Blidinje
Encyclopedia
Blidinje is a Nature park
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, established on 30 April 1995.
, 3–5 km long, situated at an elevation of 1.150-1.300 meters a.s.l., between Čvrsnica
and Vran
mountains with a total area of 364 km² and 3 municipalities of Posušje
, Tomislavgrad
and Jablanica
. To the North - North-West is Vran
mountain with its highest peak on 2.074 meters a.s.l. while on the South - South-East is Čvrsnica
mountain with its highest peak Ploča at 2.228 meters a.s.l., South is Čabulja
mountain with its highest peak at 1.786 meters a.s.l., in the North - North-East is the Doljanka river and in the East is Grabovica valley that stretches to the Neretva
river.
, and form a deep canyon
between steep cliffs of Čvrsnica
mountain. Within the valley is a small village Diva Grabovica, named after a daughter of a local shepherd
, and killed by a local nobleman so that she would not be married to another man, except for him.
s from Čvrsnica
during the two past ice age
s created this open and barren valley Dugo Polje
field leading into the park
. The most important hydrographic phenomena in the area of the park is largest mountain lake
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Blidinje lake.
Blidinje lake is the direct result of a glacial
retreat, but according to the Poklečani Parishes office documents, lake
is, also, a product of anthropogenic intervention and activities of human inhabitants. According to these documents, in order to keep the water that is lost through the subterranean
passage, local residents and cattle breeders sealed sinkholes with branches and clay, so that water could not find its way underground. Therefore, the lake
was formed. Its surface area varies between 2,5 and 6 km², while its average depth is 1,9 m, with altitude of 1.184 m a.s.l.
, including the endemic white-bark pine at Masna Luka called Pinus leucodermis. Three types of wild thyme
and dozens of wild flowers cover the valley and mountain sides in the spring and summer.
trademark stećci
from medieval ages. It is not clear how long human settlements have existed here but research began when Blidinje recently received Nature park
status. Traces of Illyria
n graves and Roman road
s indicate that Blidinje has been settled for at least 2,500 years. The large necropolis
at Dugo Polje
indicates that the waves of Slavs
that came in the 7th century also made this area their home.
monastery
that is located within the park and open to visitors. Houses here are traditional shepherd homes with straw roofs that are mainly used during the spring and summer seasons. Winter is harsh and cold in these parts.
The park itself is free of mines with well-marked trails.
, a parodical project, is located in the middle of this Nature Park, Hajdučka Republika Mijata Tomića
.
Nature park
A nature park is a landscape protected by means of long-term planning, use and agriculture. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present state and promoted for touristic purposes....
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, established on 30 April 1995.
Geography and hydrology
It is a spacious valleyValley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, 3–5 km long, situated at an elevation of 1.150-1.300 meters a.s.l., between Čvrsnica
Cvrsnica
Čvrsnica is a mountain in the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Herzegovina, most of the mountain is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton municipalities of Mostar and Jablanica while the smaller part of the mountain, around 10 % is located in the municipality of Posušje...
and Vran
Vran
Vran is a mountain in the municipality of Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of ....
mountains with a total area of 364 km² and 3 municipalities of Posušje
Posušje
Posušje is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the West Herzegovina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity.-Name:...
, Tomislavgrad
Tomislavgrad
Tomislavgrad is a town and municipality in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in the Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Herzegovina region.- Name :...
and Jablanica
Jablanica
Jablanica or Yablanitsa may refer to:* Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town in Herzegovina* Yablanitsa, a town in Lovech Province, Bulgaria* Yablanitsa, Sofia Province, village in Sofia Province, Bulgaria* Jablanica, Zlatibor, village in Serbia...
. To the North - North-West is Vran
Vran
Vran is a mountain in the municipality of Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of ....
mountain with its highest peak on 2.074 meters a.s.l. while on the South - South-East is Čvrsnica
Cvrsnica
Čvrsnica is a mountain in the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Herzegovina, most of the mountain is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton municipalities of Mostar and Jablanica while the smaller part of the mountain, around 10 % is located in the municipality of Posušje...
mountain with its highest peak Ploča at 2.228 meters a.s.l., South is Čabulja
Čabulja
Čabulja is a mountain in the municipality of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of .-References:...
mountain with its highest peak at 1.786 meters a.s.l., in the North - North-East is the Doljanka river and in the East is Grabovica valley that stretches to the Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
river.
