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Novi Pazar
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Stari Ras and Sopocani
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Stari Ras and Sopocani

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Stari Ras and Sopocani
4.5
57 reviews
#1 of 11 things to do in Novi Pazar
Historic Sites • Religious Sites • Monuments & Statues
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  • Djordje M
    Belgrade, Serbia874 contributions
    Breathtaking paintings
    As you can read about Sopocani, this place is work of art and posses really good preserved frescoes. You can also imagine fortress around monastery which brings you back to medieval period. We were visiting during "covid19 crisis" so it was really quiet and peaceful. They also built in front of monastery place to refresh, with few tables and chairs, water and tea, where you can sit and rest for a bit. Definitly worth visiting
    Visited July 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 17, 2020
  • Kid B
    285 contributions
    The real start place of the Renaissance?
    Early 12th-century monastery set in beautiful hills. We were lucky enough to tour the church frescoes with an art historian working there. The frescoes were done before the Renaissance and are considered well in advance of others in Europe. Even my layman's eyes could see the difference. Absolutely beautiful!
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 4, 2023
  • Aswin
    17 contributions
    Stari Ras is a must visit place near Novi Pazar
    Stari Ras is a must visit place when in Novi Pazar. The road trip to reaching this place is an absolute joy ride. Once on the top has a good view of the town and surrounding areas. The monastery is easy to reach on the the road side. Both are UNESCO heritage sites and must did not disappoint.
    Visited April 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written April 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
57 reviews
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36
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AlbertSalichs
Manresa, Spain11,329 contributions
A nice Romanesque monastery
Oct 2019 • Friends
Sopocani Monastery is an orthodox religious complex located not so far from Novi Pazar, a city in the Central Serbia. It has a Romanesque Church inside the little remains of the walls, which surrounded all complex. It is beautiful, but it was restored in the 20th Century. Also, near this church, there is Stari Ras (an old fortress), where only you can see remains and very beautiful views of the surroundings.
Written April 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kid B
LA285 contributions
Spectacular scenic beauty cradling some of the most beautiful spiritual places in Serbia
Oct 2012 • Family
Boning up on your middle ages history of Serbia will add greatly to your experience in this area. Ras, just north of Kosovo, is the seat of the first and most important Serbian dynasty. The beauty is astounding - not least because it struck me as incredibly odd that I had no idea such a lovely place existed in Europe. We used as our base the town of Cacak, but you would be well served to spend one night at Sopocani, and two days seeing the area. The drive down from Cacak was nothing short of spectacular - following the beautiful Ibar river through absolutely lush green wooded hills, largely uninhabited. After traveling the world my wife says its the most beautiful place she's seen. There are a number of things to see in the region, but three main ones all outside the town of Novi Pazar. Petrova Crkva is the oldest church in Serbia, dating to the 700s, and has witnessed numerous high moments in Serbian mythology. Djurdjevi Stupovi (The Pillars of Saint George) was founded by Nemanja - who founded the most glorious Serbian dynasty - in 1170 dedicated to St. George to whom he believed he owed his throne. It sits atop a hill with 360 views of the surrounding Raska countryside. Nearby Sopocani was built at the head of the Raska river in lush forest in the middle of the 13th century. The frescoes here are considered the greatest in Serbia.
Written October 30, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELear
Ancona, Italy3,163 contributions
Wonderful
Jun 2012 • Solo
Sopocani was the main reason why I came to this part of Serbia, and it was everything I'd hoped, not only the wonderful frescoes but also the monastery itself, in its beautiful setting, which came as a complete surprise.

I agree that reading a bit about early mediaeval Serbian history (especially King Uros and Queen Ana) before you go will help.

A visit to Sopocani Monastery is easily combined with one to the archaeological site of Stari Ras (once the capital of mediaeval Sebia), a few kilometres away on the road back to Novi Pazar, Djurdjevi Stupovi and St Peter's Church, near Novi Pazar, and the old Ottoman centre of Novi Pazar itself, with narrow streets and tiny shops, ancient Mosques and ruined Turkish baths. The Ecco Tourist Agency in Novi Pazar (tel 00381 20311575 - ask for Mr Esad) organised all of this for me, with a car and a driver (English speaking), and were exceptionally helpful and efficient. I'm sure they could also arrange a day trip to Studenica (on the road to Kraljevo) and Zica (near Kraljevo), also UNESCO sites. Perhaps even a trip to Pec.

