Most visitors come to Kopaonik for its ski slopes, mountain viewpoints, and hiking trails. Yet just beyond the mountain’s busiest areas, hidden among dense forests and rocky cliffs, lies one of the park’s most intriguing and least-visited places.
Metođe is not a village, a resort, or a famous attraction marked on every tourist map. It is a centuries-old sanctuary tucked into the wilderness of Kopaonik National Park, where history, spirituality, and untouched nature come together in a setting that feels almost forgotten by time.
The journey itself is part of the experience. A peaceful forest trail winds through some of the mountain’s most beautiful landscapes before reaching a small church built into the rock face beneath towering cliffs.
A Sanctuary Hidden in the Mountains
The sanctuary of Metođe has been a place of gathering and pilgrimage for centuries. According to local tradition, people have come here for generations to pray, seek refuge, and draw water from a spring believed to have healing properties.
The small church, built inside a cave beneath a dramatic rock wall, dates back to the Ottoman period. Hidden high on the cliffs, it offered a place where local people could practice their faith away from the eyes of the occupying authorities.
Every year on July 3, the feast day of Saint Methodius is marked here, continuing a tradition that has survived for more than five centuries. Local history recalls the tragic events of 1504, when miners were forced to work despite an approaching storm. Many lost their lives, and the annual gathering became a way of preserving their memory through the centuries.
Inside the sanctuary, visitors can see a fresco of Saint Methodius, a depiction of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child carved into stone, and the spring that continues to flow behind the church.
The Spring Called Maiden’s Tears
Among the many natural curiosities hidden within the Metođe reserve is a small spring known as Maiden’s Tears (Devojačke Suze). Emerging quietly from the forested slopes, its crystal-clear water has long been associated with local legends and mountain folklore.
While modest in appearance, the spring adds another layer of mystery to this already remarkable place. Surrounded by dense vegetation and the soothing sounds of the forest, it serves as a peaceful stop along the trail and a reminder of how closely nature and tradition remain intertwined in this part of Kopaonik.
One of Kopaonik’s Most Beautiful Walks
While the sanctuary is fascinating in its own right, many visitors remember Metođe most for the journey leading to it. The trail passes through pristine mountain forests, across quiet slopes and rocky clearings where the sounds of civilization quickly disappear. Unlike the crowded areas around the ski center, this part of Kopaonik reveals a different side of the mountain – wilder, quieter, and remarkably untouched.
Towering beech and conifer forests provide shade throughout much of the route, while occasional openings offer views across the surrounding peaks and valleys. The atmosphere changes with every season, from vibrant spring greenery and wildflowers to the golden colors of autumn.
Not far from the church stands another unusual attraction: a small geyser dedicated to Despot Stefan Lazarević. Emerging from the mountainside, it has maintained nearly the same height and water flow for decades, making it one of the more curious natural phenomena on Kopaonik.
A Different Side of Kopaonik
For many travelers, Kopaonik begins and ends at the ski resort. Metođe offers a glimpse of a very different mountain – one defined not by hotels and ski lifts, but by forests, legends, hidden sanctuaries, and centuries of tradition.
It is the kind of place that rewards curiosity. The kind of destination you discover almost by accident and remember long after the trip is over. And perhaps that is exactly why Metođe remains one of Kopaonik’s best-kept secrets.
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