Pilgrims Flock to Ostrog, Montenegro's Healing Shrine

Thousands of Christian believers from Montenegro and the region started the traditional pilgrimage to Ostrog monastery near the town of Niksic to celebrate the St Vasilije's [St Basil's] Day on May 12.

The most important Orthodox Christian pilgrimage site in Montenegro attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year. Not all are Christians, either, as the saint's body is widely believed to have miraculous powers.

Around 2,000 people started the 40-kilometre walk from the capital, Podgorica, on Wednesday, joined overnight and on Thursday by thousands from other towns in Montenegro and the region.

In a statement posted on the website of Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, an Orthodox priest, Fr Predrag Specanovic, said: "Other cities in Europe may have their pilgrimage sites but only St Basil can gather such a large number of believers from different regions".

While Ostrogis the jewel in the crown of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, it is also a major tourism draw for the country.

The shrine was founded in the mid-17th century by St Vasilije, a Bishop of Herzegovina, whose body is now enshrined in the cave church.  

The upper monastery resembles a mansion hidden in the rock, perched 900 metres up on the mountain. The lower monastery, known as Holy Trinity Church, dates back to 1824.

The site has long been one of the most visited Christian destinations in the region where pilgrims come to free themselves from sin. It is also popular not only among Christians but also among Muslims and others because many believe that a prayer said by the side of the saint's body helps cure illness and ease life's difficulties.

The monastery's history is full of anecdotes about miraculous healings aided by...