The Patriarchate of Peć is one of the most significant medieval Serbian Orthodox sites in existence — a walled complex of four churches built between the 13th and 17th centuries at the entrance to the Rugova Gorge. The churches contain some of the finest Byzantine frescoes in the Balkans: vivid, richly coloured, and remarkably preserved given the turbulent history of the site.
The complex is still an active monastery, home to a small community of nuns. Visitors are welcome but should dress modestly. The setting is extraordinary: the white walls of the monastery sit below the dramatic grey limestone cliffs of the gorge entrance, with the sound of the Bistrica river constant in the background. A visit here is one of the genuinely unmissable experiences of a trip to Kosovo, whatever your feelings about the political context.