MONASTERY OF SAINT JOACHIM-D'OSOGOVO (ЈОАКИМ МАНАСТИР МАНАСТИР)

Nestled in a lush forest 850 meters above sea level, this Orthodox monastery (Осоговски Манастир/Osogovski Manastir) is one of the most beautiful in the country. While its catholicon (main church) dates from the ^19th century, the complex itself was founded in the ^12th century in honor of St. Joachim of Osogovo, a hermit renowned for his miracles who lived in the area in the ^11th century. The complex was remodeled by the Serbian king Stefan Dečanski in the 1320s and became a major center for literary dissemination. Most of the buildings were destroyed in an earthquake in 1585, rebuilt with Russian assistance, and then damaged again in the ^18th century. Abandoned for nearly a century, the monastery was reborn in 1847 under the impetus of a Muslim patron from Kriva Palanka who first built a short-lived mosque, then rebuilt the catholicon in 1851. The conception of this one is entrusted to Andreja Damjanov, to whom we owe notably the church-cathedral of Veles. Here, the architect saw big and was inspired by the Serbo-Byzantine style to build a structure with three naves topped by seven domes.

A real small hotel. Dedicated to Saint Joachim of Osogovo, the church was placed under the protection of Sultan Abdülhamid II, who stayed at the monastery during a military campaign in 1884. This is evidenced by the column supported by props and decorated with a turban-shaped sculpture placed near the church porch. The church houses a small part of the relics of the holy hermit (on the right as you enter), a large iconostasis and large colorful frescoes by the Veles painter Dimitar Papradiški between 1884 and 1932. But it is more the monastery as a whole that is worth visiting, with its buildings, chapels, stairways, gardens, fountains and terraces offering magnificent views of Mount Ruen, to the southeast, the peak of the Osogovo massif, at an altitude of 2,251 meters. Another interest: the monks propose here a real small hotel in a superb old dormitory with a restaurant and six simple but comfortable rooms (Wifi, heating and private bathroom). Of course, the restaurant closes at 7 pm and you have to book for lunch, dinner and breakfast, but few monasteries in the Balkans offer such comfort. The place is ideal for exploring the surrounding hiking trails. However, if you want to be quiet, it is better to avoid staying here in August, when there are many visitors, especially around August 29, the feast day of St. Joachim of Osogovo.