Sarajevo Mountains

Day 1 - Sunday: Arrival day

Riding: No riding.

You will be met at Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) or bus station and transferred to your accommodation at the ranch (c.30 min drive). If you arrive early, then the afternoon will be free to explore the local area or to meet the horses at the riding centre. A group dinner will be served in the evening which will also give your hosts and guides the opportunity to go through their pre-ride and safety briefing. In the summer months, this might be a tasty BBQ!

Overnight at the ranch tonight.

Day 2 - Monday

Riding: 2 hours

Following a hearty Bosnian breakfast - the first of many - you will have an introduction to horses and a ride evaluation. This will be a short 2 hours ride on one of the local trails. Your hosts and guides like to pay special attention to your comfort on the trail and will discuss the equipment you will need for the ride and ensure everything is adjusted for you - it is important that everything is in place before you set off. The aim of this ride is for you and your horse to get used to one another and be able to enjoy what is hoped will be an amazing week!

You will return in time for lunch at the ranch, followed by an afternoon trip into Sarajevo for a guided 2-hour walking tour. Here you will learn all about the history of this beautiful city. Dinner at a local restaurant in Sarajevo before returning to the ranch for the night.

Day 3 - Tuesday

Riding: 5 - 6 hours

Setting off in the morning after breakfast you will follow a trail to the northwest. Well-rested horses and plenty of flat sections will invite some light trots or canters. You will then continue slowly downhill towards the Lepenica river where you will find a shallow place to ride through and enjoy several pretty waterfalls. For the next 15 or so kilometres, you will mainly walk and trot on forest paths and through a few glades, enjoying the sight and sound of the mountain river Crna Rijeka (the Black River).

You will stop for a lunch of fresh grilled river trout and a quick rest in hammocks with the sounds of the river all around. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the Mountain Lodge Lopata in time to take a quick rest before another delicious local dinner this evening.

Day 4 - Wednesday

Riding: 5 hours

After a good breakfast and strong coffee, you will prepare the horses for the day of riding ahead. Moving further northwest, the elevation will continue to rise until you will take your first stop on a high plain which is located at an altitude of 1,744 meters. You will often pass small natural water springs by the trails. The incline to the plain is gentle and mostly through forest paths as well as open glades.

Eventually, you will climb above the forest belt and here you will see the amazing spectacle of Bitovnja mountain. The vast mountain pastures invite you to enjoy some good canters and the scenery is breathtaking on all sides. From this point, it seems as if you could see from one end of Bosnia to the other! After some good riding, you will be met by the support crew and stop for a well-deserved picnic lunch on Bitovnja.

In the afternoon, you will continue through vast pastures and, arguably, the most beautiful section of your adventure. A few more hours of riding will see you leave beautiful Bitovnja behind and descend down to your next overnight destination, Mountain Lodge Pogorelica. After another tasty dinner, there will be a chance to discuss the day of riding and make a plan for tomorrow.

Day 5 - Thursday

Riding: 5 - 6 hours

With both horses and riders well-rested, you will begin your journey on the next demanding riding day. You have around 25 kilometres of riding ahead of you, including some good ascents. You will start by climbing up towards the Mountain Zec, which will take about three hours of riding. Crossing mountain pastures where shepherds graze thousands of sheep during the summer months; in the valleys, you will spot their huts and sheepfolds too.

All around you, the slopes of Mount Zec are covered in crops of cranberries and blueberries too. On a clear day, you can see as far as Sarajevo from this position. Stopping on this beautiful lookout, you will enjoy a well-deserved break with refreshments and a picnic lunch. Once everyone is full and well-rested, you will continue on to your next destination – Prokoško Lake.

Many have written about the beauty of this fairytale lake, calling it the "eye of the mountain" or a "natural gem". It is located in the heart of the Mountain Vranica, which is recorded as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Again, there are many wood-built shepherd huts located around the lake and you will be staying in one of these huts tonight.

Dinner and overnight in cabin Jezero.

Day 6 - Friday

Riding: 3 - 4 hours

After breakfast this morning, you will prepare your horses and will leave the beautiful scenes of Prokoško Lake, riding towards the village of Tovarište. The final morning ride will take approximately 3-4 hours and there will be transportation waiting in Tovarište to take the horses back to the ranch.

Before loading the horses in the trailer, you’ll have a final saddle-bag picnic watching the horses graze. After lunch, both horses and riders will transfer by vehicle back to the ranch. On arrival, you’ll change and take the short drive to a beautiful local spa for swimming, sauna, steam rooms and a massage!

Once fully relaxed and after a fabulous week’s riding, you’ll head back to the farm for a wonderful farewell BBQ dinner. Overnight at the ranch.

Day 7 - Saturday

Riding: No riding.

Departure after breakfast today.

Day 1 - Sunday

Riding: No riding.

** Please note that this itinerary is subject to prevailing weather conditions - severe snow and high winds may affect riding possibilities and lead to ski slopes being closed**

You will be collected from Sarajevo airport or bus station and transferred to the ranch. If you prefer to drive, then that is not a problem as directions can be provided. For those who arrive earlier in the day, you may like to enjoy a short walk in the forest or a chance to meet the horses. In the evening, a group dinner will be the perfect opportunity for a pre-ride and safety orientation as well as a chance to discuss your preferences for the winter activities.
After dinner, enjoy the evening with a glass of wine by the fireplace in the living room upstairs above the horse stalls, getting to know the rest of the group in pleasant anticipation of the riding ski experience to come.

Day 2 - Monday

Riding: 2 hours

After breakfast you will have an introduction to the horses and the evaluation of the riding skills of the group.
You then saddle up for a morning’s easy introductory ride of approximately 2 hours.
The aim of this introductory ride is to get used to the horse with whom you will spend an unforgettable riding week. Lunch at the equestrian centre, followed by a trip into Sarajevo for a guided 2-hour walking tour, learning all about the history of this beautiful city. Dinner at a local restaurant in Sarajevo.

Day 3 - Tuesday

Riding: 4 - 5 hours

After a hearty breakfast, you prepare the horses and warm blankets for your first full day riding through dense, snow-covered forests and open meadows in the vicinity of the equestrian centre. During January, Bosnia is usually white and the snow in the forests is untouched because there is no farming or forestry activity and the hiking trails are unused by hikers during that period. On the first day, you will enjoy a long ride, and as a special treat your hosts will prepare a picnic snack with a campfire in the small wooden cabin that they built for winter riding trails. After returning to the riding centre, the group will enjoy lunch and prepare for night skiing on the Olympic mountain Jahorina. Exhausted, you will be looking forward to a delicious dinner and a glass of mulled wine by the fireplace in the warmth of the living room above the horse stalls.

Day 4 - Wednesday

Riding: 3 - 4 hours

Today you can experience a special activity, one that most riders will never have tried before! Bosnian horses have forest-work deeply ingrained in their genes as historically these horses pulled logs and carriages through the snow-laden landscapes. In line with that, your hosts thought ski joering would be an activity that comes naturally to them, and that turned out to be true!
For all riders who would like to try, your hosts organise ski joering training in an area with obstacles as a preparation for ski joering in the forest. Put on your deep snow skis, tighten the harness on your