Experience the beautiful countryside and help us around the visitor center in Mrkonjic Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Details

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  Description

  Our Visitor Center is located in the small picturesque village of Gornja Pecka in the rural region of North-West Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have been working in the field of sustainable rural development and environmental protection for over 10 years and through time we managed to revive the old village as well as the old school which is now a completely refurbished Visitor Center. The Center gathers people from all over the world and serves as a gathering place for nature lovers, meeting point for non-profit organizations, hub for initiatives and volunteer actions, youth education place and so much more. In our immediate vicinity there is a protected nature monument “The springs of river Sana '' that we partially manage, the climbing area of Pecka that has the most climbing routes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and where the rock climbing fest has been held for years, numerous hiking trails and other tourist attractions. In the summer we have our Pecka Outdoor Festival attended by hundreds of people.
  Our team consists of 4 people, the president of the organization, Boro Maric, and the project coordinator, Natasa, who are in charge of managing the organization and projects, and the host of the Visitor Center, Predrag (Pedja) Gajanović, and Snjezana Slijepcevic, who are in charge of maintenance. Pedja is constantly present and has a lot of experience with travelers through couch-surfing and is amazing host, also he will be in charge of travelers, while Natasa is the contact person who will coordinate the arrival and stay in our village.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  There is no better way to get to know different cultures than to spend some time in the village with the locals and people who visit this place from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. You will have the opportunity to get to know the warmth and generosity of a people through working with them and on relaxed evenings, participate in making and eating homemade food procured from locals, visit natural beauties in the area and see what this small but beautiful part of the country has to offer. For now, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not heavily promoted as a tourist destination, but we advocate for sustainable tourism because we want to demonstrate that this can have multiple benefits for the local population and the environment.

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  Help

  The travelers that come to us will be required mostly to help around the house. That includes general maintenance of the Center, occasionally assisting in the kitchen in preparing homemade food for themselves and staff, home sitting when the person in charge is absent, feeding pets, and help with other tasks depending on the need, season and skills such as: helping in the organic garden (watering, hoeing, harvesting), yard maintenance (mowing and landscaping the yard), preparing wood for the winter etc.

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  Languages spoken

  Bosnian: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Croatian: Fluent
  Serbian: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  The travelers who will be staying with us will be accommodated in the Visitor Center Pecka in the collective accommodation, occasionally with other members of the organization. Bedding is provided, and the beds are comfortable in the dorm in the attic. The Center has everything you need, a bathroom with a shower cabin, hot water, a hair dryer, towels, a kitchen, a wood-burning fireplace that burns in the cold months, etc. Regarding food, the volunteers will have everything to prepare three meals a day, which they will occasionally cook themselves.

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  What else ...

  There is plenty to see in the vicinity of the Center such as the Nature monument "Springs of River Sana'' (6.5 km), climbing rocks area Pecka (1.5 km), hiking trails and viewpoints in the surroundings. In the protected area of The Springs of Sana, there are several places to visit, besides the main springs, there is a tour through the Korane Canyon, which is possible for visit in the warmer months, the Mracaj cave and several beautiful viewpoints. The main point of the protected area is covered with forest shade and tourist infrastructure, and all trails are marked. It is possible, in agreement with the host, to see other sites by car such as the springs of the river Pliva, and numerous little waterfalls of the river Janj. The village Pecka is a part of the municipality of Mrkonjic Grad and the nearest airport is in Banja Luka, which is about 80 km from the village. To get to the village, you need transportation that will be coordinated or provided by the host if you are unable to find your way on your own. The Greenways Association has so far recorded over 500 km of bicycle paths that are available to volunteers as well as bicycles for riding.
  The nearest grocery store with essentials is about 3 km away while the large market is about 20 km away. If you need anything specific you can accompany one of the crew members when shopping.
  All members of our organization speak English as well as the majority of the visitors. Of course you will be hearing our language and surely learn a few words and phrases during your stay.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a large parking area.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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