Monastery Ostrog: Comprehensive Visitors’s Guide

The 17th-century Ostrog Monastery towers majestically above the Bjelopavlici Plain. It is dramatically carved in a large rock (Ostroska Greda) merging with its surroundings physically but setting itself apart visually with its bright white color.

This incredible structure is one of its kind – at least in this part of the world. No wonder it receives more than 100,000 visitors each year. This is a holy place for Roman Catholics and Muslims as well. Religiously-motivated visitors come predominantly to visit St Basil’s relics (Sveti Vasilije Ostroski) that are well-preserved in one of the cave churches.

Archbishop Basil founded this monastery and he also died here in 1671. He decided to build the beautiful monastery around three caves that were formerly used by a hermit. His body is enshrined and retained in the Church of the Presentation – one of the two cave churches. Some of the seventeenth-century frescoes by Master Radul are painted straight on the rock surface of the cave.

The monastery

The Ostrog Monastery is without a doubt the most noticeable of the Orthodox Churches in Montenegro – and the most dramatic, rising against the almost vertical background. The white church is portrayed on countless postcards, souvenirs, and memorabilia.

The monastery consists of two parts: the upper and lower monasteries. You can park at the lower monastery and walk up through the trees. It shall take between half to a full hour, depending on your fitness levels. It is quite demanding because of the steepness of the path.

source: Wikipedia

Should you visit in July or August, the hike might be too demanding anyway and you better park your car further up. From here, it is only a 200-meter walk to the upper monastery. 

The Lower Monastery

The Lower Monastery was built in the 19th century and centers around the Holy Trinity Church. Today, residents of the surrounding villages come to this Serbian Orthodox Church for active liturgies, baptisms, and weddings.

source: Ostrog

You could pay a short visit to it to see the colorful frescoes – pictures are not allowed though. Behind the church is a natural spring where you can fill up your bottles with fresh mountain water.

From here, you can walk up to the upper church or drive to the main parking lot. Here is where you will also find dorm rooms that are available for pilgrims.

The Upper Monastery

To reach the Upper Monastery, you need to hike up a winding road starting from the lower monastery. 

In the 1920s, a devastating fire destroyed the upper monastery. But luckily, the two cave-churched remained intact and they are now the holiest and most important parts of the monastery – the reason why thousands of pilgrims walk to the upper monastery barefoot.

The Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (Vavedenje Bogorodice)

If you have finally made it – either by foot or by car – now you will be ushered through a tiny entrance into the first cave church inside the cliff. If you are of average size, you probably need to bow down to pass the doorstep.

On your way into the Church of the Presentation, you will come across 17th-century frescoes that are painted on the cave walls.

Info: Pilgrims don’t come empty-handed; they are expected to donate to Ostrog Monastery in the form of clothes and drugstore products for the monks.

This is the room where the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog are kept – watched over by a monk. If you are a believer, you can walk past the relics and kiss them if you wish. In the corner, there is a tiny altar with a priest giving blessings in Serbian or Slavonic church language.

After a couple of minutes and then you’ll be ushered out again. There is a queue to enter on most days, especially in summer and on church holidays. You will see some visitors walking out backward – you don’t have to.

The relics of St. Basil are believed to have miraculous powers. His body is kept enshrined in a reliquary glass coffin with apparently no signs of decay. One could say that these relics are the holiest site for believers. Many ill or disabled people come to the place where Basil of Ostrog died to seek betterment, fertility, and health.

Info: The Monastery celebrates St Basil’s feast day on May 12th every year. St Basil died on 29 April according to the Orthodox calendar which equates to May 12th in the Gregorian calendar.

The Church of the Holy Cross

This Church of the Holy Cross dates back to the year 1665 and finds itself inside a cave on the upper floor of the monastery. It is most renowned for its vivid frescoes which were contributed by the Serbian Master Radul and painted on a pure rock surface.

The frescoes portray Saint Basil, St Sava (the founder of the Serbian Church), and some scenes from the life of Christ. The church was named ‘Holy Cross’ because it is believed that it contains a piece of Jesus’ cross.

