MONT TAJAN

This mountain, which rises to 1,297 m above sea level, has been classified as a "natural monument" (Tajan Spomenik Prirode) since 2008. The protected area covers 50 km2 on both sides of the R466 road (Kadanj-Zavidovići) and the Gostović river gorge. There are about 100 caves and karst cavities, a quantity of springs, streams and rivers, waterfalls, canyons and a small lake. Thanks to EU funding, the site is well developed (trails, sports fields, supervised activities) and has two restaurants and accommodation, including 25 cottages for rent. The information center is located on the R466.

Activities. In the summer, Mount Tajan is one of the few places in the Balkans where simple beginners can learn caving with professionals. There are also 60 km of marked trails, over 100 km of mountain bike trails, sports fields and children's playgrounds. You can rent mountain bikes and climbing or caving equipment. It is also possible to go diving in Lake Mašica and kayaking on some rivers. In the same area, but outside the protected area, there is a ski resort and a golf course. Golf Klub Krivaja (golfclubkrivaja.com) is located 6.5 km northwest of the information center. With its 18 holes, it is one of only three golf courses in the country. 17 km south of the information center, following the R466, you can ski at Ponijeri. At an altitude of 1,215 meters, this mini-resort has a 900-meter-long trail that is lit at night in winter, hiking trails and lodging.

Lake, caves and canyons. Lake Mašica is located at 720 m above sea level in the western part of the protected area, 12 km from the information center. It can be reached by a path or by road. The lake is 180 m long and 30 m wide and is surrounded by greenery. It was formed by a landslide in 1985 at the Mašica River. Below, the river Mašica cut one of the most beautiful gorges in the country: the Mašica canyon is up to 350 m deep and only 3 m wide in its last part. From the lake, you can climb for about 30 minutes to reach the only two caves that are available for classical visits. First, there is the Srednja Stijena ("middle rock") cave, with a large room that goes down 140 m long. It is the most visited today. But as its entrance is not large, it was discovered only in 2004. Not far away is the Lukina cave. This one goes down in a straight way on 200 m length without going up or down, but several narrow passages require to crouch. In some places, it is decorated with rock paintings, probably dating from the Paleolithic period. In the eastern part of the protected area, about 10 km south of the information center, the Duboka Tajašnica cave is marked by a huge entrance and is 225 m long under the mountain. This is the source of the Tajašnica River, whose 8 km long canyon has not yet been fully explored. Near Duboka Tajašnica is the small Pavlova cave. Although its entrance is hidden by a thick layer of ivy, it was the first one in the site to be mapped in 1986. Still close by, are the entrances of the caves Jama Atom and Ponor. It took several expeditions for cavers to discover recently that these two deep and complex caves were connected. They form a single cave, now called Atom-Ponor. With its 2,000 m length, it is thus the fourth longest cave in the country after those of Vjetrenica (Herzegovina), Bijambare and Orlovača (Sarajevo region).

Fauna and flora. The protected area is densely forested with mainly white fir and Balkan beech, followed by sycamore maple, ash and flat maple. This forest is forbidden to hunters and is home to about 25 bears, some of which winter in small caves in the Mašica canyon. There are also wolves, foxes, deer, rabbits, otters, wildcats and about 50 herds of wild boars. The rivers, streams and Lake Mašica are rich in fish, especially brown trout. Among the birds, there are black grouse, horned lark, crested tit, some falcons and two pairs of golden eagles. Some caves, such as Duboka Tajašnica, are used as a refuge for bats. The Tajan caves are also home to endemic fauna: a subspecies of the alpine newt(Ichthyosaura alpestris reiseri), a troglodyte isopod only found here(Cyphonetes tajanus) and a recently reported spider of the Linyphiidae family. On the flora side, three Balkan species were identified here for the first time: a variant of the climbing ivy with big leaves of 30 cm, a pretty pansy(Viola beckiana) and Gregersen's spurge (Euphorbia gregersenii), a strange fat plant with small yellow petals which grows on serpentine outcrops. But the stars are two typical endemic flowers of the country: the martagon lily(Lilium martagon) and, above all, the Bosnian lily(Lilium bosniacum) which was the emblem of the kings of Bosnia in the Middle Ages and which is today the symbol of the Bosnian community.