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Enhancing Sustainable Tourism: How Euro Cluster Rural Tourism Helped Us Improve FitCamp Montenegro Services

At FitCamp Montenegro, our commitment to sustainability and responsible tourism drives everything we do. If you’re reading us for the first time, check out our development goals here. Recently, our efforts were recognised by Euro Cluster Rural Tourism (ECRT) as part of the COSME project, which helped us introduce innovative enhancements to our services that benefit both our guests and the local environment.

Overview of Improvements

Thanks to ECRT’s support, we implemented several key initiatives:

  • Creation of the Barefoot Trail
  • Achievement of Bike-Friendly Standard
  • Development of a Recycling Yard and Community Education
  • Preservation of the Visit Dark Skies license for Stargazing

Let’s dive deeper into the details of each initiative and service that we improved or introduced.

Creation of the Barefoot Trail

Inspired by successful models in Germany and the Netherlands, our new Barefoot Trail deepens our guests’ connection with nature, seamlessly integrating with our holistic well-being programs.

If this concept is new to you and you think we’re crazy (again), here are some reasons why walking barefoot or practising grounding/earthing is beneficial:

🌿 Naturally improves eyesight (believe it or not)

🌿 Relieves stress

🌿 Keeps feet healthy

🌿 Promotes better sleep

🌿 Removes negativity

🌿 Builds mindfulness and enhances sensory experience.

You can also read the article that Andjela, our founder, wrote for Green Destinations here.

This amazing new service allowed us to clean up another part of our property that hadn’t been used before, enrich our offerings, improve the quality of our Mindfulness Classes with Kristina, and much more. We even installed a badminton court next to the trail and created a BBQ area, making it our favourite spot to spend a relaxed day in nature with a variety of activities.

Bike-Friendly Standard

Considering our love for nature and environmental preservation, the bicycle is definitely one of the transport modes we value most. Additionally, being located along one of Montenegro’s top cycling trails gave us extra motivation to pursue the regional Bike-Friendly Standard, positioning FitCamp as a welcoming destination for cyclists.

Your bicycles will be safe with us in our equipped storage while you enjoy nature and rest in one of our apartments or our camping zone. We can also assist you with basic bike maintenance, providing spare parts, bike washes, or simple repairs.

This Bike-Friendly Standard is regionally recognised throughout the Balkans. If you’re cycling in this area, feel free to check out the list of places that can support your cycling holidays in Montenegro or the Balkans.

Benefits of Cycling Holidays:

  • Promotes health and wellness
  • Reduces carbon footprint: Biking is a zero-emission mode of transport, helping to combat climate change
  • Minimises traffic congestion
  • Supports local economy and enhances community engagement: Cyclists are more likely to stop at local businesses, boosting the local economy and fostering community connections
  • Preserves natural surroundings
  • Encourages sustainable tourism
  • Improves mental well-being: Regular cycling reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, contributing to better mental health
  • Increases accessibility.

Recycling Yard and Local Community Education

Facing numerous issues with waste disposal in our local community (and in the city and country in general), we’ve developed a small Recycling Yard to meet our operational needs and benefit the local community. Thanks to the support we received, we were able to take several actions to make this happen:

  • Educational workshop for the local municipality and community
  • Purchase of necessary waste separation bins
  • Formation of compost zones in various locations on our estate.

An educational workshop, led by eco-travel expert Kirsi Hyvaerinen, gathered villagers, local municipality representatives, and small travel businesses from the area. It was a great opportunity to brainstorm and emphasize the importance of waste disposal, recycling, and composting, fostering a culture of sustainability. A local portal, Omladina, supported our story; you can see it at this link.

Our Recycling Yard, located at the parking lot, is now available for us, our guests, and our nearby neighbours, who will separate waste with us and hopefully learn more about reuse and composting. Together, we aim to create a better future for our village and country by introducing the concept of a sustainable lifestyle.

Preservation of Visit Dark Skies Stargazing

As one of only three businesses in Montenegro with an official Visit Dark Skies Stargazing license, we’ve extended this license thanks to ECRT’s support, allowing us to continue minimising light pollution and promoting the beauty of unpolluted night skies.

We can’t wait to welcome you so you can experience the Milky Way with your own eyes and enjoy the stunning audio guide that leads you through the starry night.

Impact and Outcomes of Our Collaboration with Euro Cluster Rural Tourism

  • Empowered Local Community: Our workshop and recycling yard have educated the local community, creating environmentally conscious citizens who value sustainability.
  • Enhanced Waste Management: The recycling yard has improved waste management practices, reducing environmental hazards.
  • Promotion of Dark Skies: Our stargazing experiences highlight Montenegro’s pristine night skies, attracting nature enthusiasts and photographers.
  • Combating Climate Change: Our sustainability efforts contribute to climate change mitigation on a micro level.

