The Patriarchate of Peć is a cluster of four churches under one red-tinged roof, tucked at the mouth of the Rugova gorge on the edge of the town of Peja in western Kosovo. It was the seat of the Serbian Orthodox archbishops from the thirteenth century, and the heart of the church for centuries, with the frescoed churches built and extended over generations. The effect inside is intimate, with low arches, dim light and walls covered in saints, and the nuns who live there today run a small shop with candles and icons. The place is part of the UNESCO listing of medieval monuments in Kosovo, from 2004, along with Dečani, Gračanica and the church of Our Lady of Ljeviš in Prizren.
Peja, with nearly fifty thousand people, is the town to base yourself in. It has a lively bazaar with Ottoman-era stone buildings, a clock tower, a mosque and a reputation for its beer, brewed locally since the 1930s, and for a relaxed cafe culture that spills onto the pavements. Fuel and services are easy, and hotels range from simple to comfortable.
Behind the town the Rugova gorge cuts into the Prokletije mountains, a road of tunnels and high rock walls, with a river at the bottom and via ferrata routes on the cliffs. It is a good ride, with smooth bends, cool air and light traffic, though rockfall is a hazard and the road narrows in places. Further up, the road continues toward the Montenegrin border and the high pastures, and you should check which crossings are open to foreigners, since rules change. Insurance for the car or bike is needed, and the green card may not be accepted, so buy local cover at the border if required.
Strellc i Epërm, a village of about six thousand in the Istog area, lies to the east, and Dlaboka Reka, from the ride title, is across the border in Albania. The valley is green, with maize fields and orchards, and the mountains rise like a wall in the south. In summer it is hot in town and cool in the gorge, and snow closes the high roads in winter. Come in May or September, and ask permission to enter the Patriarchate, because the monastery has its own rules and a guard at the gate.