Nested at the altitude of 1636m, amazing glacier Prokoško Lake at Vranica Mountain with its highest peak – Nadkrstac at 2112m above sea level is the ideal hiking destination for any true nature lover seeking for amazing scenery, untouched nature and understanding of Bosnian rural/nomad village life.
As locals call it, “mountain eye”, this amazing – Prokoško glacier lake, being surrounded by numerous shepherds huts famously called “Katuni”, and Vranica mountain peaks, where some of them are way above 2000m, is where you want to be at one moment of your life.
Region of Vranica mountain is completely safe from any perspective of mines. Sarajevo Funky Tours will NEVER conduct trips to any areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina having ANY risk at all from perspective of mines.
Safety of our guests and ourselves, is our most important priority.
Departure Times Daily at 8 AM.
Pickup Locations If you are staying in the old town of Sarajevo meet us at our office. If you are bit away from us, please let us know and we can organise advance pickup.
Activity Note: The tour is adapted to all ages and is medium demanding. Due to the distance of the locations, we use vehicles to get to the starting hiking point an the rest of the tour is done on foot via beautiful nature scenery.
Fojnica, town historically known for healthy thermal waters and gold mining, is home to Franciscan Monastery dating some 650 years ago. Today it is location which “most likely”, is home to the oldest written document on human rights – Ahdnama” written some 550 years ago after Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in 1463.
However visit to this place is optional and requires advance arrangements and is not covered in the standard tour, which is focused on nature explorations of Vranica mountain and Prokoško lake regions, but can be arranged on request.
As soon as we leave Fojnica, we start our 16 km long, macadam and totally forested drive, with plentiful of small creeks crossing our way, to reach Prokoško Lake and get to see why this area is nicknamed for “Bosnian Swiss”.
Glacier made, Prokoško Lake is “nested” at 1636 m.a.s.l, with number of old, shingle covered, shepherd’s wooden huts – Katuni at its vicinity and amphitheatre of Vranica mountain behind, are definitely something not to miss for any nature lover during the trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. No doubt about it.
>Prokosko lake aerial view – Vranica mountain – Bosnia and Herzegovina
As soon as we arrive at lake and dozen of photos already taken, we’ll get ready for our hike and pack up some of the local specialties, most importantly local bread, sheep cheese and locally made tea.
Before start, visitors are free to explore region of the lake itself and maybe get lucky to see endemic species such as Vraničko Zvonce (Edraianthus niveus), Bosanska Zvonička (Symphyandra hofmannii) or the famous endemic amphibian Triton, which only lives in Prokoško lake (Triturus alpestris reiseri), discovered in 1891 by Othmur Reiser, ornithologist of National Museum in Sarajevo, when this species are was named after him.
>Prokosko Lake at Vranica mountain – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Our goal that day is to do roughly 3 hour hike and climb up the Vranica mountain peak – Nadkrstac, at 2112 meters above sea level. Starting point will be at Prokoško lake at 1636 meters above sea level, what will give us roughly 500 meters altitude gain.
Mountain of Vranica is full of small, clean and cold creeks running down the cascades which makes scenery looks like “water heaven”.
>Prokosko lake view from Vranica mountain peak – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Depending on which period of the year you are conducting this tour, please note that Vranica mountain is very famous for various kinds of mushrooms, cranberries and blueberries so some of them can easily be on our “food menu”.
>Hiking trail to Nadkrstac peak at 2112 m at Vranica mountain
Once on top, stunning views with numerous mountain plateaus and peaks in our eyesight will surely take our breath away. Then, our 3 hour hard work will pay off and we’ll finally get to taste food and snacks we brought all the way up, enjoying amazing scenery.
After rest, it will be time to head down, and this time will be bit easy and different trail will be taken. It will take us around 2.30 hours to be back to the Lake.
As soon as we are back to Prokoško Lake we’ll organise coffee break, something unmissable when out in these areas. We’ll learn more about how certain types of Prokoško cheese are being made, how general shepherd life at Vranica mountain looks like and what happens when winter season is there. Cultural insight is quite important, to understand how life was, and is today. Free time at the village.
Village itself has unique mosque, possibly highest one in whole of Europe at altitude of 1666 m.a.s.l. and is possible to visit.
Later on we go back to Sarajevo for around 2 hour transfer, expecting to be back around 8 PM.
>Local woman making home made sheep cheese, Prokosko Lake, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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