TAKE A PHOTO BY THE RING
Describing the 358 square kilometers of the Blidinje Nature Park in a couple of words would undoubtedly be “a piece of paradise”. We can’t list all the wonderful features of this park, but we would highlight Lake Blidinje, the Hercegovina giants Čvrsnica and Vran mountains, stećci necropolises, the grave of Diva Grabovica, and Hajdučka vrata (Outlaws’ Gate). The lake, after which the park is named, is the largest natural mountain lake in our country. Depending on the season and water level, its surface ranges from three to six square kilometers.
Enhad Goralija
The Lake and the Outlaws’s Gate
Among the most iconic viewpoints in our country stands Hajdučka vrata, a jewel of Mount Čvrsnica. Also known as the Roof of Herzegovina, it shares its days and nights, sunshine and moonlight, rain, and snow with Mount Vran.
Reportedly, one of the Lord of the Rings movies was supposed to be filmed at this spot, on the edge of the Diva Grabovica canyon, but the idea was dropped due to the inaccessible terrain. This didn’t deter the reconstruction of the mountain hut Vilinac, situated at an elevation of 1,961 meters, beneath the eponymous peak of Čvrsnica mountain — Veliki (Big) Vilinac (2,112 meters). Hikers from the entire region carried materials on their backs for its reconstruction.
Marina Nedić
Hajdučka vrata is a circular rock formation at the edge of the Diva Grabovica canyon. It’s a place where legends and reality intertwine, storms collide, and clouds seem within reach. Legend has it that this five-meter-wide stone ring was created out of thin air and served as a meeting place for hajduci (outlaws), who, by passing through the ring, became invincible.
This is a fantastic place for photos, but climbing onto the ring is dangerous and strictly prohibited. It can be damaged or one might fall from it. There are two paths leading to Hajdučka vrata, an easier one from Risovac, and a more challenging one from the canyon.
Over 1,500 plant species contribute to the beauty of Čvrsnica and the nature park, with 200 of them being endemic, relict, and subendemic. Blidinje is the largest habitat for the endemic white-bark pine — Pinus heldreichii.
A Church, Medieval Tombstones, and a Monument
Beneath Pločno, the highest peak of Čvrsnica (2,228 meters), lies a gorge called Masna Luka, and within it, the Church of St. Elijah the Thunderer (Ilija Gromovnik), with a monastery, built on the site where the so-called standing house stood until 1942, serving as a residence for the friars. The doors of the church, crafted from bronze and iron, weigh two tons.
Zlata Hodzic
The Blidinje Nature Park hosts several stećci necropolises, and the largest among them is the Dugo polje stećci necropolis with 150 preserved tombstones. It’s one of the 20 necropolises in our country that UNESCO designated as World Heritage in 2016.
In the winter season, when the landscape is blanketed in snow, the Risovac Ski Center transforms into a skiing and sledding haven for both kids and adults, offering numerous ski lifts and well-maintained slopes.
Find this QR code on the location:
