sekundara

Sekundara is a small settlement situated within the municipality of Berane in northern Montenegro. The village lies in a hilly area of the Durmitor plateau, approximately 10 kilometres southeast of the town of Berane and 45 kilometres north of the national capital, Podgorica. The terrain is predominantly forested, with mixed beech and spruce woods providing a backdrop to the village and its surrounding fields, which are used mainly for subsistence agriculture and livestock grazing.

Historical records first mention Sekundara in the early 16th century in Ottoman tax registers, where it appears under the name “Sekundara Ocalan.” Over the centuries, the village has remained a modest, predominantly Serbian Orthodox community of around 250 inhabitants according to the most recent census data. Its cultural heritage includes the 18th‑century Church of St. George, a small stone structure with frescoes that are considered valuable examples of rural Balkan ecclesiastical art. The church has been designated a cultural monument by the Montenegrin Ministry of Culture.

The local economy is largely dominated by animal husbandry and cultivation of hardy cereals. In recent years, efforts to develop eco‑tourism have emerged, with plans to promote the scenic trails of the Durmitor region and to host annual cultural festivals that celebrate traditional music and crafts. The population has experienced a gradual decline due to migration to larger urban centres, a trend that mirrors demographic shifts observed in many rural parts of Montenegro.

Sekundara remains an example of Montenegrin rural life, preserving its architectural heritage and traditional ways of living amid the natural beauty of the Durmitor landscape.