It is a good idea to use a different language. When I arrived at the hotel, I was not expecting to be greeted by a chorus of “woofs”. FitCamp Montenegro. The name suggests a 1970s style fat farm. This is not true. Based in a rustic farmhouse in the hills north-east of Nikšić, the country’s second largest city, the Yoga getaway I’m here to sample may focus on wellness and plant-based food – the antithesis of traditional Montenegrin fare – but its friendly dogs and cats would de-stress many a frazzled urbanite.
“We are especially interested in taking care of solo travelers, tailoring their stay to their specific needs and helping them reconnect to themselves and the nature,” says Andjela, co-owner, as Sivi, a friendly sheepdog and part hunting dog, trots over for a sniff.
The retreat is where I start my whirlwind tour of Central Montenegro. In contrast to the overcrowded Adriatic Coast (in 2024. 94% The interior of Montenegro, which is a paradise for nature lovers, is untouched by the Balkans. Historically a battleground – the Romans and Ottomans lorded over the region – for me it’s love at first sight, a landscape brimming with pristine karst mountains, forests, lakes and rivers.
The drive to the resort was an 80-minute journey from Podgorica (the capital), on a road that, on a sunny day, offers a view of the entire country. Unfortunately, I arrived on a gloomy morning. Ostrog Monastery, carved high into a rock wall in the Dinaric Alps. They stretch across the Balkans, I’ve learned. Even as I watch the wispy clouds float across the ridges and peaks, it feels like I’m entering an exotic hinterland.
On the farm that Andjela, her husband Matija and their children run, I take my apartment with an en suite, one of two for guests. It was once a stone building with a balcony where you can enjoy the birdsong and mountains. I have scrambled breakfast and thick Montenegrin espresso in the community area. “Each day, it’s a hunt to find eggs,” says my host.
I will visit the permaculture and chicken coops later, and I will hear about plans for converting to solar power. But right now, I am itching to spread my arms.
The 19-acre farm has a wooden platform with a large meadow. It is too wet to do yoga. The adjacent barefoot path, which is a mixture of sharp stones, pinecones, beach pebbles and moss, is a better option. I walk barefoot, without socks, on this path. The sensory stimulation (nature’s reflexology) awakens my post-travel stupor. It’s only time for a delicious snack and toast with rakijaTamara Miljanic offers a session of pranayama, or yoga breathwork, to the local spirit before Tamara Miljanic teaches a serene meditation and yoga class. The cuckoo’s flute-like song fills the air and I can feel my tension ebbing out. I fall asleep after a healthy salad dinner prepared by the holistic nutritionist, who joined us at our meal.
The next morning the sun is out and I try the property’s heart trail – another cue to be mindful. While walking along the kilometre long wooded trail, I step over moss-covered soft stones, and flit between wildflowers like a monarch butterfly. I see carmine-hued lupins and dog roses. The dogs that have joined me sit down next to my side like forest sentinels as I relax.
It’s hard to leave, but Vučje calls. A mountain lodge and tourist centre within the wider Nikšić region, 18 miles to the east, Vučje is a ski resort in winter and the perfect spot for hiking, horse-riding and cycling in the warmer months. It is nestled in a small valley south of the renowned alpine gem that is Durmitor National Park
Slow-food is the culture here. After a stroll in the woods, in the company of the Vučje dogs (owner Andja Has a soft place for strays), it’s now time for dinner. She gestures towards the room where meat is dried. I try my best to make a creamed and mushroomed pork steak. kačamak (a rich, tasty concoction made of wheat and cornflour, potatoes, cheese and cream) and local wine – and silently apologise to my arteries. (Vučje caters to vegetarians too.)
The room is comfortable but a bit worn. After breakfast, I’m ready to go. Priganice (moreish fritters topped with rosehip Jam), more cured beef and Pljevaljski (a local cheese) I hiked to Durkovo Brdo. It is a popular viewpoint, and at 1,546 metres high, it’s an easy peak to climb. Two charming guides, Enisa Djokovic and Dušan Stupar, lead the way. Enisa points out wild garlic, loved by local ursine populations, as we emerge through the forest canopy and onto open pastures surrounded with mountains.
“We call them ‘bear onions’,” she says. “Don’t worry. We carry pepper spray.”
Later, they drive me eastwards to Lukavica. This is a mountainous plateau. We wind our way through the landscape of meadows and peaks. katunsHoliday homes that are a bit shabby (some of which are still used by shearers).
Ours is the sole vehicle. As I step out, the silence is strong. A deer bobbles in the distance. St Ilija is framed by mountains. “There is a 2,000-year-old gravestone here,” says Dušan, before pointing to the looming peak, Mali Žurim (1,962 metres). It seems impossible steep. Next time you come, we can hike. He says it’s easier than you think.
After a stop for coffee at Lake Kapetanovo Jezero (where I spot wild horse), we drive home and the skies open. Enisa says she’s Muslim and “from a village near Podgorica” and celebrates Ramadan. Dušan, who is also her partner, is Bosnian and Orthodox Christian. He quietly says: “During the conflict, my family fled over the mountains.” I was a young child, and my mother had just given birth at the time. I wonder if for him the mountains are a place of refuge and sanctuary.
On my last day I travel south. Jablan Winery, in the village of Rvaši, south of Podgorica. Rent an apartment in the vineyards and enjoy wine tastings. The e-bikes are waiting for me and I am off down the hairpin bends that will make you feel euphoric to Lake Skadar. It is the largest lake in southern Europe. national park. Framed by forest-green slopes, the views of the serpentine Rijeka Crnojevića river and canyon, within the lake system, are ethereal, like a fairytale.
In a resort named for a river I park the bicycle and board a tiny boat. boat For a ride, we take a narrow channel teeming full of birdlife. “This Amazon is ours,” says Captain Dusko at the wheel, before describing the giant. Dalmatian pelican Skadar is its symbol. While we are drifting past the carpet of waterlilies I see a black pygmy Cormorant diving to catch fish and grey herons flying. Back on shore, the captain whips up a meal of smoked carp, carp paté, fish soup and grilled trout at his lakeside restaurant. It’s time to get back on the bicycle and head to the vineyard. A glass of natural red wine soothes me to sleep as I nurse a longing to return to this magical land.
FitCamp MontenegroThe five-night getaway yoga getaway is available May-November for €900Breakfast, activities, and a day-trip are included in the price. Accommodation in Vučje from €37pp a night, with hiking tours from €100 The following are some examples of how to use two. Two. Winery Jablan Two-bedroom apartment stonehouse costs €55 A night (sleeps 5) and the studio from €50 a night (sleeps two); both self-catering, minimum Two-night stay. 90-minute food & wine tastings from €35 per person
