Staying in Monasteries in Serbia

[saint denis]

We are planning on visiting Serbia this month (July 2010).  We would like to spend some time in a monastery and would be grateful if you could advise us on monasteries that can accommodate travellers (2 females) overnight and that are located in nature.  We do not wish to see the most famous monasteries but would prefer a place less visited by tourists and in nature.  

We would also be grateful if anyone can let us know what we can expect in terms of costs in Serbia?  For example, the price of a meal at a homely restaurant?  Is it common to be able to stay in a family's home overnight in the rural parts? Can one simply ask around in the town for somewhere to be a paying visitor at a local person's house?

Many thanks in advance,

[Lazar]

 For first-timers, I'd recommend Studenica monastery:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studenica_monastery

  I remember the price for lodging was around 10 euros per person per night. Rooms are very nice, maybe a bit too luxurious for a monastery.  The surrounding nature is excellent and the monastery itself has a lot to offer. What's more, it's easily accessible by bus. However, it would be a good idea to book the room a couple of days in advance.

  Lunch at an old-fashioned moderately priced restaurant will set you back anywhere from 3,5 to 5 euros for items included in the daily menu.

Can one simply ask around in the town for somewhere to be a paying visitor at a local person's house?

  I'm not sure if that's the best strategy; local people offer home stays in certain villages (mostly those favored by Serbian tourism) but it's generally uncommon to show up and search for a place to stay. What people usually do here is contact the locals by phone and arrange accommodation in advance. I recently checked prices in one such village: lodging in a traditional family house in that particular place was 4,5 euros per night. A copious lunch was 2,5 euros.

  Do you have some general plan? If you opt for a certain village, and if you've decided on the date, we could find some phone numbers, see if they are available and notify them that you're coming.