The Miracle Vine

Everyone who got a religious overload watching pilgrims and priests in action can climb up to the upper terrace of the monastery to enjoy one of the most breathtaking views of the Zeta River Valley below.

But you will be mistaken to think that this was all there is to see. There is one more miracle waiting to be discovered – the Miracle Vine that grows out of the cliff. Some locals and believers will take this as another sign of the definitive holiness of this place.

For everyone interested in souvenirs, there are two souvenir shops: one in the basement of the white building and another between the prayer rooms. Visitors and pilgrims have the custom of always bringing ‘Holy Water’ from the monastery back home – for themselves and their relatives and friends. 

Is it worth visiting Ostrog Monastery?

It all depends on your perspective. The Ostrog Monastery is a working monastery with active worship. It is not a pure tourist attraction where you buy yourself entrance and take some nice pictures. This is the real thing – if you are a believer and pilgrim at least. This is like the ‘Mecca’ for Orthodox Christians.

That being said, it does not mean that visiting Ostrog Monastery as a tourist is not worth it. It probably is still a must-see for the majority of visitors because of its importance to the local population and its unreal setting.

The site itself is rather small. It takes about half an hour to see it all and you are not allowed to take photos inside the church. If you want to ‘feel’ the place, it will take significantly longer.

Let’s be realistic, some people can get energized by spending time at religious sites while others like to watch the frescoes, take some pictures, and be done in a couple of minutes. If you are not religious yourself, you will like the beautiful mosaics and wall paintings in the church at least – and the view of the valley below.

In any sense, the Ostrog Monastery is a very humbling place and the visit is free of charge. The structure and location of the monastery are beautiful and that is why it is worth visiting. You don’t need to go crazy and hike up the path barefoot. Parking space is available close to the entrance on most days (can get busy during peak season).

Info: The best time to visit is in the off-season and during the shoulder season. Try to avoid visiting in July and August because of the heat and larger crowds.

Monastery Ostrog Hike

The Ostrog Monastery is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for believers of the Orthodox Christian faith. Pilgrims traditionally march up the steep 3-kilometer walking path from one monastery to the other – barefoot.

There is another path that leads through the woods and shortens the time needed for the hike to about 30 – 45 minutes but it’s significantly steeper and more demanding, especially in summer. The upper monastery is 900 meters above the valley.

Monastery Ostrog Miracles

Orthodox Montenegrins are proud of their faith. Without sounding too derogatory, they are also quite a superstitious bunch: countless stories and famous tales concerning the miraculous powers of Saint Basil are shared between generations of Montenegrins. There are many life stories of how people changed their nonspiritual lives after visiting Ostrog Monastery.

source: Ostrog Monastery

The monastery was not always a pilgrimage site. Only when people started telling stories about how they had Saint Basil appearing in their dreams and guiding them through difficult life situations and healing them from pain and malaise appeared, people started coming to visit Ostrog Monastery. 

One of the most famous tales is the tale of how Basil threw the seed of a pear he had just eaten over the balcony only to find a mature pear tree below on the bare rock. One half of the tree was in blossom while the other half bore fruits. This apparently all happened in February, a time of the year when it is still too early for blossoms and fruits.

Another popular story talks about how Basil who was also versed in healing practices was looking for parsley but was not able to find it anywhere close to the monastery. After prayer time, a bird appeared out of nowhere holding a parsley seed by its beak.

St Basil went on to plant it in the church garden and already the next day he had the parsley he was looking for. The plant continued to grow in a dark corner of the garden – with neither light nor water.

There is also the story about a former US senator called William Barr who survived an assassination attempt in 1970 but lost his legs and had chronic pains. He started having recurring dreams about how he visited a small white church cut into a cliff and how a mumbling priest walked him through the chambers of the church while healing the sick and disabled using his bare hands.

