Via Dinarica Snowshoe Week

Day 1:
Arrive in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Your guide will meet you at the airport after customs and immigration. He or she will answer your questions, inform you about immediate arrangements and accompany you to our hotel in the old oriental trading district of Sarajevo.

In the afternoon there is an organized tour of the city's main historical, cultural and war sites that will help you piece together its complex and fascinating history. In the evening we enjoy a "welcome" dinner and tour briefing. Our hotel tonight is located in the old Ottoman trading quarter of Sarajevo.

Dinner / Hotel Kandilj, Sarajevo

Day 2:
This morning we drive an hour to the villages of Umoljani and Tusila on the Olympic mountain Bjelašnica, which will be our "base camp" for three nights. Today we do an easy snowshoe hike in and around the village.

From the traditional Bosnian mosque in the village of Umoljani we hike to the watermills and beautiful springs that have been used for centuries as a source of energy for processing wheat. We follow the ridge until the Rakitnica canyon opens up before us. After 45 minutes of uphill walking through deep snow we reach the cascades of Studeni Potok. Here, at certain times of the year, the stream falls in numerous cascades into the Rakitnica river, more than 300 meters below us. We follow the stream upwards, reaching Studeno Polje (field) and the serpentine formations of Studeni Potok (stream). Here we have a fantastic view of Obalj and the long, flat valley of Studeno Polje (fields). The shepherds' summer village of Gradina is just one road away and from here we slowly continue our way to the Crveni klanac pass where we stop for lunch. From here we return through the “back door” to the village of Umoljani to enjoy a well-deserved rest and a hearty dinner.

Easy hike / 3-4 hours hike / 150 meters elevation gain / 5 km
Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Pension Umoljani, village Umoljani

Day 3:
The Rakitnica Canyon is one of the highlights of this area and today we take a hike to one of the best viewpoints, the peak of Drstva (1,808 m) in the Visocica Mountains. After a short drive to the village of Bobovica we start our hike through the beech forest for about two hours, depending on snow conditions. At the edge of the forest we get a great view of the canyon directly below us. Above us is our goal for today, the peak of Drstva, where we take a break. From the summit we have a view of the canyon as well as the entire ridge of Visocica towards Vito Peak and the villages in the valley below us. As the sun sets we too return to our starting point and finally to the village of Umoljani for another cozy evening in our mountain hotel.

Moderate hike / 4-5 hours hike / 500 meters elevation gain / 7 km
Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Pension Umoljani, village Umoljani

Day 4:
Through the back roads of Bjelašnica we reach the Rakitnica river and cross it towards the Visocica mountain range. In the hills, just above the steep ridges of this mountain range, lies the village of Sinanovici (1,250 m). Today's snowshoe hike takes us through the beech forest and then across open, rocky terrain to the summit of Crveni Kuk (1,733 m). You will be rewarded with a wide view of the highest mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the neighboring countries of Montenegro. This will be our last overnight stay in the village of Tusila.

Moderate hike / 5-6 hours hike / 500 meters elevation gain / 10 km
Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Pension Umoljani, village Umoljani

Day 5:
A beautiful hiking trail through spruce and fir forests leads us to a wonderful mountain hut hidden deep in the dense forests of the Igman Mountains. After a 45-minute transfer, our hike begins on Veliko polje (Big Field), the place where the cross-country skiing took place in 1984. After about 1 hour, we reach the Javornik mountain hut, where we take a short break. The snowshoe trail takes us further to the Karamustafini cairi viewpoint (1,700 m), where we take our well-deserved lunch break. After a pleasant rest and a view of the valley below us, we descend again and follow our footpath in the snow. At the end, the short 30-minute transfer brings us to our accommodation in the old town of Sarajevo.

Moderate hike / 5-6 hours hike / 500 meters elevation gain / 10 km
Breakfast, lunch / Hotel Kandilj, Sarajevo

Day 6:
Today we go snowshoeing up Olympic Hill Trebevic, a popular route that offers some of the best views of Sarajevo when the weather is clear.

We take the back road to Jahorina via Vraca to Brus where we park our vehicle and start our 500 meter hike to the peak of Trebevic (1,629 meters). Our path takes us along a long and winding mountain path. During the ascent we mostly walk through pine and spruce forests, however you will occasionally be rewarded with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. From the summit there are wonderful views of the surrounding towns and villages as well as the mountains of Romanija, Maglić, Volujak, Zelengora, Lelija, Treskavica, Visočica, Prenj, Čvrsnica, including our previous two goals, the Olympic mountains Bjelašnica and Igman. We descend via an alternative shorter path to the mountain hut where we take a break for hot tea, cocoa or even a cold beer before ending the hike near the main road.

Before the short transfer back to Sarajevo, we also visit a once proud attraction of the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, the bobsleigh track. Badly damaged during the siege of the city, the track still stands as a popular spot for local graffiti artists who have decorated entire sections of the curved track. The Sarajevo bobsleigh track is literally a concrete reminder of a more prosperous time. It is currently being renovated for future bobsleigh competitions.

Moderate hike / 5-6 hours hike / 550 meters elevation gain / 9 km
Breakfast, lunch / Hotel Kandilj, Sarajevo

Day 7:
Transfer to Sarajevo International Airport, depending on departure time.

Breakfast