Homemade food

You probably know by now how mouthwatering homemade food is in Montenegro.  The selection in the katuns is not large, but everything you taste here is delicious. Homemade bread, milk, cheese and clotted cream, pies and cornbread, all the things that hosts produce on the mountain or in the village and bring to the katun, homemade brandy and juices… it’s a sin not to try something.

Traditional products on Bjelasica are cheese, clotted cream, yoghurt, jardum (similar to kefir), sour cream and lamb.

They will also serve a homemade cornbread, or buckwheat bread. Since housewives have loads of work while on the katun, such as milking and making cheese, they don’t have enough time to make complicated dishes. But, no one ever left the katun hungry!

Katun works

There’s always a lot to do on the katun. Hosts will be thankful if you help them, and you will definitely enjoy the physical work. Some jobs are easily learned. You will have the opportunity to see how they milk animals, make cheese, pies and kačamak. There is also work around cattle, firewood, on the meadows. Some housewives even find free time to knit, so you can try this, too. It’s not difficult, rest assured.

Homemade products

Cheese, clotted cream, jams, preserve, juices, dry meat, brandy – if you get the chance, buy these as souvenirs from katuns and Bjelasica. Yes, it is going to be difficult to resist them and keep them on the shelf for long, or they probably won’t even reach the shelf in your house, but what can be done, they are just too delicious.

Horse riding

A perfect way to get to know and enjoy Bjelasica is to ride a horse. A special experience you will remember for a long time!

Picking forest fruits

Whether you take a break while driving or hiking, or stay longer in a katun, you should definitely try picking forest fruits. Yes, your fingers may turn purple and your tongue blue, but blueberry is (together with a wild strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and currants) a real summer treat. Blueberry is also an autumn decoration of Bjelasica.

For mushroom lovers, Bjelasica is an ideal destination. The season of harvesting mushrooms here begins in late spring and lasts till mid-autumn. At the end of April, when the snow starts melting, the true morels appears, followed by many other species. Penny bun is the most popular among the pickers. An interesting fact is that it differs in shades of taste and looks, but also in periods and places it grows at. Thus, you can find early or spring, late or autumn, beech, pine (growing under conifers), shiny, black, copper, broken penny bun. Some types, chanterelle for example, grow in the same places and in large quantities every year. Bjelasica is also known as the place where ramsons (wild garlic) grows.