Welcome to Europe's only monastery guarded 24/7 by military forces

Visoki Dečani Monastery is one of the most important Serbian Orthodox sites in the Balkans, dating back to the 14th century. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has incredibly well-preserved medieval architecture and frescoes. Because of the turbulent recent history and tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, the monastery has been under international military protection for decades. There have been multiple reported attacks and threats against the monastery, particularly in the years following the Kosovo War. KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo, now has a permanent presence here today. Upon entering, I had to hand over my passport and car registration to the NATO officer. The monastery is pretty lightly visited, but beautiful. Most people in and around the grounds were NATO soldiers rather than tourists. It was definitely one of the more unique stops from my travels in Kosovo! #kosova #orthodoxchristian #monastery #europetravel #culturalheritage