Grabovica valley
Grabovica valley with small Grabovica creek is a special reserve within park, squeezed deep into the mountainMountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
, and form a deep canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
between steep cliffs of Čvrsnica
Cvrsnica
Čvrsnica is a mountain in the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Herzegovina, most of the mountain is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton municipalities of Mostar and Jablanica while the smaller part of the mountain, around 10 % is located in the municipality of Posušje...
mountain. Within the valley is a small village Diva Grabovica, named after a daughter of a local shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
, and killed by a local nobleman so that she would not be married to another man, except for him.
Blidinje lake
The melting glacierGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s from Čvrsnica
Cvrsnica
Čvrsnica is a mountain in the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Herzegovina, most of the mountain is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton municipalities of Mostar and Jablanica while the smaller part of the mountain, around 10 % is located in the municipality of Posušje...
during the two past ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
s created this open and barren valley Dugo Polje
Dugo Polje
Dugo Polje is a village in the municipality of Sokobanja, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 690 people....
field leading into the park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
. The most important hydrographic phenomena in the area of the park is largest mountain lake
Mountain Lake
Mountain Lake may refer to a location in North America:United States* Mountain Lake, Florida, a private community created in 1915* Mountain Lake, Minnesota, a town in Cottonwood County* Mountain Lake Township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
- Blidinje lake.
Blidinje lake is the direct result of a glacial
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
retreat, but according to the Poklečani Parishes office documents, lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
is, also, a product of anthropogenic intervention and activities of human inhabitants. According to these documents, in order to keep the water that is lost through the subterranean
Subterranea (geography)
Subterranea refers to underground structures, both natural and man-made . Some subterranea include:* Bunker* Casemate* Catacombs* Caves** Ice caves* Cave dwellings, Cave house* Cave temple* Cellar* Cenote* Dungeon...
passage, local residents and cattle breeders sealed sinkholes with branches and clay, so that water could not find its way underground. Therefore, the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
was formed. Its surface area varies between 2,5 and 6 km², while its average depth is 1,9 m, with altitude of 1.184 m a.s.l.
Flora and fauna
Accompanying some of the rocky and seemingly lifeless slopes are thick forests of pinePine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, including the endemic white-bark pine at Masna Luka called Pinus leucodermis. Three types of wild thyme
Thyme
Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
and dozens of wild flowers cover the valley and mountain sides in the spring and summer.
History, archaeology and culture
All around the valley is dotted with the Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
trademark stećci
Stećci
The Stećci , are monumental medieval tombstones that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found within the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest of 10,000 are found in Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro...
from medieval ages. It is not clear how long human settlements have existed here but research began when Blidinje recently received Nature park
Nature park
A nature park is a landscape protected by means of long-term planning, use and agriculture. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present state and promoted for touristic purposes....
status. Traces of Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
n graves and Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
s indicate that Blidinje has been settled for at least 2,500 years. The large necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
at Dugo Polje
Dugo Polje
Dugo Polje is a village in the municipality of Sokobanja, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 690 people....
indicates that the waves of Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
that came in the 7th century also made this area their home.
Traditional life style
There is also a FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
that is located within the park and open to visitors. Houses here are traditional shepherd homes with straw roofs that are mainly used during the spring and summer seasons. Winter is harsh and cold in these parts.
The park itself is free of mines with well-marked trails.
Trivia
A self-proclaimed micronationMicronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
, a parodical project, is located in the middle of this Nature Park, Hajdučka Republika Mijata Tomića
Hajducka Republika Mijata Tomica
Hajdučka Republika Mijata Tomića is the self-proclaimed micronation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Location :The republic is in the areas between the mountains of Vran and Čvrsnica, in the middle of the Nature Park Blidinje, western Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Basic data :The founder and the...
.
See also
- List of lakes in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- List of mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- List of National parks and Nature parks in Bosnia and Herzegovina