Blatačko Lake is a natural lake 21 kilometers to the north-east of Konjic, in

Konjic Konjic ( sr-Cyrl, Коњиц) is a city and municipality located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Herzegovina, around southwest of Saraje ...

municipality,

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 ...

. The lake is a central feature of the natural & cultural-historical ensemble - cultural landscape - designated as National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Location and description

Zimni prechod Bjelasnice3 - hrana kanonu Rakitnice

The lake is located in close proximity to Blace village (1,215 m) on a karstic plateau of the

Bjelašnica Bjelašnica ( sr-cyrl, Бјелашница, ) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mount Igman. Bjelašnica's tallest peak, by which the mountain group got its name, rises to an elevatio ...

mountain, on the very edge of the

Rakitnica Rakitnica ( sr-cyrl, Ракитница) is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river, also called Upper Neretva ''( bs, Gornja Neretva)''. It meets Neretva from the right, flowing from north to south, between Bjelašnica and ...

canyon practically hanging over it at 1,156 meters a.s.l. It is of rectangular shape, around 500 m long and 140 m wide. During the summer months it is up to 2 meters deep.

National monument

Natural position of the lake itself and surrounding space's rich cultural-historical heritage, with prehistoric grave mounds, medieval necropolises with

stećak Stećak (, ) or Stećci in plural form (, ) is the name for 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 bo ...

and nišani tombstones in and around the village of Blace, forming one combined cultural landscape with part of the deep Rakitnica canyon, is designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Cultural-historical heritage

The protected perimeter of the monument consists of number of important sites: *the Blatačko lake and its surrounding landscape with an area of 20 hectares including a part of the Rakitnica canyon, *4 prehistoric grave mounds and medieval necropolis consisting of 15 stećak tombstones at the location called "Kosan-krst", *prehistoric grave mound and medieval necropolis with 12 stećak tombstones at the location called "Viš-stijena", *prehistoric grave mound and medieval necropolis with 3 stećak tombstones at the location called "Babaluša", *medieval necropolis with 8 stećak tombstones at the location called "Kod Čekića", *prehistoric grave mound and 1 isolated medieval stećak at the location called "Komadinov Do", *medieval necropolis with 7 stećak tombstones within active Orthodox cemetery, *necropolis with 9 nišan tombstones since medieval times near "Komadinov Do".

Natural heritage

Species placed under the strict protection: Sesleria juncifolia, Sesleria coerulens, Festuca panciciana, Festuca bosniaca, Senecio bosniacus, Veronica satureoides, Gentiana dinarica, Gentiana symphyandra, Gentianella crispata, Endraianthus serpyllifolius, Saxifraga caryophylla, Minuartia clandestina, Silene pusilla, Alchemilla velebitica, Cerastium dinaricum. Endemic alpine meadow species: Sesleria juncifolia, Sesleria coerulens, Festuca panciciana, Festuca bosniaca, Senecio bosniacus, Veronica satureioides, Gentiana dinarica, Gentiana symphyandra, Gentianella crispata. Glacial relicts: Dryas octopetala, Polygonum viviparum, Gentiana kochiana, Nigritella nigra, Potentilla clusiana, Arnica montana, Jasione orbiculata, Achillea lingulata, Lilium bosniacum. High alpine flora of the alpine pastures, rocky terrain and Rakitnica canyon: Plants found in the glacial cirques of Bjelašnica belong to the endemic association ''Amphoricarpion autariati'' and communities in the limestone canyon of the Rakitnica and on dolomitic soils, with following species of distinctive flora: Edraianthus serpyllifolius, Saxifraga caryophylla, Minuartia clandestina, Silene pusilla, Alchemilla velebitica, Cerastium dinaricum. Species on limestone soils: Dripis linneana, Arabis alpina, Heracleum balcanicum, Stachys recta. The ichthyofauna of the Tušilačka river and Rakitnica consists exclusively of

salmonids Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes . It includes salmon (both Atlantic and Pacific species), trout (both ocean-going and landlocked), chars, freshwater whit ...

Reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates ( lizards and snakes) and rhynchoceph ...

include the globally endangered meadow viper, ''Vipera ursini macrops'', classified as endangered by

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 ...

