the Serbian Orthodox Ostrog Monastery glued against the mountain
On our way to Podgorica we first stopped off at an old Roman bridge near the town of Kocani. The Most na Moštanici, constructed in the 3rd Century AD and believed to be the oldest existing bridge in Montenegro, has five graceful arches that crossed the once imposing Mostanica river, not much more than a dribble today.
the Mostanica bridge near Kocani, from the 3rd century AD
with elegant arches large and small
the top of the bbridge has been renovated, obviously
not only the road itself, also its users may create a challenge in Montenegro
entrance to the lower monastery
which is decorated with modern frescoes
The Ostrog Monastery is Montenegro’s most venerated Serbian Orthodox location, and a popular pilgrimage place. It was founded in the 17th C, relatively late compared to many of the other monasteries we have seen this journey, but the only parts remaining are the two tiny rock churches. Both have been extensively decorated with frescoes, forbidden to photograph. Most of the monastery, the Upper Monastery, is a 1923 restoration, after fire destroyed the original. Like the original, the restored structure is also built against the rock, on a narrow ledge, improbably glued against the mountain.
interestingly, also showing normal people
not only saints and other church-related officials
We drive up an extremely narrow, winding and steep road, in a poor state of repair, and often barely wide enough for one car. Busses with tourists and pilgrims are parked somewhat down the slope, and smaller busses take the people up to the Lower Monastery. This is a 1824 building, painted with vivid and colourful frescoes that we are allowed to picture. From here the real pilgrims walk up the last three kilometres to the Upper Monastery, barefoot, halfway passing the small domed Church of St Stanko the Martyr. We non-believers continue by car, the last part of the road slightly more comfortable, and only need to walk up the last 200 m, or so, from the parking.
the Ostrag monastery from below
one of the modern mosaics against an outer wall, part original rock
another mosaic, inside a part-cave
Being in the monastery feels a bit strange; a holy place, all right, but the large groups of people that are clustering in front of the new building, souvenir shops and the lot, doesn’t fit the scenario. And the huge piles of mattrasses and bedding suggests that people – pilgrims, no doubt – also spend the night here, outside in front of the buildings. The various groups are subsequently being guided – to avoid the word herded – through the various chapels and other spaces, mostly decorated with modern mosaics. Only one little chapel still contains original frescoes, of which I sneakily take a picture only to immediately being told off by one of the monks.
On the way back we find that there is actually a much more comfortable new, two-lane road to Danilovgrad and on the Podgorica.
and the old frescoes, also inside a rock-hewn chapel
the view from the monastery, with right part of the narrow zig-zag road upwards
