An excursion to Ostrog from Herceg Novi

An excursion to Ostrog and other monasteries of Montenegro will leave an imprint on your heart for life, because here you can visit the most significant relics of Orthodoxy, venerate the great relics and see the Balkan architecture of churches and monasteries.

Montenegro is a small country with a centuries-old history of Christianity and a rich heritage of world Orthodox culture. Many holy places dating back to the 4th – 5th centuries AD have been preserved here to this day. Every day, pilgrims flock to Montenegro to venerate the holy relics of Basil of Ostrog the Wonderworker. A trip to the holy places will leave an unforgettable impression in your heart.

The bus will pick up tourists on an excursion to Ostrog almost from all the resorts of the Herceg Nova Riviera: Herceg Novi, Njivice, Igalo, Meline, Zelenika, Kumbor, Djenovici, Baosici, Bijela, Kamenari, Kostanjica and Morinj. Don't forget to take with you: cameras, water, clothes that cover your shoulders and legs below the knees, as you will be visiting a monastery, and of course a good mood!

Excursion program to the Ostrog monastery

In the morning at about 7:00 we will go inland by bus. The route will begin along The side of Kotor Bay, passing Herceg Novsky, Tivat and Risan bays. The first stop is at an altitude of more than 600 meters with a panorama of the Boka Kotor Bay. From above you can see Risan, Perast and island of the Virgin on the reef.

We will pass through the passes and mountains of the central part of Montenegro, and in an hour awaits us Slansko lake, which looks harmonious against the backdrop of the mountains. Let's make a stop at the panoramic platform.

Our first stop will be at the lowermonastery Ostrog (Subostrog), where we will visit the small church of the Holy Trinity.

Look carefully at the frescoes that depict the life of St. Basil of Ostrog the Wonderworker, how he received pilgrims of all faiths, not only Orthodox, but Catholics and Muslims. He treated believers with his prayers and herbs.

Then we will climb to the upper Ostrog. Many people wonder: why was it built so high? - the answer is simple: first of all, monks believe that the higher you are, the closer you are to God. Secondly, when it was built (the monastery of the 17th century) it was the militant time of the Ottoman Empire and the monks built churches and monasteries in hard-to-reach places, such as the edges of cliffs or steep mountains, caves.

Once every 10 years, white knitted socks are changed on the relics, when they take off the old ones, the monks notice the worn out soles every time. It’s such a miracle that the spirit of Vasily Ostrozhsky is still rising up and down from the lower monastery to the upper one. It is believed that if you climb on foot, or even better barefoot, from the lower Ostrog monastery to the upper one, the whole soul is cleansed and all a person’s sins go away! The Upper Monastery is separated from the Lower Monastery by a serpentine road about 3 kilometers long, passing through the forest. However, pilgrims walking usually use a shorter pedestrian road directly, which can be covered in 30-40 minutes.

Those who cannot climb on foot for some reason can sit in minibuses that will take you to the top of the upper monastery of Ostrog.

Ostrog is the third most visited in the world after Jerusalem and Mount Athos in Greece. Seeing the monastery for the first time, it is difficult to believe that it was created by human hands.

In a small cave-type church, the relics of the Great Basil of Ostrog the Wonderworker are kept - the most knowledgeable and revered in all the Balkans. Bending down, pilgrims enter through the low doors and venerate his relics. People are still being healed here, getting back on their feet after long illnesses, and praying for their loved ones.

Having risen to the bell tower of the monastery, you will notice another church dedicated to the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. And opposite, a miraculous vine grows from the rocks. When she bears fruit, having eaten one grape, the girl can become pregnant from her loved one, who has wanted a child for so long, but it still hasn’t worked out before.

As inCetinje Monasteryin the cityCetinje, in Ostrog there is a monastery shop where you can buy various church utensils, icons, candles, as well as brojanits - Serbian-Montenegrin amulets. They will tell you more about themour guides.

We will spend 2.5-3 hours in Ostrog, after which there will be a break for lunch, which is provided in a national restaurant. It can be ordered on the website additionally when booking.

Having visited the holy places of the Ostrog monastery, we will head back tocoast of Montenegro.

Excursion details

We return back around 16:00. The excursion takes place only with a Russian-speaking, experienced, licensedguide! Lunch is provided in a national restaurant with famous local food: Lamb from Pod Sachem, grilled trout, dried prosciutto meat, cheese, chorby (local soups), kajmak, Shopska salad, young red wine and much more to your taste and choice!

Excursions in Montenegrostart from the bus stops indicated when booking. Due to the dense, chaotic buildings on the coast and mountainous terrain, buses cannot travel to every hotel or villa, so tourists go to certain stops, which, when booking, you can choose the one closest to your place of residence.

Arrival time at the attraction, duration of stops and return back are approximate. This may be earlier than indicated on the website, or 3-4 hours late. Be sure to read the “Tourist Memo”, which will be sent to you by e-mail along with the voucher.

At technical stops, Montenegrins sell various homemade specialties (honey, wine, rakia...) - our advice: buy what you tried and liked, as it happens that they sell/get the wrong product that you liked during tasting.

Excursion The monastery of Ostrog and Podgorica takes place in any weather

Excursion to Ostrog - video

The video shows the program and description of the excursion, sights of Montenegro, we will spend 2.5-3 hours in the Ostrog monastery. Separate time for lunch at a local restaurant, and beautiful scenery will accompany us almost the entire way.

Route on the map: excursion to Ostrog

By bus we will first pick up tourists from Njivice, Igalo and Herceg Novi. Then we will head along the coastal strip of the Herceg Nova Riviera through the resorts Meline, Zelenika, Kumbor, Djenovici, Baosici, Bijela, Kamenari, Kostanjica and Morinj, thereby admiring these resorts and the coast. Afterwards we will drive through Slansko Lake to the center of Montenegro. Before reaching Niksic we will turn to the Ostrog Monastery. We will visit the lower monastery with the Church of the Holy Trinity, the upper Ostrog monastery with the relics of Vasily Ostrog. Lunch time is about 1-1.5 hours. Time to buy souvenirs. The bus returns around 16:00, so you will even have time to go to the beach - at this time the sun is not so strong and it will be very pleasant to take a break from the excursion right by the sea.

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It is very easy to sign up for an excursion: Click button "Book/sign up for an excursion", select the point of departure (your resort of residence), the date of the excursion, the number of people. Below you will see the stops from which all tourists depart for excursions. Select the nearest stop from your place of residence (if there are more than 1 stop). Enter your name, phone number and email to which the voucher will be sent. Click confirm. In the Cart, check your details, then make a prepayment with your Visa/Master Card of only 10%, the rest to the guide on the bus. After payment you will instantly receive a voucher! Enjoy your excursion!