Educational trip to Sutjeska, Bileća and Trebinje

(Patria) - Sutjeska National Park, Bileća and the city of Trebinje hosted the 4th FAM Trip, an educational journey for BiH media within the "Rest in BiH" initiative supported by the European Union in BiH. After trips to the Bihać, Tuzla and Central Bosnian regions, BiH media had the opportunity to get acquainted with the tourist and gastronomic offer of these places, which are unique in many ways. Sutjeska National Park covers 17,500 hectares. This area contains 17 crystal-clear rivers and streams, as well as 10 mountain peaks over 2000 meters above sea level, with the highest peak in BiH, Maglić, at 2386 meters above sea level, being particularly noteworthy. NP Sutjeska is also home to Perućica, one of the last preserved primeval forests in Europe, unique in its flora and fauna, and home to giant trees exceeding 50 meters in height. Within NP Sutjeska are the Maglić, Volujak and Zelengora mountains, which contain 9 glacial lakes accessible by longer or shorter hikes, as well as the Skakavac waterfall.

The very entrance to the park is recognizable by the imposing monument erected in honor of the fallen fighters of the National Liberation Movement, a work by Miodrag Živković, located in the Valley of Heroes and erected in 1971. Near it is also the Memorial Room of the Battle of Sutjeska. The entire park is experiencing a kind of revival, with as many as 100,000 visitors last year, and the unique OK Fest, held here every summer, attracts particular attention.

"The friendly staff of NP Sutjeska welcomed us and explained through short presentations their plans for further valorization of the tourist product. Among other things, we were particularly interested in the plan for a virtual presentation of Perućica, which NP Sutjeska has started to implement within the EU4Business project jointly financed by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany," said Nataša Musa, president of the Sarajevo Navigator foundation.

The journey of BiH media continued to Bileća. The first destination was the Jezero Restaurant, located on the shore of Lake Bileća. The host, Nikola Bajović, director of the Bileća Tourist Organization, explained that this is the largest artificial lake in the Balkans, particularly interesting for all fishing enthusiasts. Lake Bileća is rich in river and lake fish, and anglers often catch truly extremely large specimens of catfish and carp. After Bileća, the expedition headed to Trebinje, which represents the tri-border area of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Mediterranean influences. A particularly interesting detail of this part of the journey is the transition from a continental mountain climate to a Mediterranean environment in less than 2 hours. The host for this part of the trip was Marko Radić, director of the Trebinje Tourist Organization. In the beautiful ambiance of the Kolo restaurant, Radić acquainted BiH media with all the plans for the further tourist development of Trebinje and its surroundings, and explained how Trebinje resisted the crisis caused by the pandemic and became a kind of champion in the resilience of the tourism industry.

The heart of the city is the Trebišnjica River, which winds through the city, with one part fenced off and diverted into a river basin that serves as Trebinje's city beach. On this occasion, with the help of Tour Guides Trebinje, BiH media also visited the old town, Trebinje market, the promenade, and the Museum of Herzegovina with its exceptional collection, as well as the Herzegovinian Gračanica, where the famous Trebinje poet Jovan Dučić rests. Miljan Vuković, representative of the Trebinje Cultural Center, presented BiH media with the city's rich cultural offer, which includes the Music&More Summer Festival of classical music featuring artists from around the world. The Trebinje Cultural Center is this year's recipient of a Creative Europe program grant, being the sole implementing partner from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The European Union has significantly contributed to the valorization of the tourist product in Trebinje, but has also created prerequisites for the upgrading and development of tourist products. The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Special Representative of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Ambassador Johann Sattler, joined the journalists in discussing the potentials of this region, emphasizing the need to focus on tourism development throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina as one of the most potent branches of industry.

After the conversation with the ambassador, BiH media had the opportunity to sail in traditional Trebinje boats, which were also renovated as part of a cross-border cooperation project between BiH and Montenegro financed by the European Union, and then visit the Tvrdoš Monastery, dating back to the 15th century, which today houses a very popular winery known for its excellent Žilavka wine.

The "Rest in BiH" initiative was launched with the aim of motivating Bosnians and Herzegovinians to visit BiH destinations in larger numbers this year and spend their holidays there. This trip for BiH media was realized with the support of the European Union. As part of the initiative, a web platform was also launched at www.odmoriubih.ba, which promotes the tourist potentials of Bosnia and Herzegovina and offers the possibility to purchase holiday packages in BiH.