ZELENGORA AND GORNJE BARE
A MOUNTAIN OF A HUNDRED COLORS AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES
Mountain Zelengora, located within the Sutjeska National Park, is rightly considered the most beautiful mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its name perfectly describes the vast pastures, dense beech forests and eight glacial lakes known as the “mountain eyes”. Among them, Gornje Bare holds a special place as a destination that offers incredible peace and the raw beauty of untouched nature.
Gornje Bare: Turquoise peace at the foot of the cliffs
Lake Gornje Bare is located at about 1,515 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by the peaks of Uglješin vrh and Planinica, and its crystal clear water reflects the high ridges that shelter it. This is a place where the silence is broken only by the wind or the cry of an eagle, and in summer it becomes an ideal, albeit refreshingly cold, location for braver swimmers.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Zelengora is to landscape photographers what a canvas is to a painter – offering textures, colors, and an atmosphere that changes from minute to minute:
Reflections: Lake Gornje Bare is most photogenic in the early morning, when the surface is as still as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the rocks of Planinica peak.
View from Uglješin vrh: If you continue along the trail above the lake to Uglješin vrh, you will get a panoramic shot that includes the massifs of Maglić, Volujak, and Bioč.
Macrophotography: During June and July, the mountain is covered in carpets of wildflowers, which is a paradise for macro shots.
Night photography: Due to its complete isolation and lack of light pollution, you can capture the Milky Way in full glory above your tent here.
WILDNESS WITHOUT FILTER
Flora: Zelengora is known for its endemic plants, but also for its abundance of blueberries, cranberries, and medicinal herbs. The slopes are covered with mixed beech and fir forests that take on incredible golden hues in autumn.
Fauna: This is home to chamois, which you can often see on the surrounding cliffs. Zelengora is also home to bears, wolves and golden eagles. The silence of the lake often attracts roe deer in the early morning hours.
TIPS
Permits: Since you are in the National Park, you need to pay the entrance fee to the Sutjeska National Park at the entrance at Tjentište.
Weather: Mountain weather is fickle. Even in the middle of summer, bring warm clothes and a raincoat.
Water: There are no established sources of drinking water on the lake itself, so bring enough supplies.
How to get there? (Road and navigation)
Access to Zelengora requires good preparation and, preferably, an all-terrain vehicle:
Starting point: Tjentište can be reached from the direction of Foča or Trebinje.
Forest road: At Tjentište, it turns onto a narrow, macadam road that leads uphill towards the locality of Donje Bare. The road is about 19 km long and is recommended exclusively for vehicles with high clearance Visit Foča.
Hiking: A marked trail leads from Lake Donje Bare (where the mountain house is located) to Lake Gornje Bare. The walk takes about 1 to 1.5 hours of easy walking through beautiful alpine meadows.
