With the city's sights and sounds behind us, we start our trek to the mountain hut Stanari on Bjelašnica Mountain hiking up the opposite side of the Olympic ski slopes, away from the more crowded routes. The hike will take us through a pine and beech forest up to the Gate of Wind where, depending on the weather, you may be greeted by a warm breeze or a piercing south wind. From here we traverse up to a small shepherd’s hut. We’ll have lunch and enjoy the views of the southeast side of Bjelašnica. At this point, we start our one-hour climb to the top of Hranisava. The slope is rather steep in some places but offers lovely views of central Bosnia Herzegovina and almost all the main mountains in the Central Dinaric Alps.

From the top, we’ll continue hiking down to Krošnje, a traditional summer settlement for shepherds coming from as far away as Čapljina in Herzegovina. Krošnje is at the foot of Krvavac, a magnificent peak partially surrounded by pine brush. Locals say that it is the place where bears sleep over winter. After a brief rest in this wild place, we head back to our cozy mountain hut for a good night’s sleep.

Accommodation: Mountain hut, Stanari, Mount Bjelasnica
Meals: Lunch, dinner

After breakfast, our trekking route takes us across the northern part of Bjelašnica towards Lokvanjsko, a tiny lake perched high in the mountains. We take a short break by the lake, home to numerous frogs, endemic salamanders and water snakes, and then set off to the Vlahinja summit (2,056m). After an ascent lasting for about an hour and a half, our efforts are rewarded when arriving at the peak with its exceptional view of the Olympic ski resort of Babin Do. Here we enjoy a picnic lunch before hiking to Sitnik through the beautiful mountainous terrain of Bjelašnica’s interior. We return to our hut that is a lonely reminder of Bosnia’s mountaineering past to pick up our overnight gear, and then circle back around the lake while being treated to great views of Hranisava and Krvavac. Return to Sarajevo is in the early evening.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch