Kotlaničko is an emerald-green lake in the heart of Zelengora, in Sutjeska National Park, often called one of the most beautiful on the mountain. It lies in an open valley ringed by Dumoš, Prutača, Klek and Zimovnica, hidden from view until you arrive, and its awkward approach has left it largely untouched.
How it formed
The pear-shaped lake is of glacial origin and is fed by several springs. At its southern end the water sinks into a karst pit and comes up again about 5 km to the south, at Pridvorica, on its way to the Neretva. Water plants covering much of the bed give the lake its colour.
Nature
The lake is rich in fish, among them lake charr, and it is home to an endemic newt.
Visit
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
No road reaches the lake. A marked path starts at the pass above Orlovačko and Borilovačko lakes; its markings fade on the grassy sections, but the route is easy to follow. Allow about an hour across an almost lunar landscape, then some 30 minutes down into the valley. Another approach starts at Borovno brdo, about an hour away on mostly flat ground.
A hill nearby, with a large group of medieval stećci, looks across to Štirinsko Lake, about an hour’s walk away. The park’s guided four-lake walk runs from June to November: 9–10 hours in all, with 5–6 hours on foot and a demanding rating, starting from Tjentište with 1.5–2 hours by off-road vehicle. The lake is good for a swim.
Nearby lakes
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Sources & data
- Statistički godišnjak Republike Srpske 2024, table 2.3 "Jezera i ribnjaci", Republički zavod za statistiku Republike Srpske, 2024
- OpenStreetMap: Kotlaničko Jezero (way 167336164), OpenStreetMap contributors
- Wikidata: None (Q21717371), Wikimedia Foundation
- Lakes of Zelengora, Sutjeska National Park
- Lakes of Zelengora, Zelengora.net
- Eight glacial beauties: Zelengora Lakes, Livetheworld
- The emerald gem of Zelengora (2026), SeeSrpska
- Lakes of Zelengora: hiking, Sutjeska National Park
- Hiking tour NP Sutjeska: Lake Orlovačko, Lake Štirinsko, Lake Kotlaničko, TaraSport