Nikola Sikimić

Nikola Sikimić

homemade products tasting

The village of Žlijebi, situated on a rocky plateau at 700 meters above sea level, is one of the smallest villages at the foot of the Orjen Mountain. The village stands out as a cultural and historical entity¸ which makes it unique in Montenegro. Houses, roofs and boundary walls were built of stone slabs manually dug out, which arranged in a row look like Boka Bay lace. Stone slabs from the local quarries, which are dug out manually even today as 300 years ago, are so naturally flat that bonding material was not used at all in traditional construction.

 

The sunny village, facing the south and protected from the influence of the cold northern winds, has a favourable micro-climate for agriculture on arable land in the vales, while the houses are situated on a rocky hill in the middle. 

The residents did not mow grass in the village, because of agriculture cultivation, but went to another place, which is two and a half hours away by horse, to bring back hay for the livestock. Even today, cow cheese from Žlijebi is much appreciated because of quality grazing on pastures with common laburnum.

 

The road through the village, as well as the surrounding smaller streets, used to be paved and led to St. Nicholas church (Sv. Nikola) which dates from 1550. The village church is also covered with a stone roof and on it you can also see iron clamps – a mechanism made of cables and decorated rods on the outer walls which were strained and ensured stability of the building. From the plateau in front of the church there is a magnificent view of the Herceg Novi Riviera and the entrance to the Boka Bay.

 

One of the hosts, who very well know how to get and use these perfect stone slabs, is definitely Nikola Sikimić. Thanks to his decades-long dedicated work and love of stone, skilful Nikola perfected his hobby and passion. He speaks with respect about the “healthy“ local stone and says: “when you knock on a stone slab from Žlijebi, it echoes like a church bell“.

 

The Sikimić family has a long tradition of living in the village of Žlijebi and are mentioned in the land registry from 1690. According to the family saga, settlement of the family is connected with migration of the population from southern Herzegovina to the former Dračevica Parish which was under Turkish rule. An interesting story is related to Vuk Sikimić, a brave Hajduk who was accompanied by a troop of soldiers and who attacked Turkish caravans with goods. Do not forget to ask Nikola how the toponym Jok Megdan near Kanli Tower was created.

 

When it comes to activities, we would recommend visiting the nearby quarry with Nikola who will show you the process of manually digging out of stone and finding its “veins“, a tour of a lime kiln, a walk to the village church with a viewpoint, hiking to Međušje, where people used to graze cattle. Do not miss to taste local cheese and ham, meat specialties prepared under the bell with local vegetables and a glass of wine. To complete the atmosphere, a stone threshing floor and a stone and wood tavern are at your disposal. Relaxing in moonlight which reflects from rock will offer you a special experience in the village.

Address

Žlijebi bb
85340 Herceg Novi

By | 2018-01-05T21:30:29+00:00 December 6th, 2017|Domestic Products of the Coastal Hinterland|