Walking in Bosnia & Herzegovina

The trip begins late afternoon in Trebinje in Bosnia & Herzegovina. After a

main briefing with your leader, the group will enjoy a welcome dinner in a

beautiful setting of a local winery set up in the hills above the town.

In the morning we transfer to our hotel in Sutjeska National Park, before

continuing to the tranquil lake of Donje Bare. After lunch, we walk through a

beech forest and open mountainous terrain to the summit of Ugljesin Peak

(1858m), for one of the best panoramic views of the Zelengora peaks and the

rock face wall of Volujak. We continue on the stunning circuit back to Gornje

Bare lake via the Tovamica Ridge (1.5 hours) with Bosnia's highest peaks a

constant companion on the horizon. We then transfer back to the hotel in the

Tjentiste Valley for a well deserved dinner. 

We transfer to Lokva Derneciste (approx. 1 hour) and head for Bosnia’s

highest peak, Maglic Mountain (2,386m), through dense forest and open

mountainous terrain. The ascent itself will take approximately 3-4 hours over

fairly well-maintained mountain trails with steep cliffs, and is by far the

most demanding part of today’s trek. Please note. this walk is not suitable

for anyone suffering from vertigo. Each step takes us further above the

surrounding peaks until we reach the summit. Here we have lunch and enjoy

wonderful views over Montenegro and of our next stop, the emerald green

waters of Trnovacko Lake. After descending to the lake in the afternoon, we

head for Prijevor where we meet our transfer to the hotel in Tjentiste.

We transfer to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo which is at the heart of the

Balkan Peninsula. On arrival, we take a tour of the major historic cultural

and war sites in the city that will help us to piece together its complex and

intriguing history. The afternoon is then free to explore this varied and

beautiful capital city. 

Within half an hour's drive to Crepoljsko is a very well known local picnic

place where we will start today's hike toward Bukovik peak (1,534m), the

highest point north from Sarajevo. This is a peak that offers some of the

best views of mountains to the south. After leaving our start point, a

pleasant hike takes us through meadows and coniferous forests up to Bukovik

hut, with wider and wider views of mountains in the distance and the city in

the valley right below us. After a short break at Bukovik hut, we ascend the

nearby Bukovik peak and continue from there through a beautiful pine forest

to the Skakavac waterfall.



This waterfall is the largest continual flowing waterfall in Bosnia and

Herzegovina and is 98m high. A soothing lunch break and some tea or coffee

welcomes us here before we head down through thick forest to the base of the

waterfall. Once we reach the base, a fantastic view of water, mist and forest

awaits us. From here we wind through the forest to the small lodge, where we

end our hike with an ice cold drink.

Today we have a full daywalk in the Bjelasnica Mountains, home of the 1984

Winter Olympics, ascending Obalj peak (1,896m) and visiting Lukomir, Bosnia

and Herzegovina's highest village (1,469m).

From the traditional style Bosnian Mosque in the village of Umoljani, we walk

to the Gradina, a village which locals of this area used for centuries as

their base for summer pastures. From here we will start ascending toward

Obalj ridge and slowly we will rise above Studeni potok (Studeni stream). The

views will start to open in front of us. With the mountains to the south,

Treskavica and Visocica will offer us fantastic and breathtaking scenes. Once

we reach the slopes of Obalj, we will slowly continue and progress to the

summit itself. From the peak, we'll see Lukomir village below us where we

will descend from the top.

Lukomir is Bosnia's highest village at 1,469m, with its ancient stecci

(mediaeval tombstones) where villagers still follow a traditional shepherd

way of life. On the edge of the village, there is a fabulous view of

Rakitnica canyon, Obalj and Visocica. After a simple but tasty homemade late

lunch we transfer back to the hotel in Sarajevo.

Today we have the option to go rafting deep into the Neretva Canyon or walk a

beautiful ridge overlooking the Neretva and Rakitnica Canyon.

The Neretva River is the emerald of Herzegovina, flowing over 200 kilometres

from its source into the Adriatic Sea. In the upper canyon is some of the

most beautiful rafting in Europe. The water is usually calm from Spring to

Autumn, and the trip provides ample opportunity to enjoy the canyon and its

unique flora and fauna. Depending on the season, there will be class 2-4

rapids. The trip lasts for 3-4 hours and costs approximately EUR 45 per

person (paid locally).

For those who prefer to keep on trekking, we continue on to the isolated

hills around Kasici village for a magical canyon walk above the Neretva

River. After crossing a suspension bridge we descend to meet the spectacular

river itself where the rapids rush into the mouth of the relatively

unexplored Rakitnica Canyon. The scenery here is truly breathtaking. After

crossing another bridge at the mouth of the canyon we can rest either in one

of the caves or on the numerous beaches.



We return via Konjic to meet up with those who opted for the rafting. At the

end of the day, we continue our journey to Mostar.

We spend the morning exploring Mostar, the former oriental trading centre of

Herzegovina, situated on the Neretva River. This city was regularly in the

news when it was split during the conflict in the early 1990s. We will still

see the scars of war, but these days Mostar is once again a warm and bustling

place, with a fascinating history and architecture.



We leave Mostar in the afternoon and head for Dubrovnik, arriving at

approximately 5pm. On arrival, we have free time to explore. Dubrovnik is our

final destination and a great way to end our week trekking. This magnificent

walled town lies at the southernmost tip of Croatia. Formerly a prosperous

trading centre, Dubrovnik is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its

perfectly preserved Old Town and rich cultural life draw many visitors each

year.

The trip ends this morning after breakfast in Dubrovnik. Should you wish to

spend more time in this beautiful Croatian town please ask our sales team

about post tour nights.