Visit National park Sutjeska
The national park Sutjeska is the oldest and the biggest national park in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it’s home to Perucica– one of the last primeval forests in Europe.
Moreover, the highest peak of Maglic mountain (2386 m) is situated inside the national park, also the highest mountain peak in the country. Sutjeska is most known for the Battle of Sutjeska in 1943 during WWII.
Read on and find out everything you need to know about this amazing national park, including entrance fees, how to get to Sutjeska and what to do there.
Table of Contents
How to get to NP Sutjeska?
By car
From the direction of Sarajevo – take road Sarajevo-Trnovo in the direction of Foca. Then turn south to the road to Trebinje-Dubrovnik. You will see a long sinuous path to Tjentiste, the central part of the park located below the main road.
By bus
The bus from Sarajevo departs regularly every day, passes through Foca and it usually takes around 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to Tjentiste. The ticket is bought on the bus and it costs ~7€ (single journey).
Entrance and prices
The main entrance of the NP Sutjeska is located in the northern part of the park, near the village of Tjentiste, where the park administration is located.
The price list for the national park and its facilities is shown in the table below.
| Day ticket | Year ticket | |
| Fee for the whole park (per person) | 10 KM | 30 KM |
| Tjentiste War Memorial and pool | 5 KM | 30 KM |
| Family ticket | 25 KM | 40 KM |
- Entrance is free for children up to 6 years old; park volunteers; persons with disability
- For primary and secondary school students within organized tourist visits, the entrance fee is 1 KM, and for students 2 KM.
- A pre-booked guided tour to the Skakavac waterfall costs 1000 KM (for groups up to 10 people)
Things to to at NP Sutjeska
Hiking
People mostly visit Sutjeska because they want to experience the beautiful nature this park offers, so it is obvious there are numerous marked paths intended for hikers so they could fully explore the park.
- Total of nine hiking trails, of which the longest and the hardest is 22 kilometres long and it is usually passed in 8 hours using moderate tempo of walking and without resting
- Longer trails demand caution, physical fitness and appropriate footwear so if you are not up to them try shorter ones
- Although one of the shortest (only 2 km), trail VI Prijevor – Maglić is categorized as hard because it is actually an alpine trail. To climb up, you should have appropriate technical equipment, a helmet, harness, crampons and an ice ax.
Cycling
For those who like to explore on bike, there is one trail just for cyclists. The trail starts at Tjentiste (by the Information Centre) where you have the option of renting bicycles if you don’t have your own.
The trail is 48 km long and it ends at lake Orlovac where the hunting lodge and camp are located.
Rafting
Adrenaline addicts can experience rafting on the Tara river in the Sutjeska canyon. Tourists who decide to ‘ride’ the Tara river will get the following rafting equipment: neoprene suit and boots, life jacket, helmet and paddle, and in case of rain, a raincoat.
They will be trained by a professional skipper, who controls the boat. Rafting on Tara is also possible in the neighbouring NP Durmitor, only 2 hour drive from Sutjeska.
Events
If you by any chance are planning to visit Sutjeska during these particular dates, don’t miss them and join others in celebration.
- 25th of May – EUROPARC day: Since the National park Sutjeska is a member of the European federation of natural heritage, every year the NPS has a special theme dedicated to nature preserving
- June – Parkovijada: Parkovijada is a very significant manifestation, commonly known as workers’ sports games and it gathers a great number of workers working in national parks of the region. Many sports competitions are organized, meetings with cultural and entertainment events, excursions, etc.
- August – Lakes of Zelengora: This manifestation is probably one of the most interesting for hikers and mountaineers. It lasts four days and during this time, hikers and nature lovers visit 8 lakes and 8 peaks of this wonderful mountain
The National park Sutjeska offers several professional guides, depending on which part of the park you wish to visit: mountain tourism, canyoning, scientific and educational tourism, cultural and historical tourism and ecotourism.
Where to sleep?
Inside the park area, you have several options for an overnight stay, including a hotel, camp and bungalows:
- Hotel Mladost – located in Tjentište; free Wi-Fi
- Youth Camp – 2 minute walking distance from Hotel Mladost; to have access to the camp, you first need to check-in in the hotel and get approval from the hotel. NOTE: It is forbidden to park vehicles inside the camp.
- Mountain huts at Dobre Vode, Donje Bare and Lake Orlovac
- Bungalow within the youth camp; has 4 rooms with two beds
If none of these options work for you, you can camp in the nearby Sutjeska river valley or Tjentiste valley which are suitable for pitching tents (of course if the good weather permits it).
Contact
If you’re looking for more information about NP Sutjeska, here’s a list of official contact numbers and e-mails.
- Address: 73311 Tjentište, Serbian Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Phone: +387(0)58/233-130
E-mail: npsutjeska@yahoo.com - Hotel Mladost
Phone: +387(0)58/233-118
E-mail: npsutjeska@yahoo.com