, along with other vipers – ''V. berus bosniaca'', ''V. amodites'' – and other snakes including ''Coronella austriaca'', ''Coluber sp'', the legless lizard ''Anguis fragilis'', other lizard species – ''Lacerta vivipara'', ''L. viridis'', ''L. fragilis'', ''L. Muralis'' – and frogs ''Hyla arborea'' and ''Rana agilis''.

Invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordat ...

consist 127 recorded species of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

and

moths Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

(''Lepidoptera'') and 29 of

grasshoppers Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshoppe ...

(''Orthoptera''). There is also no fewer than 24 species recorded as endangered in Europe.

classed as threatened in Europe, present in the

Igman Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of ...

Treskavica Treskavica ( sr-cyrl, Трескавица) is a mountain range in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in Trnovo municipality just south of city of Sarajevo. Mala Ćaba (Đokin Toranj) peak at 2088 m (6850 ft.), which makes Treskavica the tallest ...

- Visočica area (also area proposed for ecological protection as

National park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

): *Threatened: ''Maculinea nausithous'' (

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

), ''Maculinea teleius'' (butterfly), ''Apatura metis'' (butterfly); *Vulnerable: ''Dolomedes plantarius'' (

spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

), ''Saga pedo'' ( bush cricket), ''Hyles hippophaes'' (

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

); *Rare: ''Helix pomatia'' (

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class ...

), ''Troglophantes gracilis'' (spider), ''Troglophantes similes'' (spider), ''Troglophantes spinipes'' (spider), ''Parnassius apollo'' (butterfly), ''Erebia ottomana'' (butterfly), ''Epimyrma ravouxi'' (

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of ...

); *Insufficiently known: ''Microcondylae compressa'' (fresh water

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...

), ''Unio elegantus'' (fresh water mussel), ''Hirudo medicinalis'' (

leech Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...

), ''Leucorrhinia pectoralis'' (

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat thre ...

), ''Myrmeleon formicarius'' (

antlion The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae ...

), ''Syrichtus tesselum'' (butterfly), ''Papilio alexanor'' (butterfly), ''Zerynthia polyxena'' (butterfly), ''Erebia calcari'' (butterfly). Birds include some 110 species, along with

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...

such as the

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird ...

(''Aquila chrysaetos'') and the

short-toed snake eagle The short-toed snake eagle (''Circaetus gallicus''), also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. The genus n ...

(''Circaetus gallicus''), the

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey bac ...

(''Falco peregrinus''), the

common kestrel The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where n ...

(''Falco tinninculus''), the

goshawk Goshawk may refer to several species of birds of prey, mainly in the genus ''Accipiter'': * Northern goshawk, ''Accipiter gentilis'', often referred to simply as the goshawk, since it is the only goshawk found in much of its range (in Europe and N ...

(''Accipiter gentilis''), the

Eurasian sparrowhawk The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barr ...

(''Accipiter nisus'') and the

Levant sparrowhawk The Levant sparrowhawk (''Accipiter brevipes'') is a small bird of prey. It measures in length with a wingspan of . The female is larger than the male, but the difference is not as marked as with Eurasian sparrowhawk. The adult male is blue-grey ...

(''Accipiter brevipes''). One species on the 2006

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

, the globally vulnerable

corn crake The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff- ...

(''Crex crex''), is found in the area.

Mammals Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur o ...

and larger mammals are:

chamois The chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Alps, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the R ...

(''Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica''),

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is k ...

(''Ursus arctos''), the

gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

(''Canis lupus''), the

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

(''Capreolus capreolus''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...

(''Sus scrofa''),

pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ...

(''Martes martes''), which is already becoming much rarer,

stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Conc ...

(''Mustela erminea''), wild cat (''Felis silvestris''),

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, ...

(''Lynx lynx''), and other 60 or more species.

References

Lakes of Bosnia and Herzegovina National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina Upper Neretva {{HerzegovinaNeretvaCanton-geo-stub

Location and description

National monument

Cultural-historical heritage

Natural heritage

See also

References