Visočica (mountain)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Visočica ( sr-cyrl, Височица) is a mountain
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
in 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 ...
. Geologically, Visočica 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, 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 ...
. Due to subterranean non-porous geological layers, 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 Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
mountains are relatively absent in Visočica, resulting in enough water sources, even at heights around 1500–1700 m. Springtime lakes, though, tend to dry out soon towards the summer. Some smaller streams source from these mountains as tributaries to its bordering rivers: the Ljuta in the east, 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 ...
on its northern and western slopes and 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 ...
towards the south. Notable peaks are Džamija (1974 m.), Vito (1960 m.), Veliko Ljeljen (1963 m.), Crveni Kuk (1733 m.) and Veliko Toholj (1837 m.).


Skiing and hiking

The Visočica mountains were on the edges affected by the heavy combat that was going on around the Treskavica and Neretva frontlines during the 1992-1995 conflict. The central main ridges remained largely spared from warfare and the mine risk is therefore minimal within the area west of the Crveni Kuk summit and north east of a line that can be drawn between the villages of Luka and Grušća. Therefore, Visočica, 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 Visočica range consists basically of two main parallel ridges. The Toholj north east ridge -despite its wild formations- is rarely visited by hikers with the exception of Crveni Kuk, an ideal summit for
ski touring Ski touring is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. Touring is typically done off-piste and outside of ski resorts, and may extend over a period of more than one day. It is similar to backcountry skiing but excludes the u ...
on a day trip from Sarajevo. Most hikers focus on the Ljeljen (south west) ridge that culminates in the highest point: Džamija. The 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 ...
that are typical for
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 elevation ...
or
Lelija Lelija ( sr-cyrl, Лелија) is a mountain range within the Sutjeska National Park, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of 2,032 metres (6,667 ft). Geographically, it is part of the Dinaric Alps of southern Bosni ...
are almost completely absent on the Visočica ridges, possibly because of a long history of sheep herding on these water-rich mountains. 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 ...
- grows up to 1400 m. A rough unpaved mountain road passes through the Visočica range from Sinanovici in the east to Luka in the west. A well-furnished mountain hut is located just above Sinanovici (P.D.Vrela-Tušila) and marked itineraries to the main peaks have been re-established.


Gallery

File:Visocica, View from Dzamija summit..JPG, View from Dzamija summit File:Visocica, Stecci at Jezera necropolis.JPG, Stećci at Jezera necropolis File:Visocica, View from Crveni Kuk (1733 m).JPG, View from Crveni Kuk (1733 m)


Stećci

On several sites within Visočica stećci are found. These medieval tombstones are typical for Bosnia-Herzegovina and were erected in the 14th and 15th centuries. Visočica has two so-called
necropoli A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...
that are of particular interest because they are located at high altitude amidst these mountains where no trace of contemporary or historical habitation can be found. The necropolis at a site called Poljice, at the side of the mountain road at 1500 m., features two stećci that bear the rare medieval
Bosnian Cyrillic Bosnian Cyrillic, widely known as Bosančica is a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet that originated in medieval Bosnia. The term was coined at the end of the 19th century by Ćiro Truhelka. It was widely used in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina ...
inscriptions.see also article on Glavaticevo Even further up from this site, at 1700 m. in a high deserted valley called Jezera, there is another sizable necropolis that features several ornamented stećci, one stećak showing a most striking image of -most probably- the
Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...
and another showing the Bosnian Lily. One passes this impressive site while hiking along the marked trail towards the summit of Džamija.


References

;;Sources


External links


Summitpost.org page on VisocicaList of BiH mountain hutsSite of local Mountain ClubAbout Stecci in general
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visocica (mountain) Mountains of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Konjic Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina