TVRDOŠ MONASTERY

Founded in the 13th century, this Serbian Orthodox monastery (Manstir Tvrdoš/Манастир Тврдош) is the largest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Located on the terrace of the Trebišnjica River, it owes its name to its reputation as a "hard place"(tvrdoš) and impregnable. It is famous for its relics and its wines. Dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, the complex was founded during the reign of the Serbian king Stefan Milutin (1282-1321) and was destroyed in 1664 by the Venetians in order to weaken the Orthodox clergy, which was then a supporter of the Ottomans. Rebuilt in 1928 and renovated in 1999, it now has a pseudo-medieval architecture. The road that leads to the complex runs along some rows of vines. The presence of these is symbolic: most of the monastery's 150 hectares of vineyards are spread over three large areas around Trebinje. The entrance is guarded by a defensive tower about 23 m high and by a fortified building with a slate roof. The entrance is guarded by a defensive tower of about 23 m height and by a fortified building with a slate roof. Then one reaches the catholicon (main church) in the shape of a Latin cross and surmounted by an oval dome mounted on a drum about 20 m high. The annex buildings (monks' lodgings, monastery treasury, reception hall, workshops...) are elegantly arranged in an arc on the north side of the church.

Byzantine remains and wine tasting. During the renovation of the catholicon in 1999, the remains of a 4th century Byzantine church were discovered in the foundations. The floor is now equipped with glass plates that allow the observation of these early Christian ruins. The frescoes, completed in 2000, are inspired by the Serbian style of the 14th century (the golden age of the Serbian Church). On the heights, one notices the portrait of the "neo-martyr" Milica Rakić, a 3-year-old child killed in 1999, in Belgrade, during the Nato bombings in the Kosovo war (spot the word "NATO"). The church also houses the bones of monks from Tvrdoš who died in the concentration camp of Jasenovac-Donja Gradina during the Second World War (see Banja Luka region). But the most famous relic is the mummified hand of the Serbian saint Helen of Anjou (1237-1314), a French Catholic who converted to Orthodoxy and mother of King Stefan Milutin. The visit continues in the cellars of the monastery (on the right of the catholicon). There you can taste rather strong wines made from žilavka or liliorila (whites), but especially reds made from vranac (60% of the production) and cabernet sauvignon.