After seeing a picture of a white church – the same he saw in his many dreams – in the office of his prosthetist, he became curious about the location of that church. The doctor with Balkan roots told him about the miracles that have been happening there and shortly after Senator Barr went on a trip to the monastery to cure his chronic pain.

Senator Barr went on countless pilgrimages from the lower to the upper monastery and prayed in front of Saint Basil’s relics. As time passed, his pain improved and he finally got cured. He returned to Illinois with a couple of icons dedicated to Saint Basil and gifted them to his relatives and friends.

Monastery Ostrog Tickets and Tours

While you can easily explore the monastery, it’s not easy to reach, especially if you do not have a car. There is no public transport connecting Ostrog to other towns and cities other than the Ostrog train station which is still a 90-minute hike to the lower monastery.

If you don’t have a car, it is much more convenient to go on one of the tour buses. Ostrog Monastery tours start from 30€ per person and include bus transport and a local guide. A private tour day trip will set you back about 100€ per person.

Monastery Ostrog Dress Code

A monastery is a sacred place for Orthodox believers, so make sure to dress in modest attire that is appropriate to the culture of the church. Do not wear anything that rises above the knee.

source: Church

When choosing an outfit, always go for the one that is a bit longer. Avoid exposing too much of your body and do not dress in a way that might be interpreted as offending to the church community. You’ll notice many women have their heads covered but it is not mandatory.

Info: Violating the traditional dress code might come across as disrespectful and you might risk not getting into the churches. Also, be aware that there are no dressing cabins available.

Monastery Ostrog Opening Hours

Monastery Ostrog to Kotor

It is not easy to go from the monastery to Kotor if you do not have a car. One option would be to go down to the Ostrog train station, then take the train towards Niksic (20 minutes, 2€) and continue by bus from there in direction of Kotor. The bus ride will take about four hours and cost 8€.

You can also take the train to Podgorica and take a bus from there – Kotor is not accessible by train. In any case, expect to be on the road for 5 hours or more.

A taxi will cost roughly 70€. it would be more convenient to book a tour from Kotor and go back and forth for 30€ per person.

Should you have a car, you have two options: via Niksic and Risan or Podgorica and Cetinje. Both routes are incredibly scenic and will give you some incredible views of this beautiful country.

Monastery Ostrog from Podgorica

Ostrog is about 50 kilometers from the capital city Podgorica and only 15km from Niksic. If you are driving, make sure to take the new road from Podgorica to Danilovgrad and then cross the Zeta River. The trip takes about an hour.

To get from Podgorica to Ostrog Monastery by train (in direction of Niksic), you can hop off the Ostro train station and then walk to the monasteries – will take 60 – 90 minutes to the Lower Monastery. The ticket is cheap just 2€. Five trains are frequenting per day, departing from the main station in Podgorica at:

• 08:00
• 12:50
• 15:35
• 18:30
• 21:45

Hotels near Ostrog

The accommodation options are a bit limited in the area surrounding the monastery. ‘Hotel Sokoline’ is the only serious hotel in the immediate vicinity. It comes with incredible views of the Bjelopavlici Plain and from the balcony or terrace of their outdoor restaurant you have the feeling as if you were floating- simply amazing.

source: Sokoline

Room rates range from 70 to 120 Euros depending on the season but it’s worth it. The restaurant is also better than you would expect for a hotel with a remote location.

An alternative is the newly-remodeled ‘Hotel Zeta’ in the center of Danilovgrad. It’s always a pleasure staying at a hotel that underwent a complete makeover because everything is still peaches and cream.

Pricewise it is a little cheaper than the Sokoline Hotel with prices starting at 60€ in the off-season and 90€ in peak season.

Where to Eat

The ‘Hotel Sokoline’ restaurant is a good choice. They have a wide array of dishes, from Pasta to local Meat specialties, and grilled fish. The baked meat with potatoes is really good. You can also try the surprisingly good grilled squids, considering the location is far from the coast.

source: Sokoline

The Hotel & Restaurant is named after a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the Zeta Valley below. Soko translates to ‘falcon’, a bird who places his nests in similarly stunning locations.