Located in a rural and remote corner of Serbia, Studenica Monastery is the nicest Serbian Orthodox monastery and church I visited while in Serbia. It is a fortified monastery, with walls and a tower, that reminded me of the churches in Romania. And it has great murals and a good state of preservation, probably owed to the remoteness. I think the consistency was the part that impressed me the most.

Getting There

You can get to Studenica from both Kraljevo and Novi Pazar. Take a bus between the two and get off at Usce. From Usce, there are a few daily connections to Miliće which stop in Studenica. The connection is timed to match the bus from Kraljevo. Details are found here. You should check with the bus driver regarding return times. There was ample time for the visit and having a sandwich before jumping the bus back.

I came in the morning by bus from Kraljevo and left in the afternoon for Novi Pazar. My original plan had been to catch a cab to the monastery, but Usce doesn't have cabs. I had already started a 2h hike when I saw a bus behind me heading the proper direction.

On my return to Usce via the same bus, I caught the bus to Novi Pazar. Note: Usce has an "official" bus terminal, but some buses stop along the road, 20m off the bus terminal.

While You Are There

Novi Pazar and Stari Ras is a natural next stop. There are direct buses. If you are in Kraljova (kings town), you may want to the Žiča monastery. It's not a world heritage material (too much rebuilt), but it gives a bit context to Studenica.