New kilometers of the Via Dinarica Trail

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Written by: Terra Dinarica

Created: 13 February 2020

The continuation of the Via Dinarica project began with the activities of maintaining and establishing new Via Dinarica trails in Bosnia and Herzegovina. So far, most of the trail work has been done on the White Trail sections, in the area from Ljuta village to the Sutjeska National Park, i.e. on the BH-W-10 and BH-W-11 stages.
Work on these trails have been actively run by the Mountaineering and Sports Association "Lelija" from Kalinovik, our partner in the development of the Via Dinarica route in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2015.

Led by club president Novak Govedarica, a team of volunteers worked on the trail maintenance and improvement, as well as well as on the new trail sections development along the Via Dinarica trail.

 New trails that have been established:

• Javič - Štirinsko Lake + part of the Obalj – Romani - Graiseljići trail
• Barracks at Donji logor - Ravni - Graiseljsko polje - Tatinac
• Obalj - Suvo polje - Bukove glavice
• Obalj-Kladovo polje-Čengić bara - Kladopoljsko Lake
• Kladovo polje - Kladopoljsko Lake - Gnjila bara - Rukav-Jović vrela
• Poda - Omarni do - Urdeni dolovi - Podlelija
• Lukavac - Nenkovci
• Kuta(Vrela) - Radojev do-Sutulija

Maintained and improved trails:

• Ljuta - Jakomišlje
• Jakomišlje - Lukavac - Vlaholje
• Vlaholje - Kalinovik - Jelešačko polje
• Ošlji do- Jelašca-Ješačko polje
• Jović vrela - Štirinsko Lake
• Ošlji do - Lelija- Jović vrela

The old markings were restored and new ones added. Since this is a mountainous area with frequent fogs and mists, it was necessary to repeat the markings and add new ones for better visibility. A large section of the trail was cleared since a large number of trail markings were covered with shrubs and bushes. New poles have been installed on several locations as direction-poles on the trail.

All trail information is available at trail.viadinarica.com

The second phase of the Via Dinarica project is implemented and co-financed by the United Nations Development Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH), with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID BiH) and the Agency for Development Cooperation of the Republic of Italy (AICS). The second phase of this project is carried out in cooperation with local partners - the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Republika Srpska, local authorities, as well as the non-governmental and private sectors active in tourism.

National Geographic Traveler: Via Dinarica amongst world's best destinations

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Written by: ViaDinarica

Created: 17 November 2016

First International Via Dinarica Day

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Written by: TIM CLANCY

Created: 05 October 2016

Development projects of all sorts tend to be long processes where visible results don’t necessarily appear for years. The Via Dinarica, however, is a different story...and it’s one that is rapidly catching fire across the Dinaric region and within the international adventure travel industry. The Via Dinarica has been recognized by an impressive entourage of international press, from the Best New Trail in the World award in 2014 from Outside Magazine to The Guardian’s top European Adventure Destinations for 2016.

After the official opening of the White Trail last May in Blidinje Nature Park in West Bosnia, spearheaded by the Sarajevo-based NGO Terra Dinarica, the lengthy spine of the Dinaric Alps officially opened its doors to the world. Although there is still work to be done, this launch has spurred a handful of hard-cores to trek the entire 1,350 km length of the Via Dinarica White Trail from Slovenia to Albania this summer. But the trail has been created to ensure that there is something for everyone. For novice and pro alike, the Via Dinarica White Trail has no shortage of activities ranging from challenging hiking and biking routes to leisurely walks accessible to families with kids.

The arrival of autumn has in no way slowed the biking and hiking season on the Via Dinarica. Terra Dinarica and their counterpart in Croatia, Via Dinarica Croatia, have initiated the first International Via Dinarica Day on October 8-9. It’s a day for nature lovers from the wider Dinaric region to strap up their boots and head out to the great outdoors. The International Via Dinarica Day is more a call of the wild than an event. Hikers, bikers, climbers, cavers, runners, and campers are encouraged to go and enjoy any section of the world’s newest mega-trail and share their stories, videos and photos of their weekend with Mother Nature. Send you material either to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by October 15 and the winners will  be rewarded with a modest prize.

