SUTJESKA NATIONAL PARK
SUTJESKA National Park includes a wide area of the Sutjeska River basin:strictly protected primeval forest of Perućica and its part of Maglić, Volujak and Zelengora mountains. In 1962, the area was pronounced a National Park encompassing parts of three of Herzegovina's most beautiful municipalities: Foča, Gacko and Kalinovik.
The beauty of this area is found, first of all, in a great diversity of landscape, lush valleys, thick forests, vast mountain pastures, up to high and rocky mountain tops. It includes magical glacier lakes on Zelengora, called ”mountain eyes” for its beauty, deep river canyons and numerous brooks and streams and crystal clear cold springs.
In the east, the park is flanked by the Pivska Mountain and Piva River, and the Drina river. On the west side, the Zelengora mountain connecting with Lelija range, and on the south east Maglić, Volujak and Bioč. Sutjeska River runs through this area with its multiple feeders.Sutjeska national Park manages a rich hunting area of 53,700 ha, and the total area of the park is 17,250 ha.
Sutjeska National Park is on the road Belgrade - Foča - Tjentište - Dubrovnik.
SUTJESKA National Park is a mountainousarea, with a numerous mountain tops above 2,000 m. Maglić at 2,386 m is the highest top in BiH. Hikers and nature lovers always discover something magical. Traditional events like Vidovdanski pohod to Maglić and “Jezera Zelengore” gather a great number of nature lovers every year.
The National Park is home to a great diversity of flora and fauna on a relatively small area, and therefore it has been a target area for a number of scientist, botanists, forest experts, geologists, zoologists etc...There is more than 2,600 species of vascular herbs, with a great percentage of endemic species. Rich flora includes over 100 species of edible mushrooms, as well as a great number of species from the “Red list” of rare and endemic species.
Fauna of the National Park “SUTJESKA” is also very rich.The thick forests of and mountain areas are home to almost all wild animals typical for the Balkans mountain systems. Around 140 types of bird have been identified; Mountain Rivers and streams are abundant in trout. A unique place in Europe.
Sutjeska National Park is a member of the European Federation of Parks, EUROPARC.
DURMITOR NATIONAL PARK
Durmitor, an authentic work of nature, due to its beauty and untouched nature, was pronounced a national park in 1952. Located in North West Montenegro, the park embraces the mountain ranges of Durmitor with canyons of Tara, Draga and Sušica and upper part of Komarnica valley, with the area of 39,000 ha.
The main characteristic of Durmitor relief is a vast plateau at 1500 m, with deep canyon valleys and magnificent peaks, 48 of which are above 2000 m, Bobotov Kuk being the highest at 2522 m. 18 glacier lakes give a special charm to Durmitor mountain ranges. The biggest and the most attractive is Crno jezero (Black Lake).Vast forest area around the lake and Međeda peak above it contribute to the magnificent landscape. It is 2 km from the mountain town of Žabljak, the winter tourism center of Montenegro.
In the near proximity to the Black Lake, there are Zminje jezero, tucked into one hundred years old fir and juniper tree forest and Barno Lake, completely surrounded by coniferous forest. Among the most beautiful pearls of Durmitor are Škrčka Lakes, chained in ice and snow by mid July, Zeleni vir and Modro Lake and tacked into vast meadows, Vražje and Riblje Lake. Among the gems of the park are crystal clear and strong rivers given by the beautiful canyon valleys. A special highlight is Tara, by its beauty, its water, depth and landscape of its canyon, making it one of the most beautiful in the world.
By its richness in flora and fauna, complexity of eco-system, findings of 1,300 types of vascular herbs and a great number of endemic and rare species, Durmitor has a priceless natural value and a constant inspiration for scientists and nature lovers. It is embracing natural phenomena, such as forests of black pine in the area of Crna poda, breathtaking trees of which reach 50 m in height are up to 400 years old.
Durmitor National Park is rich in cultural heritage, dating from ancient time to recent history. Some of them are: ruins of towns and castles, bridges, tombstones and monastery compounds in the Tara river valley.As examples of ethnological heritage, it is important to mention the types of village houses, the so called ''savardake'' and watermills, dotted around the variousDurmitor brooks.
The natural beauties and cultural values of Durmitor and the Tara river, has put Durmitor NP on the list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, by decision of International Committee for World Cultural and Natural Heritage, in Paris in 1980, while Tara rive and its canyon valley, by UNESCO program ''Man and Biosphere'' in 1977 were put on the list of world ecological reserves of biosphere.