Conclusion

The support from Euro Cluster Rural Tourism has been instrumental in improving FitCamp Montenegro’s services during 2024 and beyond. We’re grateful for the opportunity to enhance our offerings and contribute to sustainable tourism in Montenegro. Above all, we are proud to be recognized by the European community that shares our vision for sustainable tourism development.

Visit us to experience these improvements firsthand and join us on our journey towards a greener, more sustainable future.

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2023 Blog Stories Recap

We were productive this year, and we crafted a blog per month in 2023. The December one is dedicated to the recap of all the great stories we had during this year. Let’s dive into them and thank you for the inspiration!

January – HERITAGE DEPICTED IN LOVING PIECES – YOUR EASY PATH TO LEARN ABOUT MONTENEGRO

February – AN UNEXPECTED DIGITAL DETOX AND HOW TO SURVIVE IT – RURAL COLIVING IN MONTENEGRO

STAYCATION-FITCAMP-MONTENEGRO

March – STAYCATION & WORKATION AT FITCAMP MONTENEGRO

April – THE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF FITCAMP MONTENEGRO

May – HIKING ADVENTURE WITH MY DOG TO NOZDRA AND GOLIJA IN CENTRAL MONTENEGRO 

June – GUIDED STARGAZING EXPERIENCE IN MONTENEGRO

July – WELL-BEING HOLIDAYS: THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE & TRAVEL AT FITCAMP MONTENEGRO

August – HOW WE GAVE BIRTH TO “WOMEN WHO PLAY” OFFER

September – CO-LIVING IN THE FITCAMP COMMUNITY

October – 6 REASONS WHY FITCAMP MONTENEGRO IS A GREAT SPOT FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS & DIGITAL NOMADS

women who play and enjoy nature on women's retreat

November – 6 REASONS TO JOIN A WOMEN’S RETREAT IN MONTENEGRO IN 2024

Thank you so much for your trust! We will do our best to share more amusing moments through stories in 2024! Happy holidays and best wishes for the upcoming year!

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Top Reasons To Visit Central Montenegro

1. Excellent position

Source Wikipedia

Being perfectly located probably means being on the Mediterranean coast. Montenegro already is, of course, but once you are in Montenegro it is underrated to visit only the coast! It is such a tiny country, but it has so much to offer! It’s a real catalogue of natural beauties and if you ask us to tell you what place is better than others, we probably couldn’t decide!

Central Montenegro is just in the middle where on the south we have UNESCO protected medieval Kotor and Perast and on the north, UNESCO protected National Park Durmitor, Tara Canyon and other breath-taking beauties.

By staying at FitCamp Montenegro location, you have the position to explore all the corners of the country in a short period. That’s why we choose our location to be central Montenegro, as it’s perfectly connected by the traffic roads, it has railway too and both airports are distanced enough not to make noise, but only a short drive away indeed.

2. Natural beauties for hiking and cycling

Hiking in Nature

Central Montenegro is home to many marked hiking and cycling paths. If you are experienced, you will be good to go on your own, except for the advanced paths where is recommendable to go with a guide. But, the central region has a lot of sports outdoor people, who are more than happy to welcome visitors and show them the most interesting parts of our country.

Only in Niksic, you have marked hiking trails to Budos Hill, paths surrounding lakes Krupac and Slano, that are also marked for cycling; mountaineering trails to Vojnik; hiking and skiing trails in the ski resort Vucje as well as cable car riding and so much more. Podgorica, the capital, hides many parks and hiking routes amongst which the most popular is the Korita Circuit. Also, Skadar Lake region is super-popular for hiking and the old royal capital of Cetinje offers another national park – Lovcen with the Mausoleum at the highest altitude in the world, where our former bishop and ruler is buried – Petar II Petrovic Njegos.

FitCamp Montenegro is located right on the path of one of five Top Bicycle Trails that lead from Niksic to Pluzine. Besides, it is very close to the hiking route of Nozdra, where once a year Montenegro Trophy Relly Race is organised too. Nozdra is well historically known, as well as the Presjeka village, as many battles with the Ottoman Empire took place just here! Pure fun to experience!

3. Lakes

Krupac Lake

The central region is so rich in lakes! Artificial and natural both and equally breath-taking! Only the region around Niksic has 3 artificial lakes that were made during the time of ex-Yugoslavia, for electricity production. Even if these were made for economy, because of the stunning Montenegrin beauty they fast became favourite day-trips spots of fellow citizens as well as the visitors.

Krupac Lake and Slano Lake are very close to FitCamp Montenegro and some activities included in our programs will be done there. Slano Lake is amazing for fishing, while we like Krupac Lake for swimming, sunbathing, outdoor yoga and similar. Both lakes are amazing for hiking and cycling.

