The Monastery of the Holy Archangels is picturesquely situated between steep cliffs and the Lumbardhi River. It was founded by Tsar Stefan Dušan, who had it built between 1343 and 1352 on the site of a former church as his burial place.

Its unique and innovative architecture, featuring rosettes and symmetrical facade decorations, influenced the entire development of Serbian church architecture until the mid-15th century. The monastery was dedicated to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and the main church of the complex was the largest sacred building in medieval Serbia alongside the Visoki Dečani monastery. It had one of the most beautiful floor mosaics of any monastery church in Southeast Europe. The tomb was adorned with a figure of Dušan, which was unique in Serbian Orthodox church art at the time and showed Western influence. The monastery complex also included a library, an infirmary, and several monks' quarters.

The tomb slab within the ruins is still preserved, but the relics were taken to Belgrade in 1965. With the arrival of the Ottomans, the complex was destroyed and looted, and the stones were later used to build the Sinan Pasha Mosque.

In 1927, archaeologists uncovered the completely buried ruins, and in the 1960s, the Yugoslav army used parts of the complex as a training center for officers. In March 2004, radical Albanians destroyed everything that remained of the monastery or had been rebuilt up to that point and drove out the monks. However, they returned a few weeks later and built new accommodations with international assistance. These are now available to travelers free of charge (donations requested). The complex is guarded by the Kosovar police.

High above the valley floor, you can still see the impressive remains of the medieval Serbian fortress of Višegrad. It secured the valley exit and was built purely for defensive purposes to protect the Archangel Monastery at its foot. It served the Ottomans militarily until the end of the 19th century. A steep path leads up from the monastery car park.