Lelija ( sr-cyrl, Лелија) is a mountain range within the

Sutjeska National Park The Sutjeska National Park ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Национални парк Сутјеска, Nacionalni park Sutjeska, ) is a national park located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established in 1962, it is Bosnia and Herzegovina's oldest national pa ...

Republic of Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. It has an altitude of 2,032 metres (6,667 ft). Geographically, it is part of the Dinaric Alps of southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of

Kalinovik Kalinovik ( sr-cyrl, Калиновик) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 1,093 inhabitants, while the municipality has 2,029 inhabitants. The mu ...

, within the territory of the Republika Srpska. Geologically, the Lelija range is part of the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...

and formed largely of secondary and tertiary

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

, mostly

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and

dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...

. Lelija is bordered by the Jezernica in the north, the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...

in the east, the

Neretva The Neretva ( sr-cyrl, Неретва, ), also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four HE power-plants with large dams (higher than 150,5 metres) provide flood protection, power and water s ...

in the west and

Zelengora Zelengora ( sr-cyrl, Зеленгора) is a mountain range in the Sutjeska National Park of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a highest altitude of .Ljubljani & Slovenije, p. 194 Topography Geologically, the Zelengora range is part of the Din ...

range in the south. Notable peaks are Velika Lelija (2032 m.), Todor (1949 m.), and Saikov Vrh (1562 m.) File:Velika Lelija summit.JPG, V. Lelija summit File:Lelija, near Jablan Vrelo.JPG, Jablan Vrelo The Lelija mountains were not part of the frontline during the 1992-'95 conflict and therefore have virtually no contamination with land mines and unexploded ordnance. Therefore, Lelija is an attractive destination for

hiker Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

s and tour skiers. The slopes of Lelija are covered with

mixed forest Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions. These for ...

up to an altitude of ca. 1400 m., thick shrubs of

Pinus Mugo ''Pinus mugo'', known as bog pine, creeping pine, dwarf mountain pine, mugo pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, or Swiss mountain pine, is a species of conifer, native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and Sou ...

grow further up. A rough unpaved mountain road passes from Kalinovik and Jelašca north-south through the Lelija range and further through Zelengora. A mountain house used to be located at Jablan Vrelo, a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

that is located on the trail to Velika Lelija summit, but it has long fallen into oblivion. What remains is a beautiful hike in an area that doesn't see many visitors.Matias Gomez: Forgotten Beauty, a hiker's guide to BiH's 2000 meter peaks, page 93 to 95, , Buybook, Sarajevo, 2005

References

External links

{{commons category
Summitpost page on Lelija
Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina Two-thousanders of Bosnia and Herzegovina