Besides these, Skadar Lake is probably the best-known lake in Montenegro, also located in the central region of the country. This is the largest natural lake in the Balkans and it’s partially located in Montenegro and partially in Albania. Here is beautiful to go for a day-trip and do birdwatching, boat riding or just enjoy a delicious dinner and wine.

4. Spirituality 

Ostrog Monastery

For the visitors keen on religion and spirituality, central Montenegro hides the most sacred spot of the country – Ostrog Monastery. It is half an hour drive away from FitCamp Montenegro and it is visited by all the spiritual people, doesn’t matter the religion, even if it’s an orthodox monument.

Besides Ostrog Monastery, all the cities of the central region are famous for churches and monasteries, so you can find plenty in Niksic, Podgorica and Cetinje. Amongst the most popular are Saint Basil’s Church, Cetinje Monastery, Church on Cipur, the Temple of Christ Redemption etc.

5. FitCamp Programs

Yoga Outdoors

Our favourite reasons for you to visit central Montenegro are our programs! We worked so hard to deliver you a high-quality experience of the next level of vacationing and we are sure you will enjoy it!

Even if we started all this some time ago, summer 2020 will be our first season at the very first personal FitCamp location and for us, that’s a special thing!

Our programs will help you renew, rejuvenate, restart and relief stress, plus we will teach you how to respect nature and live by following it. In these hard times with coronavirus pandemic, the most important thing to learn is how to be more respectful to our dear planet!

6. Amazing Nightlife

Central Montenegro is well known for a vibrant nightlife and this is something we highly recommend you to try! While at FitCamp Montenegro, young and enthusiastic team of hosts will be more than happy to show you some of the best local performers bring you to the best pubs in the country and take you to some of the best festivals that are taking place in this region. Some of the most popular ones are Lake Fest, Bedem Fest, Wine & Bleak Festival, City Groove and many others.

7. Hospitality 

Local Household Treats

All of the Balkans are recognised as very tender and kind hosts to their guests, but while in Central Montenegro you will experience what that truly means. At every household you will feel like at your own parents’ or grandparents’, everyone will be willing to help, to share, to give… We can’t wait for you to see that with your own eyes and let us know how it feels!

8. Lazy Mediterranean Lifestyle

Even if Central Montenegro is not connected to the coast directly, here you can meet Mediterranean highlanders and experience what a lazy lifestyle truly means! We are certain that you will enjoy it, but the hosts will be enjoying sharing it with you too!

This is one of the most accurate ways to learn about the new culture and to leave with magnificent memories from Montenegro!

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Wellbeing Holidays and Mindful Retreats – How it all started?

Living a busy life is not easy at all, especially in the modern world of today, when technology and the development threaten to overcome humans. The panic attacks, as well as anxiety, was never more frequent and it seems to be a mental problem of the new generations. Too many tasks, too many devices, too many daily things to do, social media and the perfect lives of online stars have made our lives much more stressful and the burnout is one of the everyday things.

 

Knowing all of this, back in 2018 our team has come up with an idea of a special kind of travel offers, the next level of vacationing how we like to call it! FitCamp Montenegro came to life to comfort you and to make you feel more satisfied with your vacations. Vacation is not just going away from home and wandering the world, it’s much more than that! It’s knowing new cultures, lifestyles, as well as making new friendships. If you combine all of this with our wellbeing programs, you will get a next level of vacationing that includes an enormous gift of self-care, a healthier lifestyle and cheerful spirits! We combine fitness and yoga and other outdoor activities with your stay in the rural area of continental Montenegro, but we also offer interesting lectures and workshops on nutrition, general wellbeing, positivity, stress relief and mindfulness.

 

The year 2020 brings a new addition to what we do, as we finally found a place to be a foundation of our programs, a place from where it all starts and a perfect oasis for your wellbeing. After 18 months working with our partners on their locations (which we loved and we can’t thank them enough), we found a stunning estate to become our new home and accept our long-term development plans! We are thrilled about it! All of you coming in summer 2020 will be amongst our first visitors and we can’t wait to have you here! Our estate will offer so many opportunities and will impress you with self-sustainability plans, as one of our biggest aims is to be dependent only on nature! It is perfectly located in the central Montenegro which makes it so accessible from many directions and makes it easier for us to bring you to explore various parts of the country – north and south.

 

We researched a lot and we discovered that there is no inner harmony without spending time in nature and a man of today is harming nature a lot. One of our goals is to keep our visitors motivated to maintain the environment around them and to teach them how to litter it less. Besides, one of the best ways for recovery travels is nature-healing, which we want to present you in practice! FitCamp Montenegro is developing as a self-sustainable system and it will depend only on nature. As long as we are good to it, it will give us many benefits back – solar energy, rainfall water, fruits and vegetables, dairy products and so much more. Visit us and be part of our ecological process of growing as a fully sustainable wellbeing location! Renew yourself, learn to live your best life and visit another paradise place in the Mediterranean, such as Montenegro.

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