Blidinje Nature Park

Blidinje Nature Park protects the Blidinje plateau, a karst plateau in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the heart of the Dinaric Alps, between the mountains Čvrsnica, Čabulja and Vran. Its karst features include the Dugo Polje field, Blidinje Lake and the Grabovica and Drežnica valleys. The plateau was shaped by the glaciers of Čvrsnica during the last two ice ages, and it is an important hydrogeological reserve of Bosnian karst with a significant cultural and historical heritage. It falls into two parts: the lower southern part around Blidinje Lake, and the higher northern part with the plain of Dugopolje. It spreads over several municipalities, among them Jablanica, Prozor-Rama, Posušje, Tomislavgrad and Mostar.

Visiting Blidinje

The most popular hike in the region leads to Hajdučka vrata, a round rock window about five metres across on Čvrsnica at about 2,000 m, with a view down into the 1,800 m Diva Grabovica canyon; it is very fragile, so stay a few metres in front. An easier path starts at Risovac and a harder one from the canyon. Five medieval stećak necropolises lie in the park, the Dugo Polje one under UNESCO protection, and the cave of the outlaw Mijat Tomić is at the foot of Vran. The Vilinac lodge is said to be the highest in the Dinaric Alps, and the park holds the largest European stand of Bosnian pine. You can canoe on the lake and eat in restaurants at Risovac, Vilinac and elsewhere.