Hercegovačka Gračanica

Hilltop replica of the medieval Gračanica monastery in Kosovo, with panoramic views

A faithful replica of the early-14th-century Gračanica monastery in Kosovo, built on Crkvina Hill above Trebinje in 2000 to house the remains of the Serbian poet Jovan Dučić (1871–1943). The original Gračanica is one of the masterpieces of medieval Serbian architecture; this copy reproduces its compact Greek-cross plan, five domes and proportions with great care, though in modern stone and concrete.

The interior is fully frescoed by Belgrade icon-painters in the medieval style. From the hilltop terrace, the view sweeps over the whole Trebinje basin, the river, and the surrounding limestone hills. A small museum below the church holds Dučić's personal effects and a selection of his manuscripts. Free; a short taxi or a 30-minute uphill walk from the old town.

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A story
The complex was built in 2000 by the Serbian writer Jovan Dučić's nephew to fulfil his uncle's testamentary wish to be reburied in his hometown. Dučić died in Indiana in 1943; his remains were repatriated and now lie in a glass-fronted chapel beside the church, with the original Kosovo monastery he loved reproduced as a backdrop.