Best hiking trails in Europe

Beautiful landscapes, great heights, breathtaking scenery,— best hiking trails must have all the above. And there’s no better collection of trails than those in Europe, going through every type of terrain there is.

There are lot of amazing hiking trails in Europe like Tour du Mont Blanc in France, Dolomites in Italy, Laugavegurinn on Iceland etc.. But If you want to explore and discover exceptional landscapes and untouched nature and treat yourself to unforgettable moments than you have to go hiking Tara River Canyon and Trnovačko Lake in national park Sutjeska.

These hiking trails are breathtaking, unforgettable, and one of the best hiking trails in Europe.

Tara River Canyon – one of the best hiking trails in Europe

The Tara River Canyon is the one of the top hiking trail in Europe. This “tear of Europe”, as it is also called, is a great natural and tourist attraction in Bosnia and Europe. Legends say Tara received its name from the Slavic tribes who named it after the friendly god Tar who, enchanted with its beauty, chose to spend his divine life there.

Tara is a typical forest area, and for its preservation and diversity of forest ecosystems (many of which are relict) one of the richest and most valuable forest areas in Europe. Tara River Canyon is 1.333 m deep, and it is the deepest in Europe, and the second deepest in the world, after the Colorado canyon. Most of the Tara River (including its canyon) is under UNESCO protection as part of the Durmitor National Park.

Hiking trails and viewpoints

There are 290 km of marked hiking trails in this area. Tara offers more than spectator scenery; there are numerous ways to enjoy in the park’s glorious mountains, forests, canyons and waterways, but going hiking through Tara River Canyon will enable you to enjoy in full everything that Tara offers.

Viewpoints on Tara Mt. are countless, and most of them are hardly accessible. Fortunately, the most beautiful, can be easily accessed. From these points you will see beautiful and memorable panoramas.

When you find yourself on the canyon edge in village Vranovina, one of the deepest and most beautiful spots of canyon Tara, you will understand why is Tara River Canyon one of the best hiking trails in Europe. From there you will enjoy the view of the grandeur of the canyon and the Durmitor mountain on the other side.

Hiking to Sutjeska National Park and Trnovačko Heart-Shaped Lake

The Sutjeska National Park is established in 1962, and it is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s oldest national park. Its mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and thriving wildlife are among the most magnificent in Europe. Spread on 17,500 hectares of magnificent and untouched wilderness, it hosts one of the last two remaining primeval forests in Europe, called Perućica. This jungle is full of beautiful unspoiled natural scenery, and one of them is the waterfall Skakavac. It is located in the heart of the rain forest and it is over 70 meters high.

There are lots of reasons to go hiking here, but the most valuable treasure of this park are eight glacial lakes, also known as “mountain eyes” of Zelengora. Scattered all around the mountain, these lakes are a genuine paradise for all nature lovers.

Mt. Maglić (Misty Mountain)

It includes the highest peak of Maglić at over 2,386 metres, on the border with Montenegro. As its name suggests it, Mt. Maglić (Misty Mountain) is most of the year covered with fog. But if you get on the top during a clear day it is possible to capture almost all Bosnia and Herzegovina’s mountains fare deep in the continent.

This hiking trail presents a challenging climb for even experienced hikers. The Montenegrin part of Maglić massif in the park has also formed the Trnovačko Jezero (Trnovačko Lake).

Trnovacko Lake

The lake is not easily reachable, which makes it a favourite destination for many hikers. You can get there only through two ways – either from the direction of Plužine (Montenegro) or from the direction of Foča (Bosnia & Herzegovina).

Trnovačko Lake is a glacial lake at an elevation of 1,500 metres. It is 700 metres long and 400 metres wide set amidst a “huge amphitheater of rocky peaks”. The lake water is green-blue in color and when you see it’s heart shape, it will be enough to fall in love at first sight.

The average lake temperature is 20°C plus. Although the lake altitude is 1520 meters, when combined with mountain sun allows all day swimming and refreshing.