If you want to spend a summer in nature, learn by doing and live in a real community, volunteering at an eco village is one of the best ways to travel in Europe. At Pyramid Village, in eastern Serbia, volunteers help build and run the village through the season, from May to October, at the foot of Mt Rtanj, the pyramid mountain.
Why volunteer at an eco village
Travelling as a volunteer is slower and cheaper than ordinary travel, but that is not the main reason people do it. You get to live somewhere instead of passing through, learn skills you will not learn in an office, and share days with people from all over the world. Many volunteers tell us that a few weeks in the village changed how they want to live back home.
How the work exchange works
You work 4–6 hours a day, and in return you get a place to stay and meals from the village kitchen. The minimum stay is three days; most volunteers stay one to three weeks, and some stay the whole summer. No experience is needed, only the will to work with others and to look after the place.
What volunteers do
There is always work in the village, so you can usually choose what suits you:
- building: shelters, benches, gates and structures from wood, branches and straw
- garden: sowing, watering, weeding and harvesting
- plants, fences and paths: pruning, planting and keeping the village tidy
- decoration and art: painting, signs and installations around the village
- fixing old things: old furniture, tools and doors get a second life
- kitchen: cooking for the crew and guests
- eco team: waste sorting, compost and a clean village
A typical day
Breakfast at eight, work in the morning while it is cool, lunch and a long rest in the heat of the day, a second shift in the late afternoon, then dinner and an evening circle. Summer afternoons can reach 30–35 °C, so nobody works at midday. Days off are for the mountain: a hike to Šiljak peak, a walk to Vrelo, or a day in a hammock.
Living together
Volunteers sleep in their own tents or in a shared tipi, cook and eat together, and meet in a circle to plan the day. It is simple living: a shared kitchen, showers with a biofilter, compost toilets and drinking water at refill stations. Evenings are for the fire, music and the stars, which are bright here because there is no light pollution above the village.
What to bring
- a tent, mat and sleeping bag, or ask about a bed in a tipi
- work gloves, closed shoes and clothes that can get dirty
- a head torch and a water bottle
- clothes for hot days and cool nights, plus a warm layer
- sun cream, a hat and repellent against mosquitoes and ticks
- biodegradable soap and shampoo
How to apply
Send us your dates and what you would like to do through the volunteer form. We reply within three to five working days and confirm your place. Many volunteers come back the next season, some of them to lead a part of the village.
