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Church on the Hill

The Church on the hill in Trebinje BiH

January 7, 2016 By Jan Robinson 33 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


Jovan Dučić is one of the favourite sons of Trebinje BiH.  While other notable residents were historically either sports people, performers or rebel leaders he was a teacher, turned distinguished diplomat, who was even more well-known as a writer and poet. Today he lies buried in the Church on the hill in Trebinje Bosnia (BiH being the abbreviation for Bosnia and Herzegovina.)

Church gardens on the hill in Trebinje Bosnia

One of three outstanding Serbian lyric poets of his generation, he was exiled to America in 1941 when Germany invaded Yugoslavia. He died there in 1943 with a final wish to be buried in his hometown. It wasn’t until October 2000 that he was finally laid to rest in the newly built Gračanica church on Crkvina Hill.

Views over the Town

Trebinje view from the hill

 

The inside of the small church is totally covered by murals painted on a rich blue background.  When we visited, sunbeams were streaming through the high windows – something I’d photographed only weeks before at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.

Gracanica church on the hill  in Trebinje Bosnia (BiH)
[pinit] Gracanica church on the hill in Trebinje Sunbeams

While St. Peter’s Basilica was first built in 322, Jovan is probably the oldest thing in this church apart from religious icons.  The Church was built with funds from Branko Tupanjac, a wealthy Serb in exile.

While obviously new, it is actually a faithful reproduction of the famous Monastery of Gracanica in Kosovo and Metohija – which holds symbolic importance to Serbian people.

The Church alone in a vast space.

Church on the Hill

The church on the hill in Trebinje stands alone in a theatrically vast space with a matching bell tower off to one side.  Further behind that tower is a modern restaurant/cafe with extravagant town views. Although we were on a mission to get to the Bay of Kotor that day we couldn’t resist ordering coffees and enjoying them in such beautiful surrounds.

Gracanica church Bell Tower from Restaurant

Gracanica church Restaurant View 2

Although the complex was practically deserted during our visit there was obvious space for buses and I’m sure it does get a lot of visitors. The religious and souvenir shop accepts credit cards/Euros/BM and offers shipping. We purchased a couple of decorative bottles painted traditionally, which rightly or wrongly made a Turkish connection in my mind.

On the other side of the Souvenir Shop and parking area was a casual seating area beneath a vine covered pergola accompanied by a sad looking tethered donkey and adequately caged hens, roosters and rabbits, most likely billed as a mini-zoo.

[pinit] Gracanica Church Steps Trebinje

Situated at the front of the church this long staircase leads down through gardens to a small modern amphitheatre built into the hillside as if in Ancient Greece. The plastic moulded seats and atmospheric setting would provide an excellent performance space but it also provides an excellent view of the Ottoman, Arslanagić Bridge below.

Trebinje BiH Amphitheatre Church on the Hill

 

Built on the Trebišnjica River at the convergence of ancient trading routes in 1574, the bridge was moved several kilometres to this site in 1970 after the building of a hydro dam submerged it.

A visit to the church on the hill really is a must while in Trebinje.  The appeal of Europe for us often relates to antiquity and it took a while to process the concept of this new – yet old Serbian church. The landscaped complex is well maintained, the views are magnificent and with more time I would have liked to have eaten at the restaurant which promised excellent local dishes with attentive service.

We visited Trebinje as part of a road trip through Croatia, BiH and Montenegro during our Ten Weeks in Europe 2015.

Budget Travel Talk

Entry to the Church is Free

Coffee at the restaurant is inexpensive

The hilltop Church can be accessed by car or on foot

This week I’m linking to Nancie’s Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox with co-hosts  Ruth from Tanama Tales  and   Rachel from Rachel’s Ruminations.

 

An InLinkz Link-up


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Filed Under: Bosnia and Hercegovina, Destination, Ten Weeks in Europe 2015 Tagged With: Bosnia, Trebinje

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Josie

    January 7, 2016 at 11:02 pm

    Hi Jan,
    Simply breathtaking! I love the photo of the light streaming in from the colorful dome above.
    ~Josie

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      Hi Josie, it is good to hear from you again. Happy New Year!

      Reply
  2. Tanja (the Red phone box travels)

    January 7, 2016 at 11:44 pm

    It looks very interesting!

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      Definitely Tanja.

      Reply
  3. Jackie Smith

    January 8, 2016 at 1:52 am

    I love visiting churches! And that sunbeam shot gave me goosepimples! I love the way the builders figured out how to best catch the sunlight. Absolutely beautiful photos and such an interesting tale to go with them!

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:38 pm

      Thanks Jackie. There were actually more sunbeams through other windows at the same time but I didn’t capture them as well as this one!

