Best autumn/winter hikes from Belgrade

While Belgrade is very cosy in Autumn and Winter (and can actually have amazing weather), the crowds and pollution can be a tad overwhelming, and make you wish to leave at least for a day. Below are a few suggestions for day-escapes if you enjoy hiking in the autumn and winter. In addition to these, do check out my older article on best day trips … Continue reading Best autumn/winter hikes from Belgrade

Returning to the wild side: Ten years of exploring the Piva, Plužine and Foča

The mountainous wilderness around the river Piva always had a magical draw from my family. Ever since I was a boy I heard about my grandfather’s long fishing expeditions there from his native Nikčić and his strong opposition to the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam Martinje, which eventually did flood his old stomping grounds, albeit a few years after his untimely death. On top … Continue reading Returning to the wild side: Ten years of exploring the Piva, Plužine and Foča

Picturesque: Hiking through Zagajička Hills in Banat and taking a ferry to Ram

“Does such a thing as ‘the fatal flaw,’ that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn’t. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs – Donna Tartt, Secret History As a person who is largely swayed by aesthetics, it is … Continue reading Picturesque: Hiking through Zagajička Hills in Banat and taking a ferry to Ram

Swisstacular walk between Schönried and Rougemont

Today I went on probably the most beautiful hike of my life, between two villages in Switzerland‘s famously glitzy area around Gstaad . The walk encapsulated almost all that is great about the country: fantastic scenery dominated by Le Rubli, multiculturalism (Schönried is German-speaking, while Rougemont is French-speaking), and strong sense of local pride and history. There was also a touch of Gstaad over the … Continue reading Swisstacular walk between Schönried and Rougemont

Why are Serbians not outdoorsy?

As we were climbing around the ruins of Machu Picchu, feathery clouds clung to peaks covered with thick emerald forest. Rain, which pounded from the morning, stopped and allowed sunlight to shyly caress the sheer black cliffs above the foaming river. Around us, hundreds of tourists were jostling with selfie sticks to capture these magical scenes. My chain-smoking Belgrade-born-and-bred mother slowly moved uphill, panting. Once … Continue reading Why are Serbians not outdoorsy?

Pokretači 1.18 Via Serbia

Gosti poslednje epizode prve sezone Pokretača, Aleksandra Cvetković (koju znate iz 12. epizode) i Nemanja Potrebić iz Via Serbia, prirodnjačkog kluba koji stremi povezivanju ljudi u Srbiji, i šire, sa prirodom. Naši gosti su takođe podelili i par saveta o tome kako uživati u prirodi zimi, kao i svoja omiljena mesta u Srbiji (moja su ovde, a i moja drugarica Jelena je napisala zašto treba da … Continue reading Pokretači 1.18 Via Serbia

Serbia’s Magic Mountain

Rising majestically above the rolling hills of Eastern Serbia, Rtanj mountain has long captured the imagination because of the strange, pyramidal shape of its highest peak, Siljak (1560m). The mountain’s reputation for the otherworldly goes way back, as a local legend says the mountain was the site of a castle of a powerful (and bling-loving) wizard who decked it out with gold and diamonds, before … Continue reading Serbia’s Magic Mountain

9 must-sees in Slovenia, Europe’s fairytale country

If you are in doubt as to where to go this summer (or ever): go to Slovenia  I love Slovenia. It is easily one of the prettiest countries in Europe and one of the most pleasant to explore. Although it has been on the interrail trail for a while, it still feels like a hidden gem. It even has an instagram-crazed president and it gave … Continue reading 9 must-sees in Slovenia, Europe’s fairytale country