Vranica ( sr-cyrl, Враница) is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

range in 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 ...

of central

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 ...

, located between the town of

Gornji Vakuf Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje ( sr-cyrl, Горњи Вакуф-Ускопље) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Etymology Although settlements i ...

in the west and the town of

Fojnica Fojnica ( sr-cyrl, Фојница) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located west of the capital Sarajevo, in the valley of the Fojn ...

in the east, within the territory of the

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

. The highest peak is Nadkrstac at . Geologically, the Vranica range is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, 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 ...

. Notable peaks are Nadkrstac (2110 m.), Locika (2106 m.), Rosinj (2059 m.) and Scit (1949 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 ...

replace mixed forest -mostly

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

- above 1400 m. The typical

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

characteristics of the nearby Herzegovina mountains is relatively absent in Vranica, which has relatively abundant water sources. Streams that source from these mountains are the Dragača in the east, the Vrbas in the west.

Prokoško Lake

Just east of its main summit, at 1660 m altitude is a beautiful glacial lake called Prokoško Jezero located. This lake was once known as a habitat for a unique

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

variant of the Triton Salamander ''(Ichthyosaura alpestris reiseri)''. On the northern shore one finds a settlement of typical wooden shepherd huts which unfortunately in recent years has grown oversized with illegal recreational sheds that threaten the vulnerable

eco-system An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

. Prokoško Jezero received a protected status in 2005 based on

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

criteria, when it was declared a Monument of Nature by the BiH authorities. Despite these protective measures, it is not clear whether pollution connected to over-recreation will have become entirely fatal for the salamander.

Tourism and recreation

Hiking

The Vranica mountains were only on the edges affected by combat during the 1992-1995 conflict. The central main ridge remained largely spared from warfare and the mine risk is therefore minimal. Also for that reason Vranica is an attractive destination for hikers, mountain bikers and tour skiers. A rough unpaved mountain road leads from Fojnica to Prokoško Jezero. A mountain hut -Rosinj P.D.- is located on the west side of the main ridge at 1780 m.

References

External links

Vranica at SummitPost.org

Listing of mountain huts at www.behremplaninar.com
{{Authority control Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina Two-thousanders of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prokoško Lake

Tourism and recreation

Hiking

See also

References

External links