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For most people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sutjeska National Park is a pilgrimage not for its astounding nature but for its historical significance. It was here that Tito’s Partisans, in a brilliant display of guerilla warfare, were able to escape a better-equipped German army in the mountainous terrain of eastern Bosnia during the Second World War. The park is still visited by tens of thousands of visitors each year for this very reason. They come to pay homage to the fallen, who secured the birth – and future success – of Yugoslavia. What few know though: this swath of Mother Nature is quite possibly the most pristine and stunning corner of southeast Europe.
Sutjeska was declared a national park in 1962. National parks in the former Yugoslavia, and indeed most of Eastern Europe, didn’t always follow western conservation norms. A small part of the park –approximately 17,500 hectares – is a strictly protected zone. A much larger portion, still under the jurisdiction and management of the park, enjoys some protection but is open for hunting and more intense forest exploitation. Nonetheless, this untamed border area is home to more bio-diversity than anywhere in the country.
Sutjeska National Park is home to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highest peak, Mt. Maglić at 2,386 meters. The hike to the top is a challenging but doable for walkers in decent shape. Below the towering peaks of Maglić is one of Europe’s last remaining primeval forests: Perućica, which scientists date to be 20,000 years old. This lush, green oasis shelters bears, deer, chamois, wolves, and dozens of other creatures. Hiking through here is limited and is accessible only with guides from the park.
The grassy green peaks of Zelengora Mountain flank the park’s southwestern edge. Not quite as rugged as the Maglić side, Zelengora is dotted with mountain lakes, alpine meadows, and beautiful forests of spruce, oak, beech, and black pines. The Donje Bare area of Zelengora was a favorite hunting spot for Tito. His villa, destroyed during the last war, was set on the banks of the Donje Bare Lake. Bears and wild boar still visit it as their main watering hole. I have yet to visit this part of the park and not see a herd of chamois.
Sutjeska’s main infrastructure is located in the Tjentište Valley, which cuts through the park thanks to the power of the Sutjeska River. Aside from the gargantuan Socialist-era monument in honor of the historical battle, Tjentište almost resembles a tiny town. There is a post office, a police station, a park-management office, and a small grocery store on the east side of the main road. On the west side, there are tourist facilities. Hotel Mladost is the main accommodation provider in the valley. It doubles as a welcoming center and has a decent restaurant. A few hundred meters from Mladost is a lake-sized natural swimming pool, where they’ve semi-dammed the Sutjeska River. It’s a nice place for a dip after one of Sutjeska’s many grueling hikes to the towering 2,000-meter peaks in every direction. Just outside the park is Tentorium, a family-owned restaurant with good local food.
With two new EU-funded tourism-development project, the park has successfully expanded its current offer and has is now connected by biking and hiking trails to neighboring Durmitor NP in Montenegro. A new tourism information center with good maps will be located near the Mladost Hotel entrance this year. By this summer, mountain bikes will be available for rent and well-marked trails will be developed throughout the park. All of the mountain huts and lodges are up for a facelift as well.
Despite the lack of a superior infrastructure that would open the park to the world, Sutjeska National Park can still be regarded as the Yellowstone of the Balkans. The raw and rugged beauty of this land is second-to-none is this region of Europe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8wnYM4DIOk
