Mediaeval Town of Ras and Church of the Virgin of Leviša
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
448 km
Riding-time estimate
7 h 59
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Novi Pazar it runs 448 km to Novi Pazar; allow about 7 h 59 of riding. It goes by way of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, Church of the Virgin of Leviša and back through Medieval Monuments in Kosovo. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 1,400 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It crosses from Serbia into Kosovo - carry ID and check the toll rules. The line favours views over speed.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Mediaeval Town of Ras
Ras was the cradle of Serbia. In the twelfth century Stefan Nemanja, founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, made it the centre of his state, and its fortress, set on a hill above the Raška river, was the political heart of the Serbian lands for generations. The old town has largely fallen into ruin and lies on a green hill called Gradina, near the modern city of Novi Pazar, with walls, a fortified gate and traces of buildings in the grass.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Mediaeval Town of Ras is where the day begins. Next is Medieval Monuments in Kosovo.
2. Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo comes up about 121 km into the recorded legs. Next is Church of the Virgin of Leviša.
3. Church of the Virgin of Leviša
In the middle of Prizren's old town, behind a wall and a fence, stands a brick-and-stone church whose bell tower rises above the rooftops. This is the Church of the Virgin of Leviša, Bogorodica Ljeviška in Serbian, one of the most important medieval monuments in the Balkans. It was rebuilt in the early fourteenth century under the Serbian king Milutin on the site of an older church, and its interior was covered with frescoes that are among the finest of their time.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Mediaeval Town of Ras. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Mediaeval Town of Ras to Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
Mediaeval Town of Ras → Medieval Monuments in Kosovo is 121 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo to Church of the Virgin of Leviša
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo → Church of the Virgin of Leviša is 100 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Church of the Virgin of Leviša to back through Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
Church of the Virgin of Leviša → back through Medieval Monuments in Kosovo is 107 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Medieval Monuments in Kosovo to Mediaeval Town of Ras
back through Medieval Monuments in Kosovo → Mediaeval Town of Ras is 120 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.