WHAT CONNECTS A LAKE AND ITALIAN VOLCANO?
This is a story about a lake that once watered the fields but nowadays refreshes the spirits of adventurers and nature enthusiasts with its beauty. A joint effort of nature and human hands, locals call it Donje jezero (the Lower Lake), but the truth is that many have forgotten its real name. It is called Klinje, after the toponym Klini (bolt or a wedge), the place where it is “wedged” or “stuck” in the landscape.
It was built near the Gacko-Foča road during the Austro-Hungarian times, when empires were being molded and mountains shaped by stories, with the purpose of irrigating the Gatačko polje (Gacko Field). It was the first reservoir lake in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sitting at an altitude of 1,030 meters, it ranks among the highest artificial reservoirs in the country.
Stock Foto
The 26-meter-high arched dam was enriched with lava ash. Yes, you read that correctly. To bind the stone blocks utilized in the construction of the dam between 1891 and 1896, volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius in Italy was used.
Times change, and Klinje has not retained its original purpose. Today, this place is an attractive tourist destination, visited almost equally in both summer and winter. During the summer, it becomes an oasis for outings and fishing, while in the extremely low temperatures of winter, it turns into a magical ice rink for the locals.
Rock Sentinel
If you look up at the sky above the lake, you will spot its guardian — Mount Lebršnik. Its unusual rocky contours whisper stories all the way to neighboring Montenegro. At 1,985 meters, Orlovac is its highest peak, located right in Montenegro. Behind Orlovac, Lebršnik curves into the shape of a horseshoe and comes back to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Enhad Goralija
The ridge culminates in the summit of Kuk, reachable by an 830-meter-long via ferrata of the same name. It’s excellent for beginners — but for those in good shape. The best time for climbing this ferrata is from July to October. From the summit of Kuk (1,817 meters), you’ll be treated to the views overlooking the Sutjeska Valley, Zelengora, and Prenj.
Mount Volujak and Its Lake
Above the Foča-Gacko road, the Volujak Mountain looms, another one we share with neighboring Montenegro; home to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second-highest peak, Studenac (2,296 meters). In the midst of this mountainous realm, at an altitude of 1,660 meters, glistens Jagodino Lake (Strawberry Lake).
Find this QR code on the location:
