Mountain Zelengora

planina zelengora - orlovacko jezero

Mountain Zelengora

A tame green mountain, home to wolves and lambs
For many people, Zelengora is the most beautiful mountain in the region. It is vast and endless, draped with forests and green pastures. Mountain peaks jut out from its flat center. Some of them are: Vilinjak, Bregoč, Stog, Orlovac, Planinica, Klek, Uglješin vrh… It is tame and gentle, quite the opposite of Maglić and Volujak, from which it is separated by a deep canyon of the river Sutjeska. It is very rich in: herbs, berries, wild animals, forests, pasture grass, springs and streams, and especially in mountain lakes, which are its ornaments and its pride (Orlovačko Lake, Lake Gornje Bare, Lake Donje Bare, Borilovačko Lake, Štirinsko Lake, Kotlaničko Lake, Crno jezero – Black Lake…).
This area is, due to its configuration, elevation, geologic, climatic and other features, suitable for livestock breeding from earliest times. For centuries, herders have migrated with their herds to these mountain pastures during summer months when there is no grass for livestock in lowlands of Herzegovina and Bosnia. Zelengora provides excellent conditions for livestock breeding, because it is rich in meadows with grass, mountain plants, and numerous water springs. There are huts scattered on the edges of vast meadows and pastures. Those are settlements that are called katuni – (katuns – temporary settlements of herders in mountain huts during summer months because of livestock breeding and production of traditional dairy products). From May to September thousands of sheep, goats and cattle cover pastures of Zelengora accompanied by herders and herding dogs.
In the territory of National Park ‘Sutjeska’ and the broader area of Zelengora, mountain livestock breeding and production of dairy products were the main activities throughout the history of the indigenous peoples of this region (Illyrians, Vlachs, Slavs). Numerous toponyms, tombstones stećci, and old ways of milk processing and livestock migration have been preserved from that period. Zelengora has always, as a mother, fed and protected the peoples who came to it, but it was also the scene of bloody battles and the ravages of war, as evidenced by monuments and landmarks from past wars.
Having in mind the gentle nature of mountain Zelengora, it is suitable for a family vacation. In terms of physical fitness, Zelengora is not too demanding for mountaineering, so we recommend it as an ideal destination for a family vacation, far away from the city noise. Zelengora offers the possibility of an active vacation, but above all, a rest for your soul. Mountaineering, easy walks, cycling on well-kept and marked trails, swimming in one of the crystal-clear lakes, collecting herbs, berries, and mushrooms are some of the activities that can invigorate your body and restore your inner peace.
Imagine crystal-clear lakes with magnificent mountain peaks reflected on their surfaces! Imagine clean, untouched and wild nature that a man’s hand has never changed! Everything looks harmonious and tame. Rent a beautiful mountain hut by the lake, without electricity and the Internet for a real digital detox! After a night spent in complete silence and darkness without a single ray of light that would spoil the beauty of the clear night sky, many wish never to return to everyday life in a city. This is exactly what Zelengora and National Park "Sutjeska" offer to a visitor.
zelengora planina - stog