Holiday apartment in Vrhovina: springs, Treskavica and the Via Dinarica

Vrhovina lies on the southwestern side of Treskavica at an elevation of around 1,200 metres and is part of the designated Vrhovina–Vlaholje–Jelašca geological zone. This location alone leads into a landscape where high plateaus, karst formations and waterways are closely interconnected. In the wider regional surroundings of the Treskavica high plateaus, there are karst depressions and areas with dolines. Exploring the area therefore brings geological features and specific trail sections together.

Nature

Several powerful springs in Vrhovina form the source area of the Vrhovinska rijeka. The river rises in Vrhovina and was named after this village. From its source to its confluence with the Neretva, it is around 12 kilometres long; the difference in elevation is 635 metres. At the same time, the Vrhovinska rijeka belongs to the Adriatic drainage basin. Downstream from the village of Hotovlje, the river changes its name to the Hotovska rijeka and, together with the Graiseljička rijeka, forms the Jezernica.

These water connections extend beyond the immediate spring area. The Vrhovina spring is mentioned in connection with Treskavica. Together with the elevation and the geological zone, this creates a clearly structured picture of the landscape: the springs in Vrhovina, a river course with a named confluence and the karst depressions in the wider regional surroundings of the high plateaus belong to the same geographical narrative, without equating the individual features with one another.

Hiking

Vrhovina is connected to several Via Dinarica routes. The stage from Kalinovik to Vrhovina is 16.1 kilometres long, while the stage from Vrhovina to Tušila covers 22.7 kilometres. The different route lengths already distinguish the two sections by their measured extent.

The Via Dinarica route from Vrhovina to Tušila continues from Vrhovina along a gravel road towards Ljuta. Near Vrhovina, the route also mentions a spring beside a well. The markings for the Via Dinarica sections from Ljuta via Jakomišlje and from Jakomišlje towards Lukavac–Vlaholje were renewed and additional markings were installed. The route description from September 2021 also states that shortly after Vrhovina, the route passed through a minefield; bivouacking between Vrhovina and Ljuta was discouraged. Thus, both the named stages and specific features of the route and trail markings are associated with Vrhovina.

History

The history of the surrounding area also reaches far back. Vrhovina is one of the places in the Kalinovik area in whose surroundings remains of prehistoric fortifications and settlements have been found. The prehistoric remains associated with Vrhovina show that the area was already settled in prehistoric times.

The historic site of the Gvozno stećak necropolis near Kalinovik is also located in the wider regional surroundings of Vrhovina. Alongside the springs, rivers and karst formations, evidence of early settlement and a historic necropolis are therefore part of the regional context of the place.

Other places

For further orientation on the portal, you can go directly to these place pages: Podrašnica, Mrkonjić Grad, Sarajevo, Njemanica, Bileća, Srebrenica, Tjentište, Vlasenica.

For the main travel overview: Republika Srpska.