Churches & Monasteries Sightseeing in Serbia

Unique in their architecture, sculpture and ornamentation, frescoes, icons, manuscripts and numerous works of applied art, the monasteries of Serbia have long been a focus of attention for tourists and mediaeval art experts alike.

Temple of St. Sava

Temple of St. Sava is located in Vracar, it is dedicated to St. Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and one of the most important figures in the history of medieval Serbia.

It is one of the biggest Orthodox churches in the world. It is beautiful white structure located in the street Krusedolska, just behind Slavija square. This temple was built in the town Vracar in a place where they assumed they were incinerated the remains of the saint by the Ottoman Turks in 1595, however it is one of the most modern temples since its construction began in 1985. Construction was halted due to the outbreak of World War II and the bombing of Belgrade, followed by the time of Tito’s communist Yugoslavia, construction was only resumed in 1985.

The interior height of the temple, from the floor to the top of its dome, is 65 meters, while the outside height with the cross is 79 meters. The temple has three choir galleries with capacity for 700 choir members each, as well as an observation gallery. The ground floor and galleries of the temple can house 10,000 people.

Because of its dominant position in Belgrade’s cityscape, it represents the most monumental building in the city, walking around it as the entire plato has now been reconstructed and it is possible to enjoy a beautiful landscape.

Žiča Monastery

The Žiča monastery is located only a few kilometers from the center of the city of Kraljevo.

It was built in the heart of the medieval Serb state, shortly after establishing the Orthodox Serbian Church's independence, by Sent Sava and his brother Stefan Prvovenčani, sons of Stefan Nemanja. Symbolically, it was built at an equal distance from Rome and Constantinople, stressing the tendencies of the medieval Serb state to balance between these two.

In 1219 it becomes the first Archbishopric of Serbian Orthodox Church, with Sava as the first archbishop. Two years later, in 1221, King Stefan Prvovenčani was crowned there.

It was vandalized under the onslaught of Bulgarians and Tatars, restored by King Milutin, but destroyed again many times. Little is known about this monastery during the Ottoman Empire.

It was only in 1855 that it was restored again, and King Milan Obrenović was crowned here. According to a legend, for each coronation, one door was made for the King to enter, and immured once the coronation is ended. That is why this monastery is also called "Sedmovrati Hram", ("The Seven-doors Temple").

Studenica Monastery

Studenica Monastery is situated 11km from village Ušće, on the regional road Kraljevo - Raška, by the river Studenica.

It was built in the 12th century, endowment of the king Stefan Nemanja between years 1183 and 1196, and was dedicated to Virgin Mary. The same year King Stefan Nemanja gives the throne to his mid-son Stefan Prvovenčani and become a monk in Sveta Gora (on Mount Atos in Greece), where he dies in 1199. His youngest son Rastko, better known as Saint Sava, also a monk, transfers his remains to this monastery. His wife Anna and their two sons Vukan and Stefan Prvovenčani, are also buried here.

The architecture of the Studenica Monastery, its murals and frescos, are a mixture of the old Raška school, Byzantine and western styles. The fresco "The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ" is one of the most significant and most beautiful examples of medieval art in Europe. In this monastery Sveti Sava founded the first hospital in Serbia, modelled on Byzantine monastery hospitals.

Studenica was robbed, burned, vandalized and restored many times. Today, this monastery is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage.

Belgrade Orthodox Cathedral

Saborna Crkva was built between 1837 and 1840 by order of Prince Knez Miloš Obrenovic, it is a richly decorated Classicist church with late baroque elements located Kneza Sime Markovica street in a wonderful neighborhood. The church is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel and it was erected on the site of an older church dating from 1728.

Saborna Crkva has been demolished and restored a number of times.

The interior is richly decorated and the treasury of the church is especially valuable with its collection of ancient icons and sumptuously adorned works of art in gold (dated from the 17th to the 20th century). Inside the church is possible to see also the tombs of the Serbian sovereigns Miloš and Mihailo Obrenovic.

Moreover in the churchyard are buried two outstanding figures of Serbian culture – Dositej Obradovic and Vuk Stefanovic Karadžic.

Church of St. Petka

The Church of St. Petka Church is located in the Upper Town of Belgrade Kalemegdan Fortress. This lovely old chapel stands in the so-called Lower-town area of the Belgrade fort, near the famous ‘miracle’ water spring. The church was built by an unknown benefactor around the same time when the remains of St. Petka were relocated to Belgrade and the construction was completed on St. Petka’s day, a popular religious holiday in Serbia. The most famous feature of the chapel is the spring of holy water that runs nearby. People from all around Serbia travel to Belgrade in order to have a drink of water from this spring which is said to refresh the spirit and help with ailments. Most famously it is said that the water is beneficial to women (as St. Petka is patron-saint of all women) as well as that washing one’s eyes with the water from this spring helps with many sight-related problems.

When the foundations were being dug, numerous bones were found belonging to Serbian soldiers who had perished in the defence of Belgrade 1914-1915, which were transferred to a specially-built ossuary in the walls beneath Jakšic’s Tower.

Ravanica Monastery

Ravanica Monastery is located in the foot of Kucaj Mountains, close to village of Senje, near town of Cuprija, in Central Serbia. Ravanica Monastery is the principal and the largest endowment of Prince Lazar who intended it for his burial church and was buried here after the tragic Battle on the Kosovo Field held on St. Vitus Day, 28 June 1389 between the Serbian and the Ottoman armies.

The Church of Ascension of the Lord of Ravanica Monastery was constructed between 1375 and 1381. Ravanica Monastery has been built at the head of the works of the final style of the Serbian medieval architecture. In the following years other buildings of the Ravanica Monastery complex were added: the refectory, the dormitory, hospital, farm buildings and strong wall-fortification with seven towers. After Prince Lazar’s tragic death at Kosovo Polje /Kosovo Field/ Battle in 1389, he was canonized in 1390 and his holy relics were brought here and added to the fame of the Ravanica Monastery. Frescoes of Ravanica Monastery were painted few years before the Battle on Kosovo Polje.

The portraits of founder’s family were painted and repainted after the Kosovo Battle, when the tragic scene of Prince Lazar’s death and his wife Princess Milica and their sons Stefan and Vuk were added.