BA03 – Backwoods Of Berane Villages

The official starting point  of this route is the monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi (XII century), directly from the TT3 national trail, but you can also start from village Lubnice connecting via route BA04 across the village Bastahe or via alternate route BA04A across village Glavaca, which is slightly different option with a couple of kilometers longer ride.

This is a genuine rural route because it passes through seven villages – Velidje, Rujista, Kaludra, Zagrad, Vuca, Glavaca and Crna Glava – and also through several lowland katuns that are crowded with shepherds during spring and autumn until the first snow.

The route begins with a steep climb along the paved road to village Velidje and then continues on macadam road up to beautiful and flat hill Sestarevac (1440m), which is a nice vantage point and convenient place to rest. On this stretch there is an attractive canyon of river Susica and cliffs of Tikva hill, as well as a village road winding through the village Velidje, across Garevina to Šestarevac. From Šestarevac follows a downhill ride through beech and oak forests to the spring katun Kosutnjak (1270m), and then via the region which is called Rebra leads to the village Rujista. From Rujista the trail leads to Kaludra village, and at the end of the descent the trail reaches the asphalt road that leads to the village of Zagrad.

Following the road to Zagrad very quickly you will reach the place called Samograd where you need to make a break. This is a very important archaeological site which dates from 390 AD. Originally there has been an early Christian basilica that was destroyed by the Goths in the fifth century, but the foundations were conserved and can be viewed from the road. The entire complex of Samograd was renovated during Emperor Justijan’s reign (Eastern Roman Empire), as a city, fortress or spiritual center continuing to exist to modern times.

After Samograd, and a few curves on asphalt road, you reach the village called Zagrad (village Behind the town – Samograd), then the route continues towards slightly higher mountain regions, on dirt road across the Debelo Brdo hill toward the Ravni Plavac pass(1508m). From this pass on, you can make a 1.5 km detour to the katun Plavac where you can order homemade meal – bread, corn, sir, cream, jardum milk, sour milk, eggs.

From this point on, all the way to Berane or Lubnice, altitude is constantly declining so that the ride is completely relaxing, over the top of Vuca pass, and then continuing along the gravel road to village Crni Vrh. This section will offer two turning points leading to Lubnice via villages Glavaca or Bastahe.

From hamlet Rosca near Crni Vrh, the downhill intensifies and the route continues directly through the village of Crni Vrh all the way to Djurdjevi Stupovi monastery, which was the start but also is the end of this rural adventure.

All in all this is one beautiful route that can be ridden from early spring to the late autumn when the colors go crazy and leaves rustle under the wheels, when the shepherds return from their katuns bringing the sounds of sheep bells back to the meadows, when the brandy is made in villages and the orchards are bent under the weight of autumn fruits.

PHOTOS FROM THE ROUTE
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Download file: BA03.gpx

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