The idea is meant to be a symbolic gesture to reinforce the principles of the Via Dinarica, which is - above all, to connect naturally. So by connecting peaks and people the initiators aim to raise awareness not just to the immense repertoire offered by the Via Dinarica but also the need to nurture, protect and promote the cultural and natural heritage of the Dinaric Alps.

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Meet the National Geographic Explorers who will soon hike the White Trail!

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Written by: ViaDinarica

Created: 01 June 2016

Sean McDermott and Lois Parshley are National Geographic Explorers coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina to write about the Via Dinarica as the world’s newest long distance trail. They’ll be spending the summer hiking from Slovenia to Albania on the Via Dinarica White Trail and creating a cultural map of the trail. At its core, this is a project about a profound sense of place. This is a region that has regrown after a difficult period, and there’s distinct cultural and environmental features that make each country the trail traverses unique. That’s why the explorers will be creating a map to capture the spirit of the trail and all of its diverse surroundings.

They’ll create map-based reported essays, photography, and short video clips on their websitewww.hikethebalkans.com. This digital-first approach will transform the reporting process, sampling from spatial themes. By integrating photography, cartography, and text, this project will expand traditional reportage to include visual multimedia presentation tools. They’ll also be creating a video for National Geographic Magazine and blogging on that website. National Geographic is based in the U.S. but has large global markets. Its circulation is 6.8 million views a month, and it is translated into 40 different languages.

As a little background, Lois has worked as an editor at the Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and Popular Science, and written for The New Yorker, Businessweek, The Atlantic, Wired, Outside, and the Washington Post, among others. Her website is www.loisparshley.com and her most recent photos on Instagram can be found at @loisparshley. Their most recent project, which Sean McDermott also consulted on, was in Liberia for the Atlantic magazine, focusing on the food shortages after Ebola. Sean McDermott is a farmer and photographer who’s been published in Maxim, National Geographic, and Popular Science, among others. As someone with a background in agriculture, on this trip he will be focusing on agricultural traditions in the region.

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We’re back…for good

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Written by: ViaDinarica

Created: 03 February 2015

It has been almost a year since the pilot project “Walking the Via Dinarica’ successfully came to a close. We had walked a million steps from the highest peaks in the Dinaric Alps in Valbona, Albania to the underground cave system of Postojanska Jama in Slovenia. We covered over 600 kilometers of majestic terrain and made about as many friends.

With the pilot project completed we were eager to start to keep the ball rolling. Outside Magazine named Via Dinarica the Best New Trail in the World in 2014. We had met so many fascinating and motivated people along the trail…ones that became our friends. There was Catherine in Valbona, the determined and dedicated biologist doing all the right things for her isolated mountain community. Enes and Dusko showed us the magical mountains of Montenegro. In Croatia we also got the red carpet treatment from Marije, Dorijan, Valentina, Alan and Maja – just to name a few. Kenan and Elma, our expedition leaders, even discovered a few more hidden corners in our own backyard of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Not too long after that the region was struck by devastating floods. In May of last year many parts of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia found themselves deep under water. It was a natural and man-made disaster not seen here since the 19th century. That’s when many of us shifted our focus to flood recovery to aid those who lost their homes and their hope. Mountain Rescue units, rafting and diving clubs, and ordinary volunteers of all kind rose to the occasion to lend a helping hand. Teams from all sections of the Via Dinarica responded in accordance with our motto – Connecting Naturally. We knew we were all connected in this and the selfless actions of hikers, bikers, rafters, climbers, divers, and rescuers saved countless lives.