      Reply
  4. Sophie

    January 8, 2016 at 3:56 am

    So beautiful inside this church. Love all the blue.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:37 pm

      Yes all the dark blue was a surprise for us Sophie.

      Reply
  5. Anabel

    January 8, 2016 at 6:05 am

    Wow, that’s stunning! I’ve never heard of the town or the poet but now I’d like to visit. Some day…….

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:37 pm

      It was a real surprise find for us to Anabel. Go there if you’re every in the area – it is very close to Dubrovnik (so close that Trebinje bombed Dubrovnik during the war!).

      Reply
  6. Kathy Marris

    January 8, 2016 at 12:36 pm

    What an amazing church with majestic views. That outdoor casual dining area looks magnificent and I love the richly coloured murals inside the church. Such a beautiful place!

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:36 pm

      It was a beautiful church and the whole hilltop was gorgeous.

      Reply
  7. Ruth - Tanama Tales

    January 8, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Jan, your photos has really impressed me. The place doesn’t look that big but the details make up for that. The views are great too. Hope you have many travels plans for this year. Love to read your stories.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      Thanks Ruth, loved your San Sebastian post too!

      Reply
  8. Marcia

    January 8, 2016 at 1:11 pm

    What a gorgeous church and such a magnificent view! I’d want to linger myself. Your photos are stunning! I guess the price of the coffee makes up for the view and the church.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Marcia. You misunderstood, I said the coffee was inexpensive. 🙂 Great views too!

      Reply
  9. Linda Bibb

    January 8, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    It’s interesting to see how different the architecture is from churches in Western Europe, isn’t it? I must say, the interior paintings are stunning. You had a beautiful day for your visit, that’s for sure.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Oh it was a beautiful day Linda. Such an unusual place.

      Reply
  10. Rachel Heller

    January 8, 2016 at 5:49 pm

    What beautiful pictures of Trebinje! It’s hard to believe that church is so new!

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 8, 2016 at 9:02 pm

      Yes it is a strange thing Rachel – but gorgeous.

      Reply
  11. Pinay Flying High

    January 8, 2016 at 10:26 pm

    This is amazing!!!! How lucky for you that it wasn’t very crowded when you went there.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 9, 2016 at 9:16 am

      Yes it was lovely Noemi to be able to walk around uninterrupted. It was so peaceful and beautiful.

      Reply
  12. Corinne

    January 9, 2016 at 9:02 pm

    Jan, I haven’t been to Trebinje, but I’ve got to go. I guess I won’t get a cup of coffee, though!

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 10, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      Hi Corinne, the coffee was inexpensive!

      Reply
  13. Pinky Poinker

    January 10, 2016 at 11:00 am

    Now that’s what I call taking a church seriously. How impressive!

    Reply
  14. Krista

    January 10, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    What a gorgeous place with a stunning view! I’m so glad this man was returned to rest in peace in the place he loved so much. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    January 12, 2016 at 5:09 pm

    That photo of the sunbeams streaming in from the high windows is fantastic. I initially thought that this church was old based on the traditional architecture, so I’m surprised to hear that it’s in fact quite new. That man must be a fantastic poet to inspire such a building. I also like that they moved that bridge over the river instead of letting it be submerged. This is a very forward thinking town in terms of highlighting what they are proud of.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 12, 2016 at 8:46 pm

      Hi Michele, I read one report that said the bridge did get submerged and then the lake was drained, the bridge disassembled, shifted and rebuilt. I’m not sure if that is real though.

      Reply
  16. Nancie

    January 13, 2016 at 6:29 am

    Hi Jan. That is so gorgeous! With views like that, Jovan must be resting peacefully. Love the light through the stained glass window. I would be able to sit for hours on that lovely terrace! Thanks for hosting this week. #TPThursday

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 13, 2016 at 9:02 am

      Wishing I was galavanting around Portugal with you! I would be at peace buried on top of the hill in Trebinje 🙂

      Reply
  17. Mary {The World Is A Book}

    January 17, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    Beautiful photos as always, Jan. I love old churches and this one is just mesmerizing. How neat that it looks like you had it all to yourselves too. Those views are stunning! That interior shot with the light is fantastic and befitting of a church.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 17, 2016 at 9:04 pm

      The thing about this church is that it only looks old! We were the only people there for a while and when in the church we were totally by ourselves.

      Reply
  18. Hung Thai

    February 23, 2016 at 3:33 pm

    This is the first time I’ve heard of this place or seen pictures of it. Wow! You know what would be awesome? If I were blindfolded and dropped out right in front of the church, then I would freak out when I see it lol

    Reply

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