Welcome to Gacko
Gacko is located in the southeast part of Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Its area covers 736 square km with around 12 000 inhabitants. Together with Trebinje, Ljubinje, Bileca, Berkovici and Nevesinje it forms the eastern part of Herzegovina known as East Herzegovina.
Culture
Traces of different cultural aspirations as a result of historical circumstances have been determining the urban development in this area all the way until today. Cultural-historical evidence witnesses to a long and stormy past of this region.
In Gacko municipality there are many old graves and entire graveyards with old Christian tomb stones – Stecak. They can be considered Orthodox monuments because in many cases they are located by the medieval churches.
Medieval town Kljuc is located near Gacko. It was built in 15th century by Sandalj Hranic, the lord of Zahumlje. It was his most important town where he issued the majority of his decrees. His wife Jelena, the daughter of prince Lazar and Balsic widow built a church at the town’s entrance.
Ethnological museum in the village of Danici has been present since 2010 as a significant ethnological institution that thoroughly studies traditional culture. The museum’s permanent display reminisces of the way of life in 18th, 19th and the beginning of 20th century. Here we can see samples of old items such as traditional folk clothing of Herzegovina, old labor tools, a cottage model with fireplace, etc.
Nature
Gacko is surrounded by no fewer than 6 mountains, Volujak being the highest. Its massif stretches to another ridge with an average of 2200m of altitude, with the highest peak Vlasulja (2336m). The mountain belongs to municipalities Gacko, Foca, and Pluzine in Montenegro.
Besides the Klinje lake, Gacko municipality has many other water accumulations such as lakes Desivoje, Vrba and Jagodno, along with lakes on Zelengora. There are also rivers Sutjeska, Neretva, Musnica, Gracanica, Dramesina and Djeropa. There are also many caves and pits in this area. Those are usually river sources or caves that appear under ground or under water.
Adventure
Gecko provides ideal conditions for mountaineering and hiking. It is a tremendous challenge for the lovers of wild unspoiled nature to conquer the peaks higher than 2000m. The abundance of flora and fauna, remarkable landscapes, idyllic environment of natural lakes are only parts of what you are about to experience along the paths of our beautiful mountains. The hospitable guides of Mountain Association “Volujak” from Gacko will make sure you have the most pleasant stay here. Gacko also offers mountain biking where you can experience the nature by riding through forest and mountain paths.
Gastro
Healthy food, meat and dairy products, as well as the highly renowned Gacko kajmak and torotan cheese, produced in picturesque village cottages together with other delicacies provide a unique feeling to all visitors. Guests in restaurants are offered specialties of local cuisine, with the highlight on healthy food. It is a special honor to try lamb or veal from Gacko cooked under the bell.
National park “Sutjeska”
National park “Sutjeska” is the oldest and largest national park in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established in 1962, it is a member of the European park family, the EUROPARC. The most valuable treasure of the Sutjeska park is its strictly protected reservation Perucica, the biggest and most preserved rainforest in Europe. The reservation is surrounded by some of the highest peaks in B&H: Maglic (2386m), Volujak (1978m) and Snjeznica (1804m), and it is only the Sutjeska canyon that separates it from Zelengora. In the central part of the park – Tjentiste, there is a memorial complex honoring the great Sutjeska battle from WWII. In the very heart of Perucica rainforest there is Skakavac waterfall which is around 75m high, one of the most attractive natural phenomena of Srpska. You can watch the waterfall from the popular Dragos Sedlo viewpoint which is also located in Perucica.
Zelengora
Zelengora (highest peak Bregoc, 2014m) is a mountain area in the southeast part of Republic of Srpska. It is part of the “Sutjeska” national park.
This mountain is considered the most beautiful of all by many. It is vastly spacious, abundant with forest, green pastures and water. With its many peaks (Vilinjak, Ugljesa’s peak…), Zelengora is both tame and wild. “Mountain Eyes” – Zelengora is especially renowned for its clear glacial lakes Gornje and Donje bare, Orlovacko, Kotlanicko, Stirinsko, Borilovacko, Black and White lake, while on the spacious meadows and pastures we can find scattered white katun (summer settlement) cottages.
Gacko stecak tombstones
Gacko stecak tombstones – found in 114 localities with around 2200 stecak tombstones (stone slabs, coffins and crosses) and 38 preserved inscriptions.
Lake Klinje
Lake Klinje and arch dam were built during the Austro-Hungarian occupation for irrigation purposes of the karst field of Gacko. Being the oldest arch dam in the Balkans, lake Klinje is a cultural-historical monument under the state’s protection. The dam was built from Gacko rock and Vesuvio ashes as bonding material.
Ethnological museum Danici
Ethnological museum Danici – to experience the long time passed period in Herzegovina, visit the permanent display of the ethnographic museum in Danici, which conveys the lifestyle of 18th, 19th and early 20th century.