Sopocani has an excellent shop, selling icons, postcards, guide books and so on, run by Fathers Kosma and Paisie.

People with mobility problems won't find Sopocani too difficult. After a few steps up from the car park, it's all well-maintained, level paths and lawns.
Written May 18, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hobolinda
Torrance, CA156 contributions
Take local bus from the station
Sep 2014 • Solo
I got in from an overnight bus from Sarajevo and had to wait for sunrise in a dingy cafe which served you Turkish coffee at 4:30 a.m. and ordered wonderful grilled sausages in a pita. The bathroom was one of the worst squat toilets i've ever encountered. The cook found me a local bus to take me to the monastery, and being there at daybreak, sitting on the terrace enjoying a complimentary coffee and brandy, waiting for the priests to show me in were a priceless experience! The frescoes were in amazingly good condition, and i recommend this side trip immensely.
Written September 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IgorMarkovic
Smederevo, Serbia1,811 contributions
Simply breathtaking!
Sep 2016 • Friends
The Sopoćani Monstery is considered to be one of the most beautiful and historically most valuable monasteries in Serbia. If something is worth seeing in the Monastery, that would definitely be the old frescoes, which artistic and historical beauty cannot be described. Even though at the moment there are some restaurations going on inside the Monastery, you can still enjoy the breathtaking richness of this UNESCO's protected world cultural heritage site. As for the Stari Ras complex, it is worth paying attention to, but don't expect too much, since it's a congregation of different archeological excavations and remains of castles and (city) walls. Anyway, simply don't miss to visit these amazing places, especially if you're a fan of history and archeology!
Written September 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gocaBelgrade
belgrade7 contributions
Petrova church
If you want to go there, its recommended to read historical facts.
After that everything will be more interesting.
Must see>Petrova church(the oldest., )
old castle Maglic (20 minutes walk from main road up hill).
Written January 18, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John R
Raska, Serbia7 contributions
Stari Ras is only a faint memory of a fortress on a hilltop. The nearby monastery architecture and frescoes - excellent.
Aug 2018
Stari Ras (Old Ras) is important for its historical significance, but there is hardly anything to see on the hilltop. Used to be one of the birthplaces of medieval Serbia.
The Sopocani Monastery is wonderful, with beautiful monumental frescoes painted by the Serbian medieval school. The architecture, like of the many similar 12th century monastery churches around, is surprisingly Romanic, with a mix of Byzantine style, enough to make them all unique.
Written August 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
matthow
Newport, UK400 contributions
Under restoration.
Sep 2016 • Solo
Under restoration at the moment and they are doing a wonderful job. There are some lovely frescoes but there has been a lot of damage over the years. It must have been magnificent in it's day though.
As some have said the road is a little rough on the way up but negotiable. There are some lovely carvings in the church and also interesting reliquaries. Unfortunately I did not have enough time to go up to the nearby fortress as it is quite a trek up, especially if it's wet. On a more earthly note the Rakija the monks make in the souvenir shop is superb.
Written October 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mavro1979
Novi Pazar, Serbia11 contributions
Place of tranquility
May 2015 • Friends
Monastery complex is 15 km away from Novi Pazar. It is under UNESCO's protection as a world heritage site. It is an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia. Monastery was build by the Italian craftsmen. Near the monastery is the source of river Raška. Same source is used as a water source for Novi Pazar. Monastery is alive and monks live and pray in it. The monks also have their economy nearby. During the daytime they are willing to open the monastery for the visitors anytime you come except when there is a service. You don't have to pay the entrance but there is a place for money donations. Place is very tranquil. They have walls around the monastery, gift shop, drinking fountain and spacious parking lot. Living quarters of the monks are outside the monastery courtyard.
Written August 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TinaQ
Moscow, Russia1,910 contributions
A bit hard to find
Dec 2013 • Couples
Oh my god it took us some time to navigate through the Novi Pazar and find the way up to the Sopocani Monastery, but after that the visit was great. The monastery grounds are quaint and peaceful, the setting sun was painting beautiful pictures. There were other visitors along with us so the church was open, but I believe the gatekeeper is always ready to open it for you. Parking space right below the monastery, I believe there must be quite a number of tourists in summer.
Written July 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Stari Ras and Sopocani, Novi Pazar

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