Monastery & Sacred Heritage
Savina Monastery
Herceg Novi · Bay of Kotor
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Monastery & Sacred Heritage
- COUNTRY
- Montenegro
- REGION
- Herceg Novi · Bay of Kotor
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Savina is a Serbian Orthodox monastery in a grove of cypress and silver olive trees about 2 km east of the Herceg Novi centre, the calmest spot in the town and the place with the finest view down over the bay. The monastery complex includes the older, smaller church of Saint Sava, the great 18th-century church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and a monastic residence, set among gardens and olive groves that give the place its sheltered, contemplative character. It is an active monastery: services and the monastic life take priority over tourism, and interior access, the treasury and photography are never guaranteed. Modest dress and quiet behaviour are expected.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
The Savina monastery is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God and is the most important Serbian Orthodox monastery on the Bay of Kotor. The older of its two churches, the small church of Saint Sava, dates from the 13th century, while the great church was built in the late 18th century by the master builder Nikola Foretić from Korčula, in a Baroque style that reflects the cultural ties between the bay and the eastern Adriatic. The monastery gathered relics, icons and liturgical objects over the centuries, including treasures brought from the Herzegovina monasteries during the Ottoman advance, and it remains an active monastic community today, serving the Orthodox faithful of the bay.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The great church — the 18th-century Baroque church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the architectural heart of the monastery, when open.
The small church of Saint Sava — the older, humbler church on the site, a contrast to the great church beside it.
The cypress and olive grove — the sheltered garden setting that gives Savina its contemplative character and its view over the bay.
The view over the bay — the panorama from the monastery grounds down over the entrance to the Bay of Kotor.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Savina is the spiritual and botanical counterpoint to the fortresses of Herceg Novi — the place where the town’s Orthodox heritage and its mild, green microclimate meet in one quiet enclosure. For a visitor it is the calmest stop in the town and the one that most clearly shows why Herceg Novi has been a place of retreat as well as a fortress. But it is a living monastery, and the visit must be shaped around its religious life rather than treated as a guaranteed tourist stop.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Savina Monastery
Savina Monastery, Herceg Novi, Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
42.4517, 18.5551
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Herceg Novi
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Old Town konobas — traditional Montenegrin coastal cooking and bay fish in the stone lanes and squares of the upper town, with seasonal opening and variable reservation needs
Škver and promenade seafood and cafés — seafront restaurants, grill houses and café terraces along the Šetalište Pet Danica for fish, mezze and a relaxed waterfront meal
Bakeries, markets and walker stops — burek, pastries, fruit and quick provisions around the marina and the old-town gates for a light lunch or a picnic on the promenade
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Central and Old Town guesthouses — small, locally run rooms and apartments within walking distance of the fortresses, the squares and the promenade
Promenade and Savina hotels and apartments — seafront accommodation along the Šetalište Pet Danica and toward the Savina side, with bay views and direct waterfront access
Igalo or eastern-riviera accommodation — a quieter, value-oriented base in Igalo or along the eastern riviera, a short drive or bus ride from the centre
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
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PART OF
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