Gradište Monastery

Gradište Monastery is an Orthodox monastic complex in Buljarica consisting of three churches, residential buildings, and defensive walls with gun ports positioned on a Mediterranean plateau. The layout reflects medieval defensive architecture arranged across elevated terrain.

The monastery was established in 1116 and received official recognition through a charter from King Milutin in 1307. This document recorded Queen Jelena's donation to the Monastery of Holy Virgin of Ratac.

The Church of Saint Nicholas displays frescoes showing scenes from the Old and New Testament alongside portraits of the Nemanjic Dynasty. These artworks reflect the spiritual devotion and royal connections that shaped the monastery's role in medieval society.

The monastery sits about 7 kilometers east of Petrovac on a hilltop overlooking the highway toward Bar. The location offers clear sightlines across the surrounding valley and is straightforward to reach.

The monastery houses a rare icon of Saint Christopher with an animal head created in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This unusual depiction shows a particular iconographic interpretation not commonly seen in Orthodox churches.

GPS coordinates: 42.20222,18.96361

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:05