Route difficulty: Beginner

The adventure starts in front of the hotel Mladost where, with the help of a guide, you choose a bicycle that is appropriate for your fitness level and you get a safety briefing. We put the bicycles and the safety equipment into vehicles that also follow us while we are cycling and head toward the place where the adventure starts. Our destination is the plateau Prijevor – the foot of the highest peak in BIH – mountain Maglić. We get to know the landscape and visit some of the most beautiful lookouts in National Park Sutjeska. After we arrive at Prijevor, we cycle down the road which is partly a macadam and partly an asphalt road, which is the best combination for a beginner cyclist. Using cycling terminology, we can describe this route as soft downhill. Riding a bicycle along the edge of one of the last untouched primeval forests in Europe, we visit the lookout Beškita, which offers a fantastic view of primeval forest Perućica and waterfall Skakavac located in the center of the primeval forest. The 18-kilometer-long trail ends in Tjentište, the starting point of our biking adventure.

Route difficulty: Intermediate

For those who are more experienced in cycling, we offer a ride that includes a visit to Lake Donje Bare on Zelengora. The starting point of the biking route is in Tjentište, in front of the hotel Mladost. After our guide helps you choose a bicycle and safety equipment, you get instructions and information about the technical features of the tour. After a short ride, the bike trail splits off the main road in the direction of Zelengora and Lake Donje Bare. The road surface on the way to Lake Donje Bare is a combination of asphalt and dirt road – just what cyclists like. The trail to the lake is 20 km long and the difference in elevation is 363 m. The ride lasts 3 to 4 hours, depending on your fitness level. The road winds through the mountainous landscape, following mountain Ozren on the left and the steep canyon of the river Hrčavka on the right. The reward for conquering this slightly steep climb is the arrival at Lake Donje Bare, an enchanting glacial lake, nestled at the foot of mountain Zelengora. It is hard to find the words to describe the lake and the landscape around it. The best indicator of the uniqueness of this place might be the fact that it was one of the favorite destinations of former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. We recommend that you visit lookout point Borić half an hour’s walk from the lake. Lookout point Borić offers a view of the Sutjeska valley and further toward primeval forest Perućica. After you have enjoyed the landscape of one of the most beautiful lakes of Zelengora, it is time to go back. After going uphill on our way to the lake, we go back to Tjentište taking the same route downhill, with the minimum amount of effort put into pedaling. The tour ends upon the arrival at the hotel Mladost.

 
Route difficulty: Advanced

For all those who love mountain biking and want more than an all-day ride through the delightful landscapes of National Park Sutjeska, we offer a route called Heart of Zelengora. Riding a bike along the trail that passes through the most interesting areas of mountain Zelengora is more physically challenging and it is recommended to people with experience in cycling. This adventure, as well as the other adventures on pedals, starts in front of the hotel Mladost. After our guide helps you choose your ideal bicycle and shares information about the technical features of the tour, we start our adventure. We put the bicycles and the safety equipment into vehicles that take us to Čemerno, the starting point of the ride (in this way we avoid driving through the narrow canyon of the river Sutjeska, where the highway is narrow and busy in the summer). After a 30-minute drive in an off-road vehicle from Tjentište, we leave the highway and start getting to know Zelengora. Our first goal is Orlovačko Lake, 25 km away from the starting point Čemerno. The road to the lake goes through enchanting landscapes that only exist on Zelengora and in fairy tales that you were told as a child. The trail winds between the high mountains and for the most part passes through the woods, so this route is very attractive in summer when other destinations are exposed to the strong sun rays. On the way to Orlovačko Lake, there is a great number of katun settlements (places intended for raising livestock in a traditional way). Sheep and cows that graze freely on the mountain slopes are a common sight in this area, and the sight of wild animals is not uncommon either. After we arrive at Orlovačko Lake, we have lunch and take a short break, which may include swimming in the glacial lake. Then we go further toward the village Vrbnica. The mountain trail that leads from Orlovačko Lake to Vrbnica is the most challenging part of this route, but the nature in this area is so beautiful that you won’t even be aware of the effort you make while cycling. After arriving at the village of Vrbnica, the trail gradually descends toward Tjentište, and it is time to enjoy the fruits of your effort. The trail follows the road beneath Maluša and Zelengora mountains on one side; on the other side there is the Sutjeska River and mountain massifs of Vučevo and Volujak interspersed with snow even during hot summer days. The adventure ends in front of the hotel Mladost, where it started.