PROGRAM
Day 1 – Sunday (arrival day)
Arrival Sunday afternoon, pick-up at the Airport or your accommodation in Sarajevo and transfer to equestrian ranch, 30 min drive.
Enjoy the afternoon settling into your accommodation, taking a walk through the surrounding forest, exploring the vineyard located within our equestrian ranch, or watching the riding lessons taking place in our riding arenas. In the evening, you will join the group and your trail guide for dinner, followed by an introduction to the week ahead and a detailed riding and safety briefing.
Overnight at ranch house.
Day 2 – Monday (2 hours riding)
After breakfast we will have an introduction of the horses and an evaluation of the riding skills of the group. We will then saddle up for an easy morning ride of approximately 2 hours.
The aim of this introductory ride is to get used to the horse with whom you will hopefully spend an unforgettable riding week. Lunch at the ranch, followed by a trip to Sarajevo for a guided 2-hour walking tour, learning all about the history of this beautiful city. Dinner at a local restaurant in Sarajevo old town.
Overnight at ranch house.
Day 3 – Tuesday (4-5 hours riding, 2 hours night skiing)
After a good breakfast we prepare our horses and warm blankets for a full day of snow riding through dense forests and open meadows in the vicinity of the equestrian center. During winter, Bosnia is usually white and the snow in the forests is untouched as there are no forestry or farming activities and the hiking trails are also unused during that period.
We will enjoy a long ride and as a specialty, provide a prepared picnic with campfire in a small wooden shed that has been built for winter riding experiences. After returning to the horse farm, we will enjoy a lunch and prepare for night skiing on the Olympic mountain Jahorina. Upon our return, we will then look forward to a light dinner and glass of mulled wine by the fireplace in the warmth of the living room above the horse stalls.
Day 4 – Wednesday (3 hours riding/ski joering, 3 hours skiing)
Today we planned an activity that most of our riders will most probably try for the first time. Anchored deep in the genes of Bosnian horse breeds, which currently make up the most members in our riding programs, is forest work, pulling logs and pulling carriages. Therefore we thought that ski joering is an activity they would easily accept and which would come naturally to them. And we were right. For all riders who would like to try this sport, we organize ski joering training in a riding area with obstacles as preparation for a trip in the forest. Put on your skis, tighten the harness on your horse and have fun! Riders who are not as interested in ski joering can enjoy riding on the surrounding snowy forest trails and glades.
After lunch at the farm, we will jump into our vehicles and head towards the Olympic Mountain Jahorina to enjoy half a day of skiing. Jahorina is the best of all worlds: a balanced mix of blue, red and black runs featuring everything from a newly-built beginners area, up to slopes that were used during the competitive women’s events at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Day 5 – Thursday (3 hours riding/ski joering, 3 hours skiing)
With our horses and riders well rested, we continue with the ski joering challenge and visit further trails towards the peaks of Bjelašnica. Those who prefer riding, travel alongside the group in the saddle.
After half a day of riding/ski joering, we will prepare for a skiing adventure on another Olympic beauty, Bjelašnica, where an afternoon of skiing awaits us. During the 14th Sarajevo Olympic Winter Games in 1984, Bjelašnica hosted competitions in alpine skiing disciplines for men. Downhill, slalom and giant slalom tracks were built at the time. The mountain was once synonymous with rough winters and isolated villages frequented only by the most experienced hikers, hunters and adventurers.
Tired and satisfied after skiing, we will head to our home away from home.
Day 6 – Friday (3-4 hours riding, SPA and massage)
After several days of riding, we will ride in a relaxed manner toward the camp we have prepared for our guests in the deep forest. By the campfire, we recount the events of the previous days and with a glass of mulled wine we toast to some new joint future riding tours.
The best part of this riding program is yet to come: a relaxing spa visit in a local 5-star resort is the best way to soothe tired muscles at the end of this trip. Let’s go and enjoy the calming scents of the saunas, the warm water in the heated pools and the serene hands of an experienced masseuse.
Day 7 – Saturday
After breakfast, you can say goodbye to the horses before being transferred either to Sarajevo Airport or to your accommodation in the city if you are extending your stay. Before the transfer, we will use the remaining time to visit the fascinating Tunnel of Hope Museum, located beside Sarajevo Airport and centred around the historic tunnel that once ran beneath the airport runway.
Accommodation (equestrian ranch)
3 double bedrooms (one with private bathroom)
One 4 bedroom (shared bathroom)
Kitchen, terrace
