Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
10 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
10 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
10 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Serbia Savovo Hermitage of Saint Sava

Hermitage of Saint Sava

This mesmerizing medieval monastery-cave complex sits thousands of feet above ground overlooking a valley.

Savovo, Serbia

Added By
alexplorer
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Hermitage of Saint Sava   By Okremen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hermitage of Saint Sava   By Okremen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Church of Saint George.   By Misa.stefanovic.07 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hermitage of Saint Sava, the view.   By Legobgd - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hermitage of Saint Sava   By Dragan Obric, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hermitage of Saint Sava   By Misa.stefanovic.07 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Hermitage of Saint Sava is located on the slopes of Radočelo Mountain, around seven miles (12 kilometers) from the medieval monastery of Studenica. 

The Hermitage is a walled cave-complex hanging from a rocky cliff, accessed through a narrow wooden bridge clinging to the cliff. Next to the monastery is a 12th-century church dedicated to Saint George.

There isn't much historical information on the monastery itself. According to local legend, it was created at the same time as the Studenica Monastery, between 1183 and 1195. The church and monastery were allegedly built by the servant of Stefan Nemanja, the medieval Grand Prince of the Serbian Grand Principality. The Hermitage of Saint Sava consists of several cells and it's believed that Saint Sava, Stefan Nemanja's son and the first Archbishop of Serbia, spent some time at the monastery. 

Aside from the Hermitage of Saint Sava, the site is worth visiting for its breathtaking views of the surrounding hills, valleys, and villages in the distance.

Related Tags

Monasteries Caves History & Culture Religion Ecosystems Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The Hermitage of Saint Sava is a religious site and visitors are expected to follow Orthodox customs. Photography is only allowed in certain areas. The site may be locked, so it's recommended to visit Studenica Monastery first, to get help and guidance by the monastery monks.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traverse the beauty and history of the Balkans through locals' stories.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

alexplorer

Published

July 27, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.google.com/maps/place/%D0%93%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%9A%D0%B0+%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0+%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3+%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5+-+%D0%A1%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0/@43.5261589,20.4696273,17z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x0!2zNDPCsDMxJzM0LjciTiAyMMKwMjgnMTEuNiJF!3b1!8m2!3d43.5263!4d20.4699!3m4!1s0x4757b16aba42ed09:0x786f57de94ee127b!8m2!3d43.5264987!4d20.4688074
Hermitage of Saint Sava
Savovo
Serbia
43.526277, 20.469852
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Studenica Monastery

Brezova, Serbia

miles away

Maglič

Maglič, Serbia

miles away

Gradac Monastery

Gradac, Serbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Serbia

Serbia

Europe

Places 126
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Studenica Monastery

Brezova, Serbia

miles away

Maglič

Maglič, Serbia

miles away

Gradac Monastery

Gradac, Serbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Serbia

Serbia

Europe

Places 126
Stories 3

Related Places

  • Cave of Saint Ignatius

    Manresa, Spain

    Cave of Saint Ignatius

    The grotto where Saint Ignatius of Loyola lived as a hermit for nearly a year.

  • The altar inside the hermitage.

    Caramanico Terme, Italy

    Eremo di San Giovanni all'Orfento (Hermitage of Saint John all'Orfento)

    You can only access this hermitage by crawling under a ledge suspended above an overhang.

  • Dale Abbey, England

    Hermits Cave at Dale Abbey

    Inspired by a dream, a hermit carved out a home in this sandstone bank to live a life of contemplation and prayer.

  • Pskov-Caves Monastery.

    Pechory, Russia

    Pskov-Caves Monastery

    This 15th-century cave complex is one of the very few monasteries to stay open throughout World War II and the Soviet regime.

  • Mahakal Mandir

    Darjeeling, India

    Mahakal Mandir

    At this unique temple in Darjeeling, Hindu and Buddhist practices co-exist harmoniously.

  • View from the 4th cell.

    Provadia, Bulgaria

    Rock Monastery of Shashkunite

    Crossing a suspension bridge above a forest is the only way to reach this 12th-century monastery.

  • Atumashi Monastery

    Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)

    Atumashi Monastery

    This Buddhist monastery once housed an image of Buddha containing a 19-carat diamond.

  • Inside the Son Bhandar Caves.

    Rajgir, India

    Son Bhandar Caves

    A pair of mysterious, unusually polished cave temples with an ancient gold legend.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.