Pedal Journeys in the Balkans

After yesterday's long journey, we decided to have a relaxing day and swim in the lake. The family at Vržina Farm House offers boat tours, so we chose a 5-hour route and set off to explore the lake by boat. We spent the afternoon surrounded by floating lilies, mountains, small fishing villages, and jumping from the boat into the lake for a swim. A perfect afternoon to recharge our energy!

This was the longest distance we've covered in a day: 152 km with 1232 meters of uphill climbing, taking us 7 hours. We left Eko Oaza at 7 a.m. to start our journey. We began with a light drizzle that occasionally intensified but never turned into a heavy rain. The route consisted mainly of two prolonged ascents followed by equally long descents, with the rest of the trip being mostly flat, especially just before reaching the capital and continuing to the lake. Along the way, we noticed several cars passing very close to us, with two of them accelerating in our lane to overtake other cars. It's important to be cautious on the roads as there isn't much regard for cyclists. Before arriving at our accommodation, we stopped for a snack at Konoba Starcevo , a restaurant with a lovely terrace overlooking the lake. The cold appetizers were top-notch, and the Balkan-style tres leches cake was a marvel! We continued our journey to our destination: Vrzina Farm Stay . On our way up

We spent the night in simple accommodation next to Tara Bridge (30 euros with breakfast included). However, if you have the chance, we recommend continuing 22.5km and staying at Eko Oaza, the only place with cabins that have access to the Tara River with a small private beach. We started the day by jumping off the longest zip line in Montenegro for 40 euros. During the descent, you can appreciate the river and the Tara Bridge. It's worth it! Then we pedaled and stopped at several places along the river to jump in the cold water until arriving at Eko Oaza. At the camping place, you can go down 500 meters and reach the private beach. The water is about 8 degrees, turquoise, and surrounded by vegetation, mountains, and lots of butterflies. After the swim, we found out some road works were underway and we couldn’t continue until 6 p.m. when they would open the road again for two hours, so we decided to spend the night at Eko Oaza to jump in the river again the next morning.

Short bike ride day. We started the day swimming at Black Lake, relaxing our muscles and enjoying the National Park. After a huge breakfast in town, we rode 22.6 km to Tara Bridge. The road was mainly downhill. We stayed in a wood cabin by the river (30 euros breaky included) and did some computer work, looking forward to jumping into the zip line tomorrow morning. Good night, world!

Our day started just as we like it: without hesitation, straight into a 14% uphill climb (haha). We bid farewell to the turquoise waters of Piva Lake to ascend one of the most panoramic roads I've ever seen in my life (P14). We climbed for three and a half hours through the canyon, passing through stone tunnels that provided spectacular landscapes. Continuing through Sedlo Pass, we encountered meadows filled with flowers, rocky mountains, cliffs, and caught a distant glimpse of the turquoise glow of the Piva River. We found lakes that appear in the middle of nowhere during the rainy season. It's truly an unforgettable experience that requires great determination to push forward when the climb demands considerable effort. Once the toughest part of the climb was over, we stumbled upon a small cafe bar in the mountains where we could enjoy a good bottle of water accompanied by coffee and local cheese, a true feast! After hydrating ourselves, we continued our ascent until we reac

Today, we arrived in Montenegro after a scenic 3-hour, 48-km ride with a 798-meter ascent. The route was breathtaking, as we pedaled alongside a river framed by majestic canyons. The road was quiet, adding to the serene beauty of the journey. Reaching the border, the uphill climb became more challenging due to strong winds. However, the Montenegrin landscape made it all worthwhile. The contrast of tunnels, canyons, natural rock formations, and the turquoise river below was truly mesmerizing—one of the most stunning parts of our trip so far. We found accommodation right by the lake, thanks to a listing on Booking.com at 35 euros. Initially, we had hoped to stay at Bungalows Konak, but they were fully booked. However, our alternative turned out to be great. Our room came with a washing machine, which was perfect for getting our clothes cleaned after just arriving in Montenegro. Finally we went for lunch-dinner at Restoran Sočica and closed the night with a jump into Piva Lake.