Vlašić (mountain)

Vlašić
Elevation 1,943 m (6,375 ft)
Location
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina
Range Dinaric Alps

Vlašić is a mountain in the very center of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its peak is called Paljenik and has an elevation of 1,933 meters above sea level.[1][2][3]

Data

The average winter temperature is 1 °C (29 °F) while the average summer temperature is 14.2 °C (60.8 °F). In the wintertime snowfall is abundant with an average snow coverage of up to 5 months in accumilation between 1.5-2.1 meters.

It is closest to the Bosnian town of Travnik although lodging is available on the mountain itself.

History and anecdotes

Sheep on Vlasic mountain

The mountain gets its name from the Vlasi (as are called the Vlachs in Bosnia), who lived there attending their sheep since the fall of the Roman Empire. They lived there until the end of the 19th century.

Academics like prof. Mark Vego say that the nomadic Vlachs -romanised descendants of the ancient Romans and the ancient Illyrian people- brought one of the trademarks of Mount Vlasic: Vlasic cheese, from one of their endless journeys around the year 1000 AD. Vlasic cheese is one of the best sheep cheeses stored in brine. It is originally made from fresh sheep milk, but also cow milk, and then left to ripen for two to three months. By perfecting the cheese making recipes, the Vlachs passed on the tradition to the cattle breeders from the surrounding mountains. Today, Vlasic cheese is produced throughout the area thus becoming its original traditional product.

In addition to the Vlasic cheese, there are two other trademarks of Mount Vlasic: Bosnian and Herzegovinian shepherd dog and Pramenka sheep. The shepherd dog of the Vlasi has been living in this area for more than 1000 years, defending the sheep during grazing: Vlašić is said to be one of the places of origin of the Bosnian mountain dog or "Tornjak" ('torni acca' = 'turn here' in old neolatin Vlach language),[4] bred to guard livestock from wolves and bears. The last trademark is "Pramenka", Bosnian and Herzegovinian indigenous breed of sheep.

Another historical anecdote is that during the Bosnian War exchanges of prisoners were conducted across Mt Vlašić. In August 1992 a group of prisoners being transferred to Travnik were murdered in the Korićani Cliffs massacre.

Tourism

Babanovac sky track with sky-lifts and hotels at the end.

The mountain is a major center for winter tourism due to its excellent accommodation for skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports. It is also a popular destination for summer and eco tourism with many hiking trails and undisturbed wilderness areas.

References

  1. ↑ Vojnogeografski institut, Izd. (1955): Travnik (List karte 1:100.000, Izohipse na 20 m). Vojnogeografski institut, Beograd.
  2. ↑ Spahić M. et al. (2000): Bosna i Hercegovina (1:250.000). Izdavačko preduzeće „Sejtarija“, Sarajevo.
  3. ↑ Mučibabić B., Ur. (1998): Geografski atlas Bosne i Hercegovine. Geodetski zavod BiH, Sarajevo.
  4. ↑ Vlasi's sheepdog

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vlašić.

Coordinates: 44°17′N 17°40′E / 44.283°N 17.667°E