Bosnia and Herzegovina · Central Bosnia

Veliko jezero (Treskavica)

Directions

Veliko jezero · Велико језеро

Veliko Jezero, the Big Lake, is the largest lake on the Treskavica mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the municipality of Trnovo, a few kilometres south-east of the town. It is glacial in origin and oval in shape, and it is known for its rich stocks of fish, above all brook trout. A much smaller mountain lake, Platno, lies a short distance to the north-west.

How it formed

Veliko jezero is one of five glacial lakes above 1,500 m on Treskavica, the clearest traces of the Ice Age on the mountain, along with Platno, Crno, Bijelo and Zmijsko. Treskavica is a mountain of many springs, a legend says 365, feeding five rivers.

Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

The usual start is Trnovo, then the village of Turovi, 4 km away, where you leave the car, as the marked gravel road beyond is not fit for cars. It is about an hour to the Sustavac mountain house, open at weekends and otherwise by arrangement, then about an hour and a half on a steeper, narrower path past the old Josip Sigmund lodge to the lake. Crno jezero lies about 700 m further on, after a steep climb. Snowshoes are recommended in winter.

Treskavica saw heavy fighting in the war of the 1990s and has not been fully cleared of mines. The marked route to the lake is reported clear of mines and is easy to follow: stay strictly on it and ask about current conditions before you go. On a clear summer day the view reaches Montenegro and the Adriatic.