Živa

"Živa" is the fulfilment of Iva's lifelong dream: to escape from the city and live close to Nature!
Named after the ancient Slavic goddess of fertility, the farm in a village on "Zlatar" mountain, has been a home for our family since 2020. Having bought the old house and the land that has been untouched for over 35 years, we are slowly making our way towards self-sustainability. The food is grown using organic and permaculture principles (Iva is a certified Permaculture designer), we also gather herbs and fruits of the forest and have some animals (not for meat). In addition, Native Serbian mountain horses are being bred at the farm and are used as conservation grazers, as well as for trail riding/riding lessons. In our work with horses, who live freely outside in a herd and are not shod, we use a combination of Classical and Natural horsemanship.

Since there is a lot of work to be done, we would greatly appreciate helping hands. We can provide instruction in the areas that we are good at, eg. Iva has a BSc in Equine Sports Science, but would also cherish the opportunity to learn from you!
Living and working along us, as part of the family; immersing yourself in traditional local culture and a very different, slower, way of life; enjoying pristine nature and breathing a clean air...that is what "Živa" is all about.

Come and join us!

We would expect you to contribute 5-6 hours per day, with one day off per week. Your "free time" can be spent any way you like: hiking/cycling on beautiful trails around the farm, gathering mushrooms/herbs, swimming in a nearby lake, hanging out with us or just chilling by yourself...
In addition, we can take you to nearby destinations during your "free time/day" (griffon vulture observation, visits to nearby towns/monasteries etc.), organize visits to neighboring farms to observe/participate in traditional cow milking/cheese making process or provide trail rides/horse riding lessons (weight limit 80 kg).
We provide three meals per day, cca.90% vegetarian (we can make it 100% vegetarian if you prefer). The food we use is mostly locally sourced. Unfortunately, we can not cater for vegan or other highly restrictive diets - we eat what we have around us and believe that it is much better to drink locally produced "free-range" milk, rather than drive 100km to obtain soy milk!
The accommodation is either a room for 2 in the cellar of the house or a small tent for 2 (depending on availability, the season and your choice), with a shared bathroom. Internet access available. For those requiring more space/privacy/amenities, there is an option of renting a cabin from the neighbors.

We are multicultural, educated, down-to-earth people, trying to live off the land and in balance with nature. We have no staff as such, just a family of four (two adults, two teenagers) living and working the farm. All are treated with respect!


Reviews

4.5
(3 reviews)3

Staff & Host

4.5

Hours & Tasks

4.5

Hostel

4.5

Learning & Fun

4.5

Germany

5

I had a wonderful time on the farm and really enjoyed everyday life close to nature. The horses are great and the long rides through the stunning landscape felt like a dream. I usually worked between 7-9 hours, but it rarely felt like (hard) work. On warm days, we often went to the beautiful nearby lake to swim and enjoy the sun. The accommodation was very cozy and I loved the food - we had a lot of delicious salads as well as traditional serbian dishes. Iva and the other villagers were very warm and welcoming, and I learned a lot about their lives and culture. Would definitely reccommend it!

26 days ago


Iva replied

Dear Hannah, thank you for the review, but more than that, thank you for your help! Your presence here at our farm was really felt and much appreciated. Best of luck Hannah and come back any time!

Germany

4

Overall, my stay at Iva‘s little farm was enjoyable. The pony sized horses are really cute and most of them are easy to ride. They are kept great and live outside all year. The two dogs are absolutely adorable as well. Iva picked me up from the bus station of the next town and made sure I got to try traditional Serbian food which was really cool. We also had some great talks.
Nevertheless, you should be prepared to be riding/working from 6-9 hours on each working day (6 days a week). Also, you should be a really good rider. Iva is a kind but rather demanding host.

4 months ago


Iva replied

Dear Julia, thank you for your help and your review. I am a little surprised that you were caught off guard by the fact that we do work hard and you need to be a good rider (which also saves time on tacking up, greatly reducing the overall hours)- both of those are clearly mentioned in the position description! Still, I'm glad we got to meet you and thankful for your help! Best of luck, Iva

United Kingdom

5

I had an amazing stay at Siva - Iva is an incredibly welcoming and kind host, and we had a great time playing games in the evening.

over 1 year ago


Perfect for you if you're looking for

Contact with nature

Rural

Contact with animals

Mountain

Family