Bjelasnica & Visocica Caravan Route (2 days)

Day 1: Full day hike in the Bjelasnica (host of the 1984 Winter Olympics) and Visocica mountains, visiting the highest village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lukomir (1469m), and descending into the Rakitnica Gorge, the last explored gorge in this part of Europe.

From the Bosnian village of Umoljani with its traditional mosque we hike to Gradina, a summer village. We are likely to see many villagers gathering their summer harvest. Unlike Umoljani, the village was not destroyed during the war and still contains some excellent examples of traditional Bjelasnica summer village architecture. From Gradina we pass the meanders of the Studeni Potok, where the stream drops 400 meters down into the Rakitnica gorge at certain times of the year.

At the edge of the gorge we start our hike along the side of the Obalj towards the 40-meter-high Peruca waterfall. All the time we are pampered by sweet and cool breezes from Visocica and Treskavica. Along the way we find a few springs where we can quench our thirst. After about 3 hours we reach the village of Lukomir.

Lukomir is the highest village in Bosnia at 1,469 meters, with its old stećci (medieval tombstones) where villagers hold on to the "old ways". Traditional clothing, the occasional turban and fez are still worn and go hand in hand with contemporary daily life, electricity and running water. On the outskirts of the village, a rare view of Rakitnica, Obalj and Visocica awaits us. You have arrived at the end of the world. Here we will enjoy a home-made "pita" lunch, a pastry filled with cheese or potatoes.

From the village of Lukomir we descend into the gorge to the riverbed of the Rakitnica. We follow the old shepherd's path to the suspension bridge. The most "challenging" part of today's hike will be the ascent from the bottom of the gorge to the village of Bobovica. On the opposite bank of the river we continue our hike across wide green meadows - always with the imposing Visocica mountain range in view - to the Vrela mountain hut.

Lunch, dinner/Vrela mountain hut

Day 2: The ridge of Vito Peak (1,960m), our highest point of today's hike, is visible in the distance, forming one of the most attractive ridges near Sarajevo. Vito Peak itself is extremely elegant and offers stunning 360 degree views that make the climb to the summit worthwhile. After about 45 minutes we reach Vito's amphitheatre, created by glaciers thousands of years ago, and see the summit for the first time. From here the trail continues uphill on the mountain slopes, which constantly present us with new views. As we approach Vito Peak, you can even see Lukomir on the opposite side of the gorge from where we came the day before. Leaving Vito Peak behind us, we continue our hike along the magnificent ridge that connects Vito to Drstva (1,808m), the last peak of the day, offering us some unforgettable views.

From here we descend from the ridge into the forest towards the signpost that shows the direction to the village of “Tusila”. We follow the direction of the arrow and enter the forest, passing a water spring. In about 30-45 minutes we reach the road from which we return to the hut. In the afternoon we take a one-hour drive back to Sarajevo. Approximately 5-6 hours of walking.

Breakfast, lunch