Sights · Our pick
Bigorski Monastery
A carved masterpiece
The monastery of St John the Baptist above the Radika gorge, famed for its carved iconostasis.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Pudelek · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Pudelek · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © bigorski.org.mk · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons1 / 3
About Bigorski Monastery
Tradition says the story of Bigorski began in the time of Tsar Samuel, when the monk John found a miraculous icon of St John the Baptist by a spring in these wooded mountains above the Radika valley. The monastery’s glory is the iconostasis of its church, carved between 1830 and 1835 by the Mijak woodcarvers: three rows of icons, a great Crucifixion at the top, and panels peopled with more than 500 human and around 200 animal figures telling the stories of the Old and New Testaments. This is a working monastery, so dress modestly and keep voices low.
Our take
- Carved iconostasis
- Above the Radika gorge
- Working monastery
- Address
- Rostuše, the Balkans
- Our city guide
- On our Skopje guide
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Bigorski Monastery before you go.
Last checked: October 2026 How we choose
Location
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