Challenge the Adventure

This adventure will be unforgettable for Radovan Kovač and Serbian actress Jelena Đukić (known for Truths and Lies, Emergency Center, Game of Fate, Nemanjići). Together, they traveled to Kosovo and Metohija to cross a suspension bridge at 1700 m-Jelena facing her fear of heights on the Berim Rock via ferrata.

I set off from my hometown Kula, in northern Serbia, to reach the Adriatic coast in Herceg Novi - hitchhiking all the way. In 34 hours, I rode in 12 vehicles-cars, trucks, vans, even a camper-and camped roadside, turning the trip into an unforgettable adventure.

The Khanty people still live in Siberia, with only about 5,000 preserving their traditional way of life in remote regions. I spent several days with a Khanty family, 80 km from the nearest town-wearing reindeer fur, eating frozen raw fish, riding reindeer sleds, and visiting distant neighbors across the tundra.

Among the Khanty, men provide for their families through traditional hunting and fishing. I joined them-setting traps under the ice, hunting grouse, and spending the night in a reindeer-skin tent. The episode also depicts one of their sacred rituals: a reindeer sacrifice honoring ancient beliefs.

In the third Siberian episode, we experience the Russian banya-a steam bath found in every remote home. After sweating at 60 degrees celcius, we rolled in -22 degrees celcius, snow, then plunged into a 1 degrees celcius, frozen lake. We ended the day with Sergey, a husky breeder, sledding through forests and across a frozen river.

Stara Planina hides landscapes few ever see. In Vrtibog, I met cattle herders who live there from May to October, relying on mountain springs for water and solar panels for limited power. Facing harsh weather and wild animals, they endure the wilderness with remarkable resilience.