Spend time with animals and learn about sustainable living in a mountain village near Grdelica, Serbia

Details

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  Description

  We’re a warm,very open-minded and easygoing Serbian–Swiss family living a self-sufficient, sustainable, and spiritual life, closely connected to nature and the rhythm of the seasons.
  
  After settling in our beautiful ancestral village—where our roots go back more than 10 generations—we renovated an old family cottage, added a few outbuildings, and started a small organic farm surrounded by two hectares of pasture and forest.
  
  Our core team is made up of Nemanja (a veterinarian), Francesca (an architect), and our daughter Mirjana, who’s in culinary high school. We juggle remote work and homesteading, and enjoy a lifestyle that’s simple, grounded, and full of life’s small joys.
  
  More than just needing help, we love sharing what we do with like-hearted people—those who are drawn to nature, community, spirituality, and slower, intentional living. We enjoy honest, open conversations, value inner freedom, and appreciate people who bring warmth, presence, and a good sense of humor.
  
  What kind of help?
  Daily life here is diverse and seasonal, and tasks may include things like:
  • Feeding and caring for the animals (horses, goats, sheep, chickens, a cow)
  • Milking, mucking out, grooming
  • Gardening, harvesting, preserving food for winter
  • Making cheese, butter, bread, or processing meat
  • Trail maintenance, firewood prep, small renovations, or creative projects
  
  We really appreciate motivated and responsible Workawayers—especially those who are happy to step in when one of us is away for work or travel.
  
  Horse lovers, this is your place!
  There’s usually time for groundwork and riding, and we’re always happy to teach how to care for and connect with horses. If you’d like to learn the basics of riding, we can also offer individual lessons (outside the regular volunteer exchange), with a voluntary donation to support the horses and our time.
  
  Accommodation & free time
  You’ll have your own cozy private room in our home or guesthouse, and we share meals made mostly from our own organic produce. There’s reliable Wi-Fi too.
  
  In our free time—especially Sundays—we like to visit friends and family, swim or fish in the river, hike in nature, visit a tiny Orthodox church nearby, or just enjoy the peace and quiet. We also love foraging herbs and wild plants for tea and cooking.
  
  What kind of people fit in here?
  We truly appreciate responsible, kind, and open-hearted volunteers—especially those who are emotionally mature, curious, and respectful of our home rhythm. We’re happiest when the connection goes beyond the daily tasks, and the time shared becomes truly meaningful.
  
  Looking for more than just volunteering?
  If you're not just looking for a place to stay and help, but a space where you can connect, learn, grow, and maybe even imagine something long-term—we’d love to hear from you.
  
  Something about the place?
  Our small mountain village has 2 minimarkets and in 6km distance there are two small towns (shops, bars, pharmacies, church, post office, doctors, market, money exchange).
  For occasional city visits we have Leskovac (20km) and Nis (50km) which are among the bigger cities in Serbia.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Pets

  

  Van life

  

  Sustainability

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Gardening

  

  History

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Hiking

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Camping
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You can learn homesteading skills like bread and cheese making and we share quite a know-how about animals. We share also knowledge about Serbia's culture and tradition.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  The help consists mainly in feeding and caring about the little flock of animals and some farmstyle tasks around the homestead. Motivation and interest in farming are more important than experience!

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent
  Serbian: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Rooms in the main house or in guesthouse with WIFI. Meals with the family.

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  What else ...

  We live in a small mountain village (2 minimarkets) 6km from two small towns (shops, bars, pharmacies, church, post office, doctors, market, money exchange). in walking distance there is a little river, a church, several nice view points and a lot of hiking trails.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  My animals / pets

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