Ostrog

Ostrog is not the oldest monastery in Montenegro, but certainly one of the most famous. This place is widely known among Orthodox pilgrims, they visit it almost at the same frequency as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Within its walls are the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog, as well as the ancient prayers of 1732 and church candlesticks dating from about the same period.
The monastery consists of two parts - the upper and lower, and the upper one is built into the rock at an altitude of almost 1 km above sea level. Ostrog was built in the 17th century, but caves in the local rocks served as a refuge for monks from time immemorial.

Today Ostrog is an active monastery, 12 monks live there, but for tourists this place is also open.
There is a monastery in the mountains, away from the road connecting Podgorica and Nikshich. The monastery is located at the base of the Rock of Ostrovka Gred, is 15 km away from the city of Danilovgrad and 30 km from Podgorica. Up to the road connecting Podgorica and Nikshich, from the monastery 8 km. You can get to Ostroh by bus or car, but you should take into account that the mountain road, and, therefore, narrow and winding, to overcome it under the power of an experienced driver. From many tourist cities in Montenegro, organized tours with lizised guides come here, which not only will tell you a lot about the monastery and its life, but also explain the basic rules of behavior in the monastery. Since every tourist, and every pilgrim wants to take with him as a souvenir at least some small thing, consecrated in this miraculous place, the monastery has a church shop where you can buy a variety of candles, icons, incenses, prayer books and just memorable souvenirs.
The monastery Ostrog is not one of the oldest in Montenegro, its fame begins at the end of the 17th century and is completely connected with the life and work of St. Basil Ostrog, revered not only in Montenegro, but also far beyond its borders. For the first time in the caves in the present monastery settled unknown hermits, whose goal was a solitary life away from temptations, prayers and deeds. In honor of the mountain towering over it, the monastery got its name: Podstrog. It is an active male Orthodox monastery, in Montenegro, it is revered on a par with the shrines of Jerusalem and New Athos. Being the largest religious center in Montenegro and a popular pilgrimage place, the monastery is widely known outside the country. Among the believers it is believed that the remains of the founder of St. Basil of Ostrog, stored in the monastery, have a great miracle-working power, they heal even the hopelessly sick.
It is believed that this is the third most visited place of pilgrimage in the world, after the grave of Christ and the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

Ostrog is the only Orthodox functioning monastery where not only Christians but also Muslims and Jews come with pilgrimage goals.
The monastery consists of two parts, the upper and lower. Between them is a forest road, the length of which is about 5 km. But in most cases pilgrims move along a shorter hiking trail, overcoming the distance between parts of the monastery in 20-25 minutes. Usually visit the lower monastery, founded in the 19th century. It consists of the Church of the Holy Trinity and monastic cells. The relics of the holy new martyr Stanko rest in the church.
To this 15-year-old teenager, the Turks cut off both hands for holding a holy cross in them and did not obey the order to throw him to the ground.
After the lower one usually go up to the upper monastery. Its main part is built into the rock at an altitude of 900 m above sea level, it has the most cherished sights, it consists of two churches, Krestovozdvizhenskaya and Vvedenska. It was in the Vvedenskaya church, tiny in size, Vasily Ostrozhsky spent 15 years in prayer. Now in the Vvedensky temple the ark is kept with miraculous relics of Vasily Ostrozhsky. Do not run out to them a series of people who are hungry for healing and help. The chain moves continuously, stop and consider something impossible. People write on their pieces of paper their cherished desires, leave their messages in clicks and cracks in the wall. It is said that here all wishes come true, so, one should be very careful in the formulations.

Tradition says that many miracles occurred with pilgrims and with the monastery itself. It happened in ancient times, it is happening now. Material evidence to one of them - the German air bomb, which fell during the shelling of the Church of the True Cross, broke in half, but never exploded. Until now, she is in one of the vestry. And opposite the church grows a vine, which ascended on the site of St. Basil's death, despite the absence of natural soil there. At the exit from the church, a fountain with curative water, which protects from troubles and hardships, is beating. Water from this source is bottled and distributed free of charge to those who wish.
The Church of the Holy Crucifixion is not only a religious value, but also an artistic one. In the 17th century, Master Radul painted it remarkable on the edge