Close to the town of Raska, 250 km to the south of Belgrade, one of the most beautiful monasteries from the Middle Ages lies on a small plateau surrounded by dark-green coniferous forests. Its brightly shining marble facades fit in harmoniously with the landscape and are beautiful to behold. It was founded by the progenitor of the Nemanja dynasty in the 12th century which ruled over Serbia for two centuries. The mother church, the most dazzling building in the Serbian Middle Ages, also became his final resting place. Time and again earthquakes and fires caused severe damage and each time the monastery was rebuilt. It was not spared during Austro-Turkish skirmishes either when it was not only badly damaged but also plundered by the Turkish army. The monks, who were on Austria’s side, had to flee in the face of Turkish revenge but today they still follow their monastic lifestyle.
