Balkans Tour

After leaving Vukovar the journey continued back over the boarder into Serbia. Experienced a frustrating delay for reasons that never became clear, at the Serbia side. But could finally get on and visit some of the Serbian Orthodox monasteries up in the hills close to Fruska Gora in the national park. The seanery on the way was of flat farming fields before passing through the city of Novi Sad and up into the hills. First stop was to the old church of Vrdnik, which was built prior to the Turkish rule in Srem and dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. First reliable data for this monastery is from 1589. Over centuries the building suffered many times and today's church of Vrdnik monastery is from 1801-11. A lot of valuables which belonged to prince Lazar were kept in the monastery treasury. In the Second World War, the it was looted but later restored and today, the monastery consists of a church and three wings of monastic quarters. Next, was Rakovac Monastery which was founded at the end of 15th century by Raka Milošević, a great courtier of the monarch Jovan Branković. The monastery was named after him. The church of the monastery Rakovac was perhaps built in 1533 and it was one of the most beautiful ones constructed on our area in the 16th century. During the Second World War, the monastery was quite devastated, and in the period of 1958.-59 the church structure was reconstructed and its original appearance was successfully restored. Another of the monasteries visited was Staro Hopovo or, as it is commonly called, "old monastery". Built between 1496-1520 by monarch Đorđe Branković. The monastery today is small, built by using stone and bricks, the dome, due its size and shape, dominates the whole building, supported by arches which rest on pilasters. Another was the monastery of Novo Hopovo, with the church of St. Nicholas. The monastery was first mentioned in documents in 1451. The present church was constructed in 1575. The monastery is famous for its momentous architecture. A fascinating insight into the religious history in this region.Читать далее