The impression I took from Duži Village, apart from the fact that both the village and its surroundings are so beautiful that they deserve much more recognition, is that the residents of the village are exceptionally hospitable to visitors.
I enjoy reading how others describe places I've already seen, especially those I plan to visit. I also read about places I might never reach, but it’s nice to know about them. I have a favorite author who describes the natural beauty around us. His name is Nebojša Atanacković, and his blog is “Unreal Places.” Many of these "unreal places" are in Montenegro. His descriptions are poetic, and the photos are as surreal as the places he visits. Unlike me, Nebojša loves snow, so many of these places are depicted in their winter attire. In one of his latest posts, titled “Piva Mountain,” he wrote: “When someone asks you about Montenegro, never say you’ve seen it all. In fact, don’t even say you’ve seen much. Three lifetimes wouldn’t be enough to explore everything hidden here.”
These three sentences capture exactly what I’ve been marveling at in recent years as I explore our country intensively. I’m always amazed when I encounter something new, and it never stops. Thanks to this, I’ll celebrate a milestone next year: 10 years of sharing my impressions with you about all the “unreal places” surrounding us, often without our awareness.
Since our physical condition for walking has been low for some time, we decided to prioritize a “car stroll” for this holiday. We spread out a map and considered our options, reviewing a "wish list" that mainly includes hikes but also a few “drives.” Duži Village! Where is that?
After some online research and consultations, we set off to discover Duži. On the Šavnik–Žabljak road, not long after passing Šavnik, there’s a left turn toward the Nevidio Canyon entrance. Further down the road is Malo, and then right next to the road, Veliko Pošćensko Lake. I never miss the chance to stop by it.
The road continues to the Nevidio Canyon entrance, then towards the villages Komarnica and Kozarica. This time, we turned left at the first junction after the lake. A bridge spans Komarnica, right above the canyon entrance. We had never ventured beyond this point, though we’d often looked longingly at Komarnica from the bridge, regretting that we missed the adventure known as “Nevidio.”
Soon after crossing the bridge, the road curves to the left and climbs high above the Komarnica canyon. The path is narrow, with cliffs on one side overhanging the road and the canyon on the other. It’s not for those unaccustomed to such sights. I was relieved when we finally reached a wider, flat area. This was a real surprise. I hadn’t expected this kind of environment. This part of our country belongs to the “Dragišnica and Komarnica” Nature Park.
For years now, I’ve seen amazing nature photos on social media from the “Eagle Nest” ethno village, so we headed there first. We weren’t disappointed. The “Eagle's Nest” is indeed in a surreal location.
Several accommodation houses with a restaurant are positioned right on the edge of the canyon. Across from them is Mount Vojnik, looking different from what I knew. I know Vojnik with its three highest peaks seen from the opposite side. From this side, however, the peaks of Vojnik are hard to count. The kind host at the ethno village told us there are around forty peaks. It seems so. One of the strongest impressions I took from this visit was seeing Vojnik in a completely incredible light. I couldn’t get enough of it. On one side is Vojnik, and on the other, the Komarnica canyon. You can’t decide where to look first.
We learned that there’s a small viewpoint slightly lower down from which you can glimpse Komarnica itself. We didn’t waste time, even though it was steep and we were only in sneakers (without poles). Halfway down, we realized it wasn’t strictly necessary, but since we’d already started… We managed to see only a piece of emerald-green Komarnica, but the canyon view from below was even better. But then we had to climb back up.
From there, we drove around the village looking for “towers” from the Turkish era, as we’d been told. It turned out that the “towers” were just stone houses, built at the end of the 19th century. There are several of them. Some have already been renovated, while others await potential state support for such projects. It would be a shame for these buildings to be completely lost to time.
We found out that one of these towers belonged to the grandfather of famous RTS journalist Jovan Memedović, once a sports reporter, now focused on nature. Jovan's grandfather left for Serbia long ago, but the “tower” remains strong.
When you look around and can’t decide what’s most beautiful in Duži, realizing nothing is lacking here, you notice several cisterns and realize that this village, perched right above the canyon, lacks – water.
Apart from the village’s beauty, the other strong impression I took from Duži is that its residents are extremely friendly to visitors. Though I often hear that we are an exceptionally kind people, I find these cases more as exceptions than rules (like examples of honor and bravery).
Another friendly host in Duži set aside his potato planting, despite our protest, to give us a tour of his large estate. Among its sights was an unusually old tree. The host hoped we wouldn’t guess what it was, but I did: a cornelian cherry tree! I wasn’t sure because I’d never seen one like it. According to its owner, it’s at least 200 years old.
The residents here practice agriculture and livestock farming, hoping for better days in tourism. There aren’t many permanent residents, but on weekends people come to the village, and in summer, they stay longer. Šavnik and Nikšić are nearby.
On the way back, we stopped by the roadside. I crept closer to take a photo of Komarnica, which can be seen deep, deep down below. I had to use a stronger lens because the river was barely visible. The Komarnica canyon is truly an incredible phenomenon, and it would be good to preserve it for future generations. So they too might experience the awe I felt that day.
Duži Village is located 15 km from Šavnik, 97 km from Podgorica Airport (Montenegro), 149 km from Tivat Airport (Montenegro), 143 km from Ćilipi Airport in Dubrovnik (Croatia), and 142 km from Tirana Airport (Albania).
Translation is AI genarated
Bonus video:
