Via Dinarica trail

PROGRAM

Arrival Sunday afternoon, pick-up at the Airport or your accommodation in Sarajevo and transfer to Lazy Horse equestrian center, 30 min drive.

Enjoy the afternoon settling into your accommodation, take a walk in the forest or watch the riding lessons taking place in our riding arenas. The evening brings along a dinner with the group and your guide, with a ride and safety briefing. The chefs at the BBQ will be your hosts, Rasim and Jason.

Overnight at Lazy Horse.

Accommodation (Equestrian Center Lazy Horse)
3 double bedrooms (one with private bathroom)
One 4 bed room (shared bathroom)
Kitchen, terrace

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 farm, 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.

Overnight at Lazy Horse.

Accommodation (Equestrian Center Lazy Horse)
3 double bedrooms (one with private bathroom)
One 4 bed room (shared bathroom)
Kitchen, terrace

Day 3 – Tuesday (5-6 hours riding)

Make sure your bag is packed to go into our trail support vehicle. We will depart in the morning after breakfast on a trail heading northwest. Well rested horses and flat sections invite  a light trot or canter. We will continue downhill towards the Lepenica river where you can ride through the shallow water and enjoy its waterfalls. For the next 15 kilometers, we will mainly walk and trot on forest paths with a few everglades. Enjoy the view and calming rush of the mountain river Crna Rijeka (Black River).

For lunch we will have fresh grilled trout. The sound of the Crna Rijeka welcomes a quick nap in hammocks in the shade. In the late afternoon, we will arrive at your first accommodation, the Mountain Lodge Lopata, and have the opportunity to chat about our impressions while enjoying local culinary delights.

Accomodation (Mountain Lodge Lopata)
2 double bed rooms (private bathroom)
One 6 bed room, one 4 bed room, two 2 bed rooms (shared bathroom),
Kitchen, terrace
Mountain lodges are open for hikers only on weekends, in most cases we are the only guests.

Day 4 – Wednesday (5 hours riding)

After a good breakfast and strong coffee, we will prepare the horses for the next part of the route. The elevation will now continue to rise and after climbing 1,324 meters our first stop will be a high plane which is located at an altitude of 1,744 meters above sea level. The incline is gentle through forest paths and open glades.

We will cross the tree limit at 1,600 meters and have the spectacle called Bitovnja opening up in front of us. The vast mountain pastures invite a canter and gallop. The scenery is breathtaking and often looks as if one could see from one end of Bosnia to the other.

After 10 kilometers of hard riding, our trail support car will await us and welcome us to a well-deserved  picnic in Bitovnja. A hot traditional Bosnian dish of bean soup and sausages will be served on the spectacular high plains.

Afterwards, we will continue through the vast pastures. One can certainly say that this is the most beautiful section of our adventure. After a few hours of riding, we will leave Bitovnja behind us and descend down to our next overnight destination, the Mountain Lodge Pogorelica. After a well-deserved dinner, we can summarize our impressions and plan for tomorrow.

Accomodation (Mountain Lodge Pogorelica)
4 double bed rooms (shared bathroom)
One 3 bed room, one 4 bed rooms (shared bathroom)
Kitchen, terrace

Day 5 – Thursday (5-6 hours riding)

With our horses and riders well rested, we will have a demanding riding section of about 25 kilometers in front of us. We will start climbing towards the mountain Zec, which will take us about three hours to complete. We will pass through mountain pastures where shepherds graze thousands of sheep during the summer. Further down in the valley you will see their huts, pastures and sheep shelters.

All around us, we will have the Zec mountain slopes with natural plantations of cranberries and blueberries. On a clear day, you can even see Sarajevo from this location. We’ll stop at a spectacular viewpoint to enjoy a saddle-bag picnic for lunch and let the horses graze. After an hour of rest, we will continue on to your next destination – Prokoško Lake.

Many have written about the beauty of this fairy tale lake, calling it the eye of the mountain or natural gem. It is located in the heart of the mountain range Vranica, which, according to many, is the most beautiful tourist destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are shepherds’ huts around the lake, built entirely of wooden logs. One of these traditional cabins is where we will spend the night.

If the Prokoško lake is flooded with tourists, which can happen in some weeks in the summer months, we will change the program during the riding, so our overnight stay will be the secluded village of Vrtaca on the slopes of the Vranica mountain. In that case, we will be accommodated in two mountain huts with a shared bathroom without hot water and without electricity.

Accomodation (Roomy Cabins)
2 double bedrooms (shared bathroom)
One 6 bed room (shared bathroom)
(showers at the cabin)

Day 6 – Friday (3-4 hours riding, SPA and massage included)

We will leave the beautiful scenery of Prokoško Lake and ride towards the village Toveriste, where our horse transportation back to the Lazy Horse Equestrian Center will be waiting. The section is approximately 3 – 4 hours long and it links Prokoško Lake with the small picturesque Bosnian town Fojnica.

Before loading our horses in the trailers, we’ll have a final saddle-bag picnic watching the horses graze. After lunch, horses and riders will both be transferred back to Lazy Horse by car. There we’ll change and take the short drive to a beautiful local spa for swimming, sauna, steam rooms and a massage.

Once fully relaxed after a fabulous week of riding, we’ll head back to the farm for a wonderful farewell dinner.

Overnight at Lazy Horse.

Accommodation (Equestrian Center Lazy Horse)
3 double bedrooms (one with private bathroom)
One 4 bed room (shared bathroom)
Kitchen, terrace

Day 7 – Saturday

After breakfast you can say goodbye to the horses before being transferred to the airport, your accommodation in Sarajevo or to enjoy further tourist’s excursions provided by our partners.