The mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina may not stand out for the highest peaks in Europe, but you would be hard-pressed to find a mountaineer who would not fall in love with our country and its mountains. Easy walks, hiking, alpinism, climbing, skiing – terrain suitable for everyone. Green pastures and flower beds, endless forests, cold stone, the most beautiful landscapes, everything can be seen in our heart-shaped country.
But there is one mountain that has been unfairly neglected, Romanija, a harsh beauty known for its striking rocky reliefs. A wild mountain, they say. Perhaps this wildness and inaccessibility is exactly what makes it so fascinating. Its natural and touristic potential is shared by the municipalities of Pale and Sokolac, and the most striking relief, Crvene stijene, is now a protected natural monument.
Over the suspension bridge
Perception is sometimes deceiving. Romanija may seem inaccessible, but this mountain near Sarajevo has dozens of kilometers of marked hiking and hiking trails, with tourist signage, benches and viewpoints, as well as an arranged airstrip for paragliding. Everything for safe movement, and you still have the atmosphere of the wilderness.
Its highest peak is Veliki Lupoglav with an altitude of 1,652 meters, and its distinctive feature is a large rocky barrier composed of Flat Rock, Eagle Rock, the already mentioned Red Rock, Black Rock, Đeva or Djevojačka Stijne, and Big Rock. Vertical rocky cliffs over a hundred meters high are a masterpiece of nature.
Within the protected area, in the western part of Romania, between Ravna Romanija and Pale, is the 350-meter-long and 160-meter-high alpinist trail via ferrata Sokolov put, named after the falcons whose habitats are located nearby. This via ferrata has two suspension bridges that take your breath away, both from beauty and adrenaline. Here you discover the meaning of words from a “bird’s eye view” or perhaps it is better to say from a “falcon’s view”.
From the M5 main road from Sarajevo to Pale, drive towards Sokolac and after driving 18 kilometers, on the plateau of Ravna Romanija, you should turn right and continue for another 4.4 km on the local road to the mountain lodge managed by the Mountaineering Association Glasinac from Sokolac.
From the home to the starting point of via ferrata Sokolov put, which is located at the very foot of Crveni stijene, it takes about 20 minutes of walking through the forest. From the beginning to the end of the ferrata, that is, to the ascent to the very top of the Red Rocks, it takes about an hour and thirty minutes. At the top, a fantastic view awaits you of the nearby mountains – Jahorina, Trebević, Igman, Bjelašnica, Treskavica and Visočica.
The height difference that a mountaineer crosses on a ferrata is about 160 meters. The ferrata is expertly built and provides an exciting experience of crossing the Red Rocks, where you mostly move with the help of a cable, following the steps. All installations are laid out with extreme care, with enough handholds and safe footholds. There are some slightly overhanging parts on the ferrata, but with increased concentration they represent a challenge that is easily overcome. The beautiful view that awaits you at the top is reason enough to overcome your fears.
Rejuvenating water
Romanija, which in translation means the land of the Romans, has been an important point throughout history. During the Second World War, more precisely in 1942, partisans retreated across it, as evidenced by the photo of Josip Broz Tito with a bandage on his arm and Iva Lola Ribar in front of the Bogović Cave.
It is loved and gladly visited by pickers of medicinal plants and mushrooms, as well as by hunters, as well as sports fishermen, for whom clear Bioštica is their favorite destination. There are numerous sources of drinking water in Romania. Legend has it that Romanian waters are rejuvenating, so maybe that’s why in his song Halid Bešlić sings “If only I had cold water from Romania”.
Source: furaj.ba
