it on if you see other women wearing them.
Borrowing clothes: one source says cover-ups are usually provided, while another says no clothes or changing rooms are provided on site. Assume nothing is available.
Practical details: entry is free, and one guide lists hours as 6am to 5pm daily from May to September. Photography is reported as banned inside the cave chapels. Do not take anything from the site, including stones or flowers. Our Nikšić and Ostrog day trip guide covers getting there.
We found no published dress rules for Cetinje Monastery, so follow the same standard: shoulders and knees covered, quiet voice, no photos of a service. The same applies to Orthodox churches in Kotor and Podgorica.
Kotor also has Catholic churches, including the Cathedral of St. Tryphon. Covered shoulders and knees work there too.
These are general Orthodox customs. Local practice varies, so watch what others do.
• Keep to the back or sides during a service, and stay quiet.
• Men remove hats.
• Do not photograph worshippers, or a priest during a service, without permission.
• Lighting a candle is normal, and a small donation is expected.
If you are there at Orthodox Christmas in January, see our Orthodox Christmas in Montenegro guide.
Yes. Cover shoulders and knees at minimum. Travel guides say visitors in shorts, miniskirts or tank tops are turned away from the Upper Monastery, and one report asks for stricter dress.
Sources conflict. It may be optional for tourists at Ostrog, but women may be asked to cover their heads, so bring a scarf.
Do not rely on it. One source says cover-ups are usually provided, and another says nothing is provided on site.
Photography is reported as banned inside the cave chapels.
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