Recovery has taken quite a bit of time. And the process is still on ongoing one. But we are please to announce that the Via Dinarica project, funded by UNDP and USAID and implemented by Terra Dinarica, is up and running still…and again. We will be revisiting and sharing with you all the amazing spots we encountered on our last epic journey. We will mark the White Trail, invest in mountain hut reparations and renovations, provide small grants to B&B and tourism service providers, help mountain rescue services and rafter who lost equipment in the rescue efforts to replenish and renew their gear, and continue to tell the unraveling story of the lands and peoples of the Via Dinarica.

We will also walk, hike, bike, ski, and raft the new Green Trail that will meander from Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina connect with the White Trail in Croatia. We’ll be working closely with other initiatives throughout the region to promote all of activities and exciting adventures the Via Dinarica has on offer.

We’re happy to be back…and hope you’ll join us in our (re)discovery of Europe’s best kept secret. We’re gonna show you the funky, inspiring, breath-taking, and pristine side of the Dinaric Alps. Follow us here. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

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Calling all Dinaric peeps!!

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Written by: ViaDinarica

Created: 18 December 2013

Hello all.  The Via Dinarica team, as you know, has completed its first leg of the trip. Since then, we have been working on gathering as much information as we can and strengthening our network with you – the people that make Via Dinarica the mega-trail it deserves to be. Kenan is working on both trip descriptions of the 50 some odd tours that they completed this summer and autumn. He is also fine tuning a documentary film with Dinno Kasalo that will air on BH1 on December 30th of this year. We also have ReFresh production company – operated by film directors Ademir Kenovic, Pjer Zalica and Srdan Vuletic – working on a few video spots to promote the idea of Via Dinarica. In short, we’re still on it. But we need your help.

As we have always preached, Via Dinarica is an open concept. It’s owned by no one and yet by everyone. It’s success completely depends on everyone pulling their weight, being good stewards of both environment and community, and coming together for the common good.

We are now building the website part of the Via Dinarica portal. We will, of course, continue with our weekly blogs (and encourage those of you with good stories about the Via Dinarica that would like to share to most certainly do so). But now our focus is on getting the word out about the people and places of Via Dinarica. We already have an impressive collection of mountain guide associations, B&B’s, tour operators, mountain lodges, and a wide range of service providers along the trail. We don’t want to leave anyone out, though. That’s where you come in.

We kindly ask that you take a little time to send us your information so we can better promote you and your activities. What you do, of course, must be related to the Via Dinarica. It can be a small hotel, a barn, a mountain association, or a tour operator. We want your information out there!

Please send information in this format –

Tim’s Eco House:  Address  21 Via Dinarica Lane.  Phone 033 555 1212. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Web www.viadinarica.com . Working hours 8.00-20.00 Mon-SatCards MC, V (or cash only if applicable)

If you are an accommodation provider please add Prices Doubles starting from 40euro (for example).



After that we’d love a short description of who you are and what you do. What sets you apart from others? What is particularly special about your club, place, cafe, B&B? If you have a B&B, how many beds do you have? Does it come with breakfast? We also want to hear what services you provide – are you a do-it-all kind of guy/gal or do you just rent mountain bikes? Have GPS coordinates, send them too! Are you difficult to find? Give us directions. Send us a cool photo. At least 200 dpi please. Tell us all about what there is to see and do in your hood. We want to hear all the highlights and features Via Dinarica has to offer. No one knows the terrain like a local.

It’s true, we already know a lot of this material. The Via Dinarica team has sent out questionnaires. Nonetheless, it’s still important to hear it from you, to fact check, to encourage your participation in this process, and to make sure you  have your voice (and business) heard. Our job is to help serve you.

So, please send me your listings to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I will write to you acknowledging that I received your mail. I cannot tell you right now when everything will be up. What I can tell you is that we are working hard at getting as much information as we can ready for the next season. So spread the word. We want to hear from you. We want everyone to hear about Via Dinarica. Our deadline? Yesterday :). But get it to us as soon as you can.

Via Dinarica. An idea whose time has come.

Thank you folks. Faleminderit. Hvala. For those of who celebrate Christmas – Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Happy skiing, snow shoeing, hiking, biking, and – if you’re crazy enough – ice cold rafting.

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