Djurdjevina Family Farm Above Moraca Monastery – Montenegro
That ideal, quiet place in the heart of Montenegro is called the Djurdjevina Family Farm Above Moraca Monastery. This private farm stay is ideal for spending several days (or more) surrounded by nature to relax with dear ones or enjoy some local hiking or mountain biking. It is equal parts organic apples and mountain landscapes. And, it is also a perfect home base for exploring the mountain beauty of the north.
This family farm is the property of the Jovanovic Family that has been here for generations and loved their land well. They have gone to great lengths to prepare and cultivate the land here in Djurdjevina Village for their family getaways. So much time and devotion are visible from the handmade wood stove to the handcrafted wood furniture. Now they are opening their family farm to outsiders for the first time. Along with the exclusive use of the family home, guests also have access to grilling equipment, the fruit trees, and vegetable garden. Also, there is opportunity to try the organic apple juice being bottled by a nearby neighbor in the village.
Adventures with Views
Adventures from this family farm can take many forms. Hiking the area is possible including a 20 to 30-minute hike to the Moraca Monastery. Also, a hike through the Mrtvica Canyon is possible with a short 12 km drive. Also accessible is Mt. Bjelasica and Biogradska Gora National Park. Durmitor and Prokletije National Parks are day-trip accessible by vehicle also. Fire roads around this family farm above Moraca Monastery provide some great local hiking and MTB adventures with spectacular lookouts.
Farm to table national organic foods are available via neighbors that partner with Goran and Zoran, the brothers that own the farm. Guests also have the opportunity to get fresh meat for grilling from the Jovanovic Family, which operates one of the top local butcher shops in the country.
Features of The Djurdjevina Family Farm Above Moraca Monastery
- This family farm in Djurdjevina Village sits approximately 1 km from Moraca Monastery – accessible by foot or car
- Located just off the #6 most scenic road in Montenegro (E80, E65)
- The farm has a kitchenette, grill area and equipment, a full bathroom, three bedrooms (king size bed with traditional hay and corn stalk bedding with new foam mattress covers, king bed modern style, and a third bedroom with 4 single beds) – bedding for up to 8 people. Also, a wood stove-heated sauna was added on in 2021 with bath / jacuzzi, shower, and toilet.
- Farm to table meals available through pre-order (breakfast 6, sack lunch 4, dinner 6 euros per person)
- Pocket WiFi
- Linens and towels provided
- Private parking on the property
- Equipped kitchen with indoor and outdoor dining options
- Grill available for guest use
- Homemade basketball goal and court – perfect for old school hoops
- Epic mountain views (from property) and monastery vistas (nearby hiking) all around this family farm above Moraca Monastery
- Intermediate English comprehension
Cozy and picture perfect!
As of the very first moment we decided to choose Meanderbug, we were guided step by step. It was our first time in Montenegro, so we didn’t know anything. Brit did a great job picking up our reservation and doing the necessary first inquiries. Then, Jovan took over. He took us by the hand and provided us with everything we needed to make the best choice possible. Leading us to the perfect location. Jovan was easy, fun and lovely to communicate with, bringing us a holiday feel before our vacation had even started. Making sure we were alright, he even sent us a text message during our flight to Montenegro, to see if the directions to the farm house were clear.
On Podgorica airport we picked up our rental car and got to Djurdjevina ALMOST straight away. About 10 minutes before arrival we got lost… Trying to get help from an old lady living on the mountain was practically impossible. Not because she didn’t WANT to help. On the contrary: she welcomed us, strangers, with home-made liquor and cookies! But, unfortunately, we didn’t speak her language. So… we got on the phone with Jovan, who – in his turn – got on the phone with the old lady, who was visibly relieved to finally understand what all the fuss was about. As the lady didn’t know ‘our’ farm, Jovan called the owners, who drove down to come and pick us up at the old lady’s house. If THAT ain’t service…
We ended up going 9 days to Djurdjevina Family Farm, which to us, is our newly found paradise. Longing to escape every day busy life in Holland, we couldn’t wish for more in Djurdjevina, hearing only the birds and crickets. The old, beautifully restored farm house itself, the surrounding gardens with roses and fruit trees, the views over the flowery fields to the majestic mountains in the distance… Even in our wildest dreams we couldn’t have made this up.
A big reason for us to choose Meanderbug, was their natural approach to vacation: focusing on experiencing Montenegro in its purest form. Offering stays with local people and additional options for local food. Which we gratefully chose: 9 days long, 3 times a day! Not only did this give us the time and freedom to just every day pack our bags and go on adventure, knowing that we didn’t have to search for food and cook it. It also brought us the gift of getting to know both the local food and the people!
One of the neighbours, Jasmina, appeared to be a very good cook, offering us freshly baked bread, milk and yoghurt straight from the cow, home-made prune jam and meals for breakfast and dinner that we weren’t familiar with in Holland, but truly enjoyed! And – hugely important to us: all organic and, for one of us, vegetarian as well. So, every single morning, Jasmina and her husband Cajo came over, bringing us our lovely breakfast and sack lunches for the day. And every evening they came again, taking with them delicious local dinners. Leaving us as lucky birds.
We’ve gotten to know the Montenegran people as the most hospital people we’ve ever come across. After a more than 12 hour travel, Goran and Irena – the owners of the house – gave us the warmest welcome! We were in awe with the farm house, outside and inside. Everything – from the swing under the tree, to the candles in the sleeping room – was taken care of with so much love. The fire in the stove was burning, there were prunes and dates on the table, home-made apple juice in the fridge and hammocks ready to be taken out in the garden. In case we just wanted to chill in the sun or romantically look at the stars at night. The house was more than complete and offered us comfort and total privacy. Moreover, it was wonderfully furnished with hand-made rugs and old tools everywhere. The old brick walls, the wooden stairs… so cozy and picture perfect!
We expected the communication to be a challenge, as we didn’t speak their language at all. To our surprise, the hosts spoke better English than expected. But as there was SO much to exchange – both with THEM and with the COOK, we needed help. Fortunately, nowadays there is this BRILLIANT translation app. We used it daily and for both them and us… IT WORKED!
Throughout our holiday Jovan kept in touch with us, to make sure we were okay. Everything went well, but in case of trouble, we could have called him anytime!
So… would we go back to Montenegro? Definitely! Would we go with Meanderbug again? Absolutely! More so: we would return to our little paradise at Djurdjevina, happily telling Goran and Irena that we’re back, eagerly waiting for Cajo and Jasmina to bring us our yummy meals again.
Old village life meets modern demands
I’m really at a loss of words on how to describe this place. It was amazing!
This place had everything we needed. The house is intentionally decorated to reflect old, village life and yet has comfortable modern necessities. The beds were comfy. I loved the accent lighting which added just the right amount of ambiance. Then you step out the door to a picturesque view of the mountains. There were hammocks, tables and chairs to chill in and enjoy that view.
I do not enjoy “roughing it,” so this place was perfect for accommodating me and my husband’s sense of adventure. I’m so glad we stayed here and I hope to go back next time we are in MNE.
Balkan visit
We spend two night nights in this lovely stone house. The welcome and accommodations are were great. The meals we were provided we excellent and plenty for leftovers. Unfortunately there were fires in the mountains nearby so smoke was blocked some of the views. When the wind was “for us” we loved the majestic scenery of the snow covered mountains. Great place to stay.