hiking in bosnia and herzegovina – hidden tjentiste war memorial inside sutjeska national park

war memorial

Inside Sutjeska National park lies several extraordinary natural wonders – one of the oldest primeval forests in Europe, beautiful waterfalls and a glacial lake reached by a memorable walk along the side of the mountain and across flowery meadows. And then there is one man-made one: a somewhat forgotten war memorial to commemorate the Battle of Sutjeska during the WW II – the Tjentiste War Memorial.

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This site is not from a particularly popular period of the nation’s history and therefore less visited by the locals. Even the adjacent museum is normally closed (but you might get lucky and be able to persuade park personnel to open it for you), but otherwise the site is well kept and worth a visit if you are in Sutjeska National Park.

Monument trail 1

Normally there is no-one at the site, meaning no separate entry fees, facilities or refreshments, so bring your own picnic to be enjoyed under the giant tree on a hot day, on on the steps white reaching for the last rays of the day. If your day is coming to an end and the magic hour of sunset is approaching, it is definitely worth waiting and capturing the beautiful colors of the sun setting on the background of the monument.

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‘ The sometimes-open museum’

If you visit the monument let me know if you enjoyed your visit – and if you are planning a trip to the area, here’s a great agenda for a day in Sutjeska:

  • Perućica primeval forest 
  • Skakavac Waterfall in Perućica
  • Hike to the heart-shaped glacial lake Trnovačko, where in summer one can swim. A local resident lives there in summertime and will make you fresh coffee over the fire againts a small donation (during the hike you actually cross to Montenegro, so another country ticked there if you don’t have otherwise time to visit Montenegro) 
  • Tjentiste War Memorial 
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‘These steps are perfect for a rest and a drink, so bring your picnic-basket along’
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‘The magical hour is about to start and the soft colours of dusk are here’
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‘Just love these alien-like paths to the memorial’
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‘My idea of a perfect picnic site on a hot day, on the floor of the valley…’

Do you want to see more stories from the trip to Dinaric Alps? Follow the links below to see all adventures we managed to squeeze in just four days:

http://www.houseofanais.com/discover-neretva-delta-the-green-pearl-of-croatia/

Disclosure: I was a guest of WWF Adria on this trip but as always, all opinions expressed are my own

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