Skadar Lake Đurišić Family Estate – Montenegro
Much of the Skadar Lake story begins at the Đurišić family estate. The family has lived in the region for more than 500 years. Caring for the estate has been passed from generation to generation through the centuries. Marko’s family estate spreads out over 5000 m2. The estate includes an abundance of various plant species and a fresh water spring. Most important to the estate are the various vines comprising the family vineyard.
The family home is a 2-story accommodation with the family winery located in the basement. The estate, including the winery, is open for guests to tour and of course to sample Marko’s family wine offerings. The family also specializes in smoked local fish which they distribute in the largest markets throughout the country.
Marko and his family will do everything possible to make your holiday one you will remember for years to come. They are eager to help guests learn about the history and culture through the eyes of a local family. There is so much to do with this as a launch point including: kayaking, hiking, boat trips, bicycling, and cultural activities. During your stay you can explore a number of local villages, visit nearby Virpazar, and take in the beautiful landscapes and wildlife including the unique wetlands of Skadar Lake. The area is perfect for catching sunrises and bird watching.
There is more to enjoy than just beautiful views. You will be able to taste the regional goodness of organic Montenegro through the local foods and wine. These foods come from the garden and fruit trees on the estate making this another great farm to table option in the Meanderbug farm stay network.
Visitors to the Đurišić family estate will be treated as family guests, where they will experience the traditional hospitality of the Montenegrin people. Book your place now as spaces are limited for this intimate setting. And, if you want to say thank you to Marko for such great hospitality, take time to play him in chess. Just be sure to include who won in your future reviews.
NOTE: We recommend a multi-day stay in this area for you to explore the region and enjoy the spirit of Montenegro. You can go out on the lake by boat, hike the mountains, bike to scenic lookouts and the local town, explore old villages, go to the top of the most important spot to locals–Mt. Lovcen. In the past, some guests have stayed in the area overnighting as a transit point. If that’s all you can do, that’s fine. But you’ll want to view your time here as a destination. (Marko has 7 different days of exploration he loves to show guests.)
FEATURES OF THE Djurisic Family Estate
- Located 1.2 km from Skadar Lake in the historic Zabes Selo or Village, adjacent to Virpazar
- Located near the #4 and #9 scenic roads in Montenegro (P16) (M2, M1)
- Djurisic Family Estate – offers 3 different rooms for rent:
- Downstairs apartment sleeps up to 4 people (25 euros per person)
- Double room sleeps up to 2 people (25 euros per person)
- Twin room sleeps up to 2 people (25 euros per person)
- Each room / apartment has a private bathroom (second upstairs bathroom just completed this season)
- All-inclusive package available including dinner with the family smoked fish and estate wine as well as day cultural and adventure outings and brown bag lunches while seeing the sites with Marko. ***The all-inclusive package is our recommendation for you to experience the region! *** (75 euros per person total)
- Linens and towels provided
- Free WiFi
- Private parking area on the property
- Air conditioned rooms
- Equipped community kitchen with open dining area
- Bikes available for guest use at no cost
- Grill available for guest use
- Free airport pickup and transfer to the Đurišić family estate
- English spoken fluently, Spanish comprehension
Also, on this vineyard and microwinery, guests may book for the Prevalis Nature Cottage (about a 5 minute walk between houses).
Skadars Lake First
Unique experience.
Extraordinaire host.
Amazing nature and organic food.
Came as a guest and left as a friend
I could write a book about all the wonderful things happening at the Djurisic Estate, but I’ll try to be brief. Marko and his family are simply the best hosts one can imagine. The accomodation and location are perfect. Don’t hesitate, book the all-in and prepare yourself to be stuffed with delicious food, drink great wine, see as many breathtaking views as one can possibly handle in one day, discover fairytale-like villages and have interesting conversations. It could not have been ‘nicier’ 🙂
Marko is a rare host.... He will plan with you with endless patience.
Most of the farms in the north we had stayed in till this one were quite austere and modest (not that we are complaining in any way), here you will find a beautiful, comfortable house in the middle of a vineyard situated in a quiet area in the countryside.
Marko is a rare host. He is a true specialist of his region, and knows everything about it, even the less known places. He will plan with you with endless patience your plan for all the week. He knows the best trip, the best lakes, the best observation points. More important than that, he is very cultivated, and the conversation with him about the history and the actuality of both his region and Montenegro are fascinating.
Lovely, tranquil setting
Marko was a true superhost, amazing attentive and generous and welcoming. He was a treasure trove of information about history, culture and politics in the Balkans, and spending time chatting to him was such a great education for us. His house is lovely and in a tranquil setting (it’s great to be at a bit of a distance from Virpazar) and his suggestions for things to do the area were spot on. Also loved the boat trip with him! His mother’s cooking was amazing – we had such a feast for dinner, as well as delicious breakfasts.
Already missing it.
Meanderbug advised us to stay here longer than 1 night. We followed their info and we are so glad we did! From the very beginning of our arrival we felt right at home. Everything was really clean and the hospitality was more than we ever imagined. Marco’s family made this amazing meal for us and this started a fantastic night with great wine and great people.
Together with Marco we went on a hike through the beautiful mountains. This hike took us to places we would otherwise never visit, amazing views!
After that we went on a boat tour on the beautiful Skadar Lake! Enjoyed every last bit of it.
This is for sure a place where we would go back to! Already missing it.
Great place to relax and explore the region
The Durišić Family Estate is a beautiful property, a great place to relax, take in the views, eat amazing food, drink fine wine, and explore the region. I was able to stay multiple days, return to the Durišić Family Estate exhausted each night, and immediately relax, eat, and converse with fellow travels about the day’s adventures. You can tell that Marko loves his family’s estate. I was part of a tour that he led where he described in detail the plants and the property as well as the enhancements he is making to the property. When I return I hope to stay in the new building under construction that is a bit higher up on the property and has an outstanding view from the spacious balcony. I am usually a “hotel guy” but am very glad I stayed at the Durišić Family Estate. The stay was comfortable, calming, and conveniently located for each day’s excursions in the Lake Skadar region of Montenegro.
Hi Marko, I’m trying to plan our family vacation for this summer and I have a few questions about staying here. Can I have your email address?
Thanks for your inquiry, Angela. We are dropping you an email now.
Amazing stay all around. Marko made the experience.
We had an amazing stay at Marko’s – he really goes the extra mile to make sure his guests feel at home (even letting me pick mint from the garden for my tea!). He helped us plan unforgettable hikes and gave us easy to follow directions for our outings. With his insider advice delivered in perfect English, we discovered gorgeous places we would have never found otherwise. The estate was a great place to unwind at the end of the day, and we loved basking in serenity on the terrace. The meals and his homemade wine were delicious, and so was his cousin’s homemade honey, which he served at breakfast. We would definitely come back, and we hope that Marko reaches out to us if he ever comes to Switzerland! (PS- We asked and found out that you can actually buy Marko’s wine and his cousin’s honey to take home with you. He doesn’t usually mention it, but don’t hesitate to ask if you’re interested!)
We hope to return
Nice location, great host! Hopefully, we will be there again !
Wish we had more time here!
Marco and his family are fantastic hosts. Everyone in town had wonderful things to say when we told them where we were staying, and we couldn’t agree more. I just wish we had more time to stay at the Durisic Family Estate.
Highly recommend staying here.