Orjen Massif, Trebinje

Orjen Massif, a wild mountain massif where Bosnia and Herzegovina meets Montenegro and Croatia, with the highest peak on the Adriatic coast.

Orjen lies about twenty kilometres from Trebinje and the Adriatic, where Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia meet. Its highest peak, Zubački kabao (1,894 m), is the highest summit on the whole Adriatic coast. The massif belongs to the Mediterranean biogeographic region and covers some 18,000 hectares.

Forests, grasslands, mountain pastures and sinkholes alternate here, habitats of European importance. The massif is home to bears, wolves, rock partridges and short-toed snake eagles, and the Bosnian pine, a tree found only in the Balkans, grows on its rocks. There is an initiative to declare Orjen a national park.

It is the most attractive area around for active holidays: mountaineering, hiking and caving. The terrain is rocky with no drinking water, and the weather changes quickly, so a guide and proper gear are recommended for the climb.

Getting there

About twenty kilometres south of Trebinje, towards the border with Montenegro.

The Ubla picnic ground at 1,100 m is a good starting point for walks.

• Go with a guide
• Check the weather forecast
• Wear high boots: horned vipers live on the slopes