Dobrun Monastery

Dobrun Monastery is known in the historical records of Decani as the Kruševo shrine. Dobrun Monastery is located in the picturesque mountainous region on the road Višegrad – Užice, surrounded with rocky hills and opened towards the gorge of the mountain stream. Dobrun Monastery is set in the border area of Republic of Serbia and the Srpska Republic, 12 km away from town of Višegrad, in the gorge of Rzav River with numerous springs and fertile fields and pastures. Dobrun Monastery is dedicated to the Annunciation and was built in 1343 by Duke Pribil and his sons Stefan and Petar. Peter as monk Jovan erected narthex and fresco-painted it in 1383. Dobrun Monastery was entirely fresco decorated. The most important frescoes preserved up today are scenes of Tsar Dusan and his wife Jelena and their son Uros as well as founder’s composition of Duke Pribil and his sons and son in law Stano. About frescoes of Dobrun Monastery we know much because they testify on processes of the last century before Turkish occupation of Serbia and Bosnia. Dobrun Monastery was destroyed in 1393 when Turks first time occupied Bosnia. About the building and the early history of Dobrun Monastery there are not reliable records as there are rare existing records. It is only known that Dobrun Monastery was the Metropolitan seat. Dobrun Monastery was restored by Despot Stefan Lazarević and Princess Milica. Sometime on the turn of the 18th and the 19th century Dobrun Monastery was deserted. During its history Dobrun Monastery was several time destroyed and rebuilt. Dobrun Monastery experienced its worst destruction during the Second World War when Germans used it as ammunition storage and blown up in 1945 on their withdrawal. Dobrun Monastery was restored in 1946.

Within the rocks above the Dobrun Monastery there is the cave whose entrance was built 6f stone. Hermits lived in the cave who descended to the Monastery only for the great feasts. Within the complex of Dobrun Monastery there are the Museum of the First Serbian uprising and the Painting Gallery and the Dabrobosnian Bishopric Museum.

The Medieval Dobrun Fortification

Remains of the Dobrun Medieval fort lie high on the steep mountain sides above the both river sides and close to the gorge entrance which as the natural border divides the Vardiste and Mokra Gora from Podrinje region. The Medieval Fortification is at close proximity to Dobrun Monastery, located on 150 meters high rock. The Medieval of Dobrun fort was once the most significatn Medieval settlement of the region, known from the 15th century. The fort contained the Dukes residence and three guard-towers. It was a seat of the religious and the civil authorities for this region. According to the epic and legend, the Dobrun fortification has been built around 1440 by the „accursed Jerina”, the wife of the Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković, what is not historically confirmed. In the Middle Ages the town encompassed the Lower Town where the merchants from Dubrovnik stayed. Until the present time only remnants of towers have been preserved, that are visible from the road.

Drina River Rafting and its gorgeous surroundings

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