Catch a view of the distinctive (summer) grandeur of the Krka River from a lookout point: the Krka monastery

Monks have always sought peaceful and secluded places to devote themselves to contemplation, prayer, and devotional work. That is why temples, monasteries, and convents are often hidden from view, surrounded by untold natural beauties, which inspire and provoke thought.

Starting from Kistanje along the serpentine road towards Carigradska Draga, the first view of the Krka monastery comes at a lookout point. At the place where softer rocks enabled the Krka River to have a wider valley and a more peaceful course, there is a small, gentle plateau where the river seems to be asleep. It is a place where “the gates are closed to all winds and the monastery is suddenly seen, no matter where the traveller is coming from”. The landscape is dominated by the soothing greenery that surrounds the church and the monastery, the centuries-old home of the Orthodox monks of St. Basil.

You might catch a glimpse of monastery animals freely grazing or a boat bringing excursionists from the Roški Slap waterfall. If you had thought to bring a horse-drawn wagon instead of your car, the world could easily seem a few centuries earlier. While the breeze brings the rich scent of incense from worship, along with water, land, stone and the lush vegetation on the fertile silty land brought by the river, you can hear birds and amphibians from the surrounding reeds and ponds.

When you have already come so close, it is worth descending a little further to walk along the path and visit the monastery and its rich treasury, as well as the catacombs hidden under it. For beauty is most often found in hidden places, as well as in humble souls.

 

 

109

km2

07

waterfalls

388

km bike route

47

km of hiking trails

10

entrances

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