558 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp563–4 and p565
Studenica
Monastery 5135 km (84 miles) S of Belgrade.
Tel (036) 536 050. @ from Belgrade.
# 5am–8pm daily. 5Nestled in a wooded valley,
Studenica Monastery is
regarded as the spiritual heart-
land of the Serbian Orthodox
church. It was founded in the
late 12th century by Prince
Stefan Nemanja, founder
of the medieval Serb state,
who became a monk in- The monastery later
served as a base for his son
Sava, the first archbishop
of the Serbian Church and
the nation’s patron saint.
Surrounded by a horseshoe-
shaped ring of buildings, the
main monastery is a Byzantine-
style basilica decorated with
a profusion of Romanesque
details, notably floral swirls
and animal motifs. Inside
are some of the most splendid
frescoes in the Balkans, in
which portraits of the holy
family, saints and apostles
combine Byzantine formality
with the realism of Western
European art.
On the northern side of
the monastery compound
stands the smaller King’s
Church (Kraljeva Crkva),
built in 1314 by Stefan
Nemanja’s great-grandson
King Uroš II Milutin. Among
several brilliantly executed
frescoes are a joyous Birth of
the Virgin on the north wall,
and portraits of Serbian rulers
in the south chapel.
Despotovac 4
130 km (81 miles) SE of Belgrade.
- 33,000. @ from Belgrade.
n Cerska 3, (035) 613 672.
http://www.despotovac.com
Located in the Resava valley
30 km (19 miles) east of the
main Belgrade-Niš Highway,
the town of Despotovac is
renow ned for the spectacu lar
medi eval Manasija Monastery
(manastir Manasija), also
known as Resavska
after the local river.
Founded by Despot
Stefan Lazarević in
1418, the monastery
is surrounded by
for ti fications, includ-
ing 11 castellated
tow ers. Inside are
some of Serbia’s finest 15th-
century frescoes. The west wall
has a portrait of Stefan
Lazarević wear ing gold-
embroi dered robes, while the
north and south walls are cov-
ered with friezes of warrior-
saints wield ing weapons.
Well-preserved complex of the Studenica Monastery, of special significance to the Serbian Orthodox faith
Higher up, the walls are
decorated with scenes from
the gospel, while depic tions of
Old Testament prophets adorn
the cupola.Environs
The Resava Cave (Resavska
Pećina), one of Serbia’s most
dra matic karst features, is situ-
ated 20 km (12 miles) south-
east of Despotovac. Formed by
seeping water over an esti ma-
ted period of 80 million years,
the cave features rock
for ma tions. An 800
m (2,625 ft) stretch
of the cave is acces-
sible via a stair case.
High lights include
the Beehive Hall,
cha racterized by
bee hive-shaped sta-
la gmites, and the Crystal Hall,
which takes its name from its
chandelier-like stalactites.T Resava Cave
Tel (035) 611 610. # Apr–Nov:
9am–5pm daily. &
http://www.resavskapecina.rsFortifications at the serene Manasija Monastery, Despotovac
Detail of fresco,
Manasija Monastery