Vjetrenica, the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a protected natural monument and tourist destination in the southeastern part of the country, has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list since July 26th, 2024, following a vote at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi. This natural phenomenon, with its invaluable richness and vast biodiversity, has gained popularity, drawing attention from neighboring media.
“Tourists from all over Europe are crazy about a natural phenomenon in BiH: A record number of visitors have explored its underground corridors, lakes, and waterfalls,” reads the headline of an article describing Vjetrenica and emphasizing the growing number of visitors coming to see this cave.
“Its nearest settlement is Slano, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The cave got its name from the cold and strong wind blowing at its entrance. A notable airflow can also be felt at several points within the cave itself,” a Croatian portal reports.
It was recently announced that Vjetrenica had a record year for visitor numbers.
Davor Bakovic, director of the Vjetrenica Public Enterprise, emphasized that the Vjetrenica-Popovo Polje Protected Landscape welcomed 18.000 visitors in the first ten months of this year.
“This is also the first year where the ratio of domestic to foreign visitors is nearly equal, motivating us to continue promoting the protected area’s values on the international market,” Bakovic added.
Besides tourists from neighboring countries, Vjetrenica has been most frequently visited by guests from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Scandinavian countries.
Approximately five million years old, Vjetrenica is a natural gem that was first opened to the public in 1964. It remained accessible until 1991 but was closed for more than 18 years afterward. This jewel was reopened last year.
Visiting Vjetrenica offers an excellent opportunity to explore a mystical underground world, learn about cave formations, and witness spectacular sights such as lakes, waterfalls, stalactites, and stalagmites. It also provides insight into the cave’s rich biodiversity, home to nearly 230 species of cave organisms, the most famous being the olm (‘human fish’).
The cave is open to visitors year-round, with guided tours covering 700 meters from the entrance.
“Whether you walk through its spectacular corridors and chambers or marvel at its stalactites, lakes (there are as many as 135 of them), waterfalls, permanent streams, and smaller seasonal flows rushing in various directions before your eyes, you’ll feel as though you’re part of an otherworldly fairy tale,” concludes a Croatian media outlet.
