Podmalinsko monastery, dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, stands on the right bank of the Bukovica between the villages of Malinsko and Tušina, about 10 km from Šavnik. Tradition dates it to around 1252 and King Stefan Uroš I. Further up the valley, about 20 minutes' drive from Šavnik, are the Bukovica waterfalls, at their best in spring and after rain.
The valley
The Bukovica is the longest river in the municipality of Šavnik, about 42 km. It rises under the Ranisava mountain and flows down to Šavnik, where it meets the Bijela and the Šavnik rivers. Its valley east of the town is farmland, woods and small villages, with one of the region’s most important historic churches on its bank.
Podmalinsko monastery
Podmalinsko stands on the right bank of the Bukovica between the villages of Malinsko and Tušina, about 3 km downstream of Tušina. Its name means “below Malinsko”, after the village on the hill across the river. It is also called the Tušina monastery.
The church is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the Nemanjić dynasty. Tradition says it was built around 1252 by King Stefan Uroš I. The church is a single-nave building of about 16.5 by 7.5 metres, built of a local limestone called siga. North of it are the ruins of other monastery buildings and a small graveyard.
The legend of the stones
A local story links Podmalinsko to the great Morača monastery to the south. When Morača was being built, people are said to have stood in a human chain for about 20 km from the stone quarry at Tušina to the building site, passing stones from hand to hand. When Morača was finished, the leftover stones were passed back along the line and used to build Podmalinsko.
A meeting place of the Drobnjaci
For centuries the monastery was a gathering place for the Drobnjaci clans, who met here to decide on matters of common interest. The last such assembly was held in 1840, when the clans resolved to tell the ruler of Montenegro, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, of their plan against the Ottoman governor Smail-aga Čengić. Čengić was killed that year near the monastery. In the reprisals that followed, the monastery was plundered and destroyed; like many churches in the region it was destroyed and rebuilt several times.
In the graveyard lies Mirko Aleksić, vojvoda (chieftain) of Malinsko, whom local history links to those events.
The Bukovica waterfalls
Further north, in the upper Bukovica area about 20 km by road from Šavnik and around 1,200 m above sea level, are the Bukovica waterfalls. Visitors rate them highly, yet they remain little known outside the region.
They are fed by the river and snowmelt, so they are fullest from April to June and after rain. Wear shoes with grip: rocks near waterfalls are slippery.
Visiting both in half a day
- Šavnik to Podmalinsko: about 10 km, around a quarter of an hour by car.
- Podmalinsko on to the waterfalls, further north: allow about 20 minutes.
- Back to Šavnik, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Combine it with the monastery of St George at Bijela, just south of Šavnik, for a full day of the region’s history. Šavnik and Bijela.
Questions people ask
Who built Podmalinsko monastery?
Tradition attributes it to King Stefan Uroš I of the Nemanjić dynasty, around 1252. There is no surviving founding charter, so the date is traditional rather than documented.
Can I visit the monastery inside?
Podmalinsko belongs to the Serbian Orthodox Church. Dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees) and ask before entering or photographing. If the church is locked, the grounds are still worth the visit.
Are the Bukovica waterfalls worth it in summer?
They are fed by the river and snowmelt, so they are strongest from April to June and after heavy rain. In a dry late summer they are smaller, but the valley is still pleasant and cool.