Studenica Monastery

Studenica Monastery tickets: which one to buy

Studenica Monastery stands in a wooded valley of the Studenica river in central Serbia, about sixty kilometres south-west of Kraljevo, and entry is free, with donations welcome. It is the largest and richest of Serbia's medieval monasteries, the mother church of the Serbian Orthodox monasteries, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It lies in a remote area, and a car or an organised tour is the easiest way to reach it, as buses from Kraljevo and Ušće are infrequent.

Visitors often combine Studenica with the Žiča Monastery near Kraljevo, where Serbian kings were crowned, the Gradac Monastery, the Maglič fortress in the Ibar gorge, and the Kopaonik mountains. The monastery is active, with monks, and visitors should dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. Photography inside the churches is not permitted. The monastery's konak offers simple accommodation for pilgrims, and a small restaurant and shop stand near the gate. The monks may offer guided explanations of the churches. The landscape of forested hills around the monastery, far from towns, makes the visit peaceful.

Visiting Studenica Monastery: what to see

The monastery was founded in the 1190s by Stefan Nemanja, founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, who abdicated and became a monk, and it became the burial place of the dynasty. The main Church of the Virgin, completed around 1196, is built of white marble and combines the Byzantine plan with Romanesque decoration, especially in the carved portals and windows, including the famous triple window of the apse. Its frescoes, painted in 1208 and 1209, include a large Crucifixion on the west wall, one of the masterpieces of Byzantine painting, with the Virgin and Saint John mourning on a deep blue background.

Nemanja's tomb, and the tombs of his son Stefan the First-Crowned and other members of the family, are in the church. Saint Sava, Nemanja's son and the first archbishop of the Serbian Church, was abbot here and wrote the monastery's rule. The King's Church, a small church dedicated to Saints Joachim and Anne, was built by King Milutin in 1314 and has frescoes of the Nativity of the Virgin, among the finest of the Palaiologan period. The Church of Saint Nicholas, from the twelfth century, is the smallest. The walls enclose the churches, the monks' residence, a refectory and a treasury with icons and manuscripts.

Studenica Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily from morning to evening. Spring, when the valley is green, and autumn, when the forests change colour, are the most pleasant seasons; summer is warm, and winter can be snowy on the mountain roads. The feast of the Nativity of the Virgin on 21 September, according to the Orthodox calendar, is the monastery's feast day and brings pilgrims. Sunday mornings and feast days are busy with liturgy. Allow about an hour and a half for the churches and grounds, and combine the visit with Žiča on the way back to Kraljevo.