Danilovgrad is a small town, located in the center of Bjelopavlicka valley on the banks of the river Zeta, half-way between Podgorica and Niksic. Construction of the town began in 1863. According to Duke's Nikola Danilovgrad intention, Danilovgrad had to be a large commercial and industrial center on those times exiting northern border of Montenegro. However, after joining new territories to the country in 1878 (by the decision of Berlin Congress), the town lost its intending meaning, and looked as if "it stopped its development". Today population here is about 5 thousand inhabitants, instead of planned by architect Milutinovic - 15 thousand.
And nowadays, Danilovgrad looks like an old provincial European town. Polish architect A.Ziberovsky, United Nations expert, who visited the town in 1983, said, "Unassertive and delicate architecture of the buildings along your streets - it is necessary to keep all that in initial image; and in few years, your town will became an unique historical and cultural value".
Several kilometers from Danilovgrad, towards the city Niksic, there is one of the major Montenegrin sacred places - a monastery Ostrog - built high up into vertical rocks. The monastery was founded by Vasilije Jovanovic (St. Vasilije Ostroski), the Metropolitan of Herzegovina in 1671. It is the unique ensemble of cave churches and wall- painting.
