CAVE OF VJETRENICA

This cave (Špilja Vjetrenica) is the largest in Bosnia and Herzegovina: it is 7,014 m long, with a 600 m section arranged for guided tours. It owes its name of "windmill"(vjetrenica) to the cold air currents that blow at the entrance during the hot periods of the year. This natural phenomenon has the effect of regulating the interior temperature, which remains at an average of 11.6°C. In summer, it is recommended to take something to cover up inside, because the thermal shock can be violent. Since 2004, Vjetrenica is on the Unesco's indicative list for its karst and speleological wealth. It is indeed the second richest cave in the world in terms of subterranean biodiversity with about 200 species listed, half of them living only in troglodyte environment, and thirty-seven having been observed for the first time here. Described in the first century of our era by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia, the Vjetrenica has served as a shelter for animals and men since ancient times. Eight fossilized animal skeletons have been discovered, including those of a bear and a leopard, while the entrance is decorated with engravings from the late Middle Ages.

Fish-man. First explored between 1912 and 1914 by Czech prehistorian and speleologist Karel Absolon (1877-1960), the cave continues to host scientific missions. It is estimated that it once ran to the Adriatic Sea and was blocked by a landslide. Opened to tourists from 1964, the Vjetrenica was then accessible on 1 700 m length. But the installations and the stalactites were destroyed by the Bosnian-Serb forces during the last war. After demining and clearing, the cave was reopened to visitors in 2010. It is currently fitted out on 600 m length with protections, stairs and lighting. Thus, one can discover the impressive room of the "golden chamber" (Zlatna Dvorana), or, the stalagmites of Tursko Groblje ("Turkish cemetery") which evoke nişans (Ottoman tombs). The tour ends in the Hajdučki Stol ("robbers' table") where limestone formations have taken the shape of tables and chairs. In the water, you should look out for Proteus anguinus, a salamander nicknamed "the fish man" because of its depigmented skin. If the visit is a little disappointing on the way out, on the way back, the volumes and shapes are much more impressive.