Manastir Uvac

Uvac Monastery - the most important information

The Uvac Monastery is located near the village of Stublo, between the municipalities of Cajetina and Priboj, and lies by the Uvac River. The location of this monastery collects stories from the turbulent past when its complex was built, demolished, and renovated. When you visit this place, you will see that it is a long-term spiritual center that stoically endures the change of time and occasion.

History of the monastery
It is believed that the first church on this place was built in the 15th century and that it was modest and small. According to the legend, it may be a church that the people know as Janja. However, very little is known about the beginnings of this religious building due to the demolition it suffered on several occasions. It is assumed that the first church was dedicated to the Birth of the Most Holy Mother of God, but its curators remained unknown. The monastery suffered the most damage in the period between 1697 and 1698 when it was looted and set on fire. Its remains were found only in 1994, and a year after that, a new monastery complex was built here, which you can visit today.

What to see
As the monastery was deprived of all valuable items in the 17th century, today you can see very few artifacts from the past. A large part of the monastery complex was made of wood, so many buildings were destroyed in the fire. What withstood the destruction were mostly objects made of iron, ceramics, and stone:

Rosettes
Fonts
Marble furniture
Metal coins

The frescoes of the old monastery were destroyed, except for frescoes' parts of the Archangel Michael and Sveti Simeon. Today's monastery, a building of recent times, was built on the spiritual strength of this place and placed under the protection of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Kraljevo. In the monastery complex, you can see the church and the boarding house that was built with the help of the National Museum from Uzice.

How to get to the monastery
A partial reason why the Uvac monastery remained in ruins for a long time is its location. It is located next to the river Uvac, in a hilly region away from larger settlements. The nearest place is the village of Stublo, southeast of Zlatibor, which is located about 11 km from the monastery. This settlement serves as an orientation for getting to the monastery.

From the direction of Zlatibor: you can arrive in about 50 minutes by following the local roads. From the main road, turn right towards route 405. This road leads past Ribnica and Ribnica lake and around the Tornik Ski Center. When you are close to Stublo, before entering the settlement, turn right and the road will take you to the Uvac monastery.
From the direction of Priboj: you can also reach the monastery from Priboj by going south. After turning right for the road Jarmovacki Put, you will reach the monastery in about 40 minutes.

Additional information

Dress code: it is recommended that you come to the monastery decently dressed in clothes that cover the shoulders and knees.