Set within sheer vertical rock overlooking the Zeta valley, Ostrog Monastery offers striking views for visitors and a sacred experience for pilgrims. The monastery, founded by Metropolitan St Basil (Vladika Sv Vasilije) of Hercegovina in the 17th century, is the most visited Orthodox Christian site in Montenegro, and just 45 minutes from Podgorica.

The Ostrog Monastery complex consists of the Lower Monastery (Donji manastir) and the Upper Monastery (Gornji manastir). The main draw of the Lower Monastery is the Holy Trinity Church (Crkva Sv Trojice), which dates from 1824. It’s delightfully colourful, with vivid wall paintings covering every inch of the interior and a beautiful and equally colourful iconostasis.

For the pious (and fit), a very steep two-kilometre footpath up to the main destination, the Upper Monastery, is de rigueur. However, for tourists with wheels there’s a nicely paved road that leads to an upper car park. Along the way up you will come to the Church of St Stanko the Martyr (Crkva Sv Mučenika Stanka). Built in 2004, this stone church contains both the relics of St Stanko and the remains of 27 WWII Yugoslav soldiers.
 
The pearl of the entire complex is the Upper Monastery. Constructed in two caves, the Upper Monastery is striking from the outside, as this white man-made structure seems to be nestled flawlessly within the vertical rock face.  The interior contains a number of aesthetic and religious pleasantries too, including a smattering of colourful tile icons and a cave-chapel (Church of the Holy Cross; 1665) painted with scenes from the New Testament. The other cave-chapel, which was constructed in 1774, contains the wrapped bones of St Basil. If you are seeking intercession, this is the place to be. To enter you should be appropriately dressed: covered shoulders and trousers or jeans for men, and covered shoulders, legs and heads for women.

To get to Ostrog Monastery, take the Podgorica – Nikšić highway 20 kilometres north until you reach the clearly marked turnoff for Ostrog (if you're on the Podgorica – Nikšić bus, asked to be dropped off here and then take a readily available taxi to the top). From the highway turnoff you will ascend a part asphalt, part dirt road that winds along the cliff sides for a rather slow-going and treacherous eight kilometres. There are also many tourist buses that organize trips to the monastery from the coast and Podgorica.

Eating options are few, but surprisingly good. In the town of Bogetići near the bottom of the mountain, Kolibe (tel. +382 67 88 81 89, www.kolibe.me) serves tasty Montenegrin dishes in a scenic restaurant overlooking the valley; accommodation is available too. In the immediate area of the monastery, hemmed in between shops selling religious nicknacks, Kafe Restoran Sv Petka Ostrog has traditional food, salads, and burgers while Restoran Tvrdoš offers diners a pleasant outdoor seating area and grilled dishes. If you fancy staying the night in Ostrog proper, the monastery has clean, single-sex dorm beds (tel. +382 20 81 11 33).

The monastery is open daily (May-Sep 06:00-17:00, Oct-Apr 05:00-16:00) and admission is free. During the winter months, many of the shops and restaurants around the monastery are closed.