If you’re like us, when you visit somewhere new, one of the first things you do is check what sites/attractions are close by. That’s exactly what we did when we visited Montenegro last summer. We intentionally based ourselves in the seaside town of Budva. Primarily because of its great location. It is well placed not only for other towns, cities and sites in Montenegro but also neighbouring countries. From there we took a number of trips. These included a day trip to Kotor, and hops over the border into both Croatia and Albania. We also took a day out of our schedule (when I say schedule – I mean away from the sun lounger) to visit the Ostrog Monastery. If you are a regular reader of our blog, you’ll know we love visiting all religious buildings. Therefore we were not going to pass up the chance of visiting this one.
What is the Ostrog Monastery?
The Ostrog Monastery which is a Serbian Orthodox Church is built high up, 900m above sea level, in the Ostroska Greda Rock. It is dedicated to Saint Basil of Ostrog and is the most popular pilgrimage site in Montenegro. People from all over the country (and beyond) make the journey to pray and give thanks through donations of money, fruit, bread, blankets etc. It is actually one (the upper monastery) of two monasteries on the site. The lower is a lot smaller and far easier to access if you think the upper monastery may be too much for you. It is a tradition that pilgrims walk (3km) from the lower to the upper monastery barefoot. However, don’t worry if you don’t think you can make that journey on foot. There are plenty of taxis whizzing worshippers and visitors up and down between the two (read on to find out more).
The monastery was originally founded in the 17th century. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed a number of the main buildings on the monastery complex. Therefore the majority of it was rebuilt in the 1920s. It is now one of the most visited monasteries in The Balkans, for both worshippers and day tripper like us, with approximately 100,000 people visiting each year. This number is likely to increase as Montenegro becomes an ever more popular tourist destination. Even if you are not religious like us, it’s important to be respectful. Therefore, knees and shoulders should be covered for both men and women. However, the rule is not strictly enforced but if you are challenged be aware items to borrow or hire are not available. So remember to dress appropriately. If you’re a regular visitor of religious sites, the likelihood is you will have a shawl or such in your bag anyway.
How Do I Get To The Ostrog Monastery?
There are a few ways you can get to the monastery. You could get public transport. Local buses run from Budva via Podgorica (Montenegro’s capital) to Nikšić (the country’s second largest city). We were told that if you tell the bus driver you’re visiting the monastery, they’ll drop you off at the right place. From there you can either get a taxi to the upper monastery (approx €10) or walk. The walk is 8km and offers breathtaking views of the Bjelopavlići plain, however during the summer months can be quite difficult due to the hot sun and subsequent heat. Also, you have to walk along the busy and winding road which we wouldn’t have fancied taking our chances on. Great if you fancy a bit of adventure though!
However, we opted for an organised tour with a local tour company via Viator (£32 each), which meant we didn’t have to worry about catching the correct bus, getting off at the right place or even ensuring we had bus fare. We simply hopped on a coach first thing in the morning had a tour guide to show us around and answer questions (well sort of but we’ll come onto that soon) and were dropped off at the same place around 10 hours later. As with walking in the summer, we wouldn’t recommend a bus trip if the weather was bad, particularly icy. The bends in the road had us clinging to the seat in front, we can’t imagine the genuine fear we would feel in the winter months.
Our Visit to the Ostrog Monastery?
So, as mentioned we took an organised tour to the Ostrog Monastery. The tour also included a stop off at The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Saborni hram Hristovog Vaskresenja) in Podgorica which wasn’t listed on the trip itinerary. Maybe the organisers thought ‘well, they’re off to see one religious site, why not let them see two’? Being from England we have a million and one old churches we can visit. Therefore visiting one that was only built in 2013 wasn’t really high on our list of things to do that day. However, it was a great place to stop. Not only is the cathedral itself very impressive and designed wonderfully but it also had toilets, a cafe and a great bakery where we picked up drinks and breakfast pastries from.
We then headed to the monastery transferring from our coach to smaller minibuses for the last leg of the journey, up the aforementioned windy road. We followed our tour guide, who unfortunately for us, as the only Brits on the bus, didn’t speak great English. After struggling for a while, a Serbian couple on the tour spoke English and translated everything for us. It’s a fascinating place, full of stories and history. After the tour, we were then given free time to roam. We admired the colourful frescos, the miracle vine that has grown through the rock face and breathtaking views, taking photos as we went. We would recommend taking a bottle with you to fill up from the drinking fountain (holy water) on site. The only other option is a vending machine which you need the correct change for.
Should I Make Time For The Ostrog Monastery?
As lovers of religious buildings, I’m glad that we took a day out to visit. However, it’s important to remember we were in Montenegro for two weeks. I think if our break had been shorter and it was a choice between visiting the Ostrog Monastery and a day trip to Kotor (for example), Kotor would have won. It was a long day (approx 10 hours). We left Budva very early in the morning and did not return until late at night. We picked up and dropped off people at loads of places along the way, we stopped at the cathedral in Podgorica and then stopped for lunch on the way back. All of which we wouldn’t have done if we had taken public transport. So maybe if you want to visit but don’t want to dedicate a full day – the local bus is the way to go.
There isn’t an entrance fee to visit the monastery, which also makes it a great place to visit if you are travelling on a budget. We do however always advocate giving a reasonable donation, especially when the building relies on them as the monastery does. Also, if you fancy spending longer then a few hours at the monastery – you can. The lower monastery has 29 dorm rooms with 8 or 10 beds in each. The rooms are separated for men and women and beds cost €4 per person, per night. If that is stretching your budget a bit too far then you can simply sleep on the monastery grounds and borrow a sleeping mat and blankets free of charge.
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