When team leader Kenan Muftic was asked to calculate how many steps did he think they’d make on their pioneer journey up and over the Dinaric Alps, he paused for a few minutes. We weren’t expecting him to do the the math right then and there. But he did. He raised his head from thought and answered, ‘Well over a million.’ Add in Elma’s strides and all the partners and hikers that will join them along the way we soon realized that this was a multi-million project. Steps that is.
And that, ironically, is exactly what this idea was intended to be.Taking steps forward. We just didn’t expect it to be in the millions. The Via Dinarica concept is right in step with how we see the future of this region. It is this vision that we would like to move forward with, one that finds that precious balance between economy and ecology, modernization and tradition, protection and promotion.
We know it’s a challenge of a lifetime…and, in fact, it may just take that long to tick off our long wishlist. But, one step at a time, the Via Dinarica is emerging as a solution to poverty, isolation, reconciliation, sustainability and harmony for the local communities that have called this home for many, at times tumultuous, centuries.
The solution comes in the form of a lot of hard work but just as much fun. And that’s exactly what we intend to do, work and play hard. There will be many hundreds of kilometers of superb hiking trails. Low in the valleys the wet suits come out for whitewater rafting in, for example, Europe’s deepest river canyon – the Tara River in Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Bike trails have already been blazed and are well-marked on many parts of the trail(s). There are campgrounds and B&B’s dotting the entire length of the Via Dinarica, playing host to families looking for soft adventure or hard-core adrenaline junkies looking for a new playground.
The Via Dinarica is an open concept. It is owned by everyone along the trail, including you. It aims to provide a wide range of activities and highlight the uniqueness of each mountain community and the quality services provided for tourists to enjoy.
The Via Dinarica ‘connects naturally.’ By taking a million steps forward we aim to share the rich history and stunning nature of this little known part of Europe with the rest of the world.
