Vlašić ( sr-cyrl, Влашић) is a mountain in the geographical center of

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

. Its highest peak is Paljenik with an elevation of 1,933 m. It is famous for its pastures, cattle-breeding and cheese. It is closest to the town of

Travnik Travnik ( cyrl, Травник) is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...

, which it overlooks.

Climate

The average winter temperature is -4 °C (29 °F) while the average summer temperature is 14.2 °C (60.8 °F). In the wintertime snowfall is abundant with an average snow coverage of up to 5 months in accumulation between 1.5 and 2.1 meters.

Culture

The toponym is derived from ''vlasi'', "

Vlachs Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula ...

", a transhumant people. Academics like Mark Vego believe that the Vlachs, remnant of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, brought one of the trademarks of Vlašić, the

Vlašić cheese Vlašić cheese ( / ) or Travnik cheese ( / ) is a brined mostly low-fat white cheese made from sheep-milk. Cheese originating from the mountain of Vlašić (Bosnian mountain), Vlašić, just above the town of Travnik in central Bosnia and Herzego ...

, in around 1000. It is originally made from fresh sheep milk, but also cow milk, and then left to ripen for two to three months. By perfecting the recipe, the Vlachs passed on the tradition to the cattle breeders from the surrounding mountains. Today, the cheese is produced throughout the area and is regarded one of the traditions of the region. In addition to the cheese, there are two other trademarks, the Tornjak dog and Pramenka sheep. The Tornjak is believed to have existed for more than a millennia, bred to guard from wolves and bears. Its etymology is connected to Neo-Latin ''torni acca'', "turn here".

History

The mountain was an operational site of the

World War II in Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was Invasion of Yugoslavia, invaded and swiftly conquered by Axis powers, Axis forces and partitioned among Nazi Germany, Germany, Fascist Italy (1922–1943), It ...

Bosnian War

During the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...

, it was held by the

Bosnian Serb army The Army of Republika Srpska (; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed Serb secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herz ...

(VRS). It was tactically important, overlooking

which was held by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH). The 7th Muslim Brigade attacked the mountain in May 1994. It was taken over by the ARBiH sometime before the

Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Dejtonski mirovni sporazum, Дејтонски мировни споразум), and colloquially kn ...

, and subsequently incorporated into the

Federation of B&H The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian: ''Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine'' / ''Федерација Босне и Херцеговине'') is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities composing Bo ...

Tourism

The mountain is a major center for winter tourism due to its excellent accommodation for skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports. It is also a popular destination for summer and eco tourism with many hiking trails and undisturbed wilderness areas.

References

External links

Official Website

Vlasic Ski Resort

Eko-FIS Vlašić
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlasic (mountain) Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina Geography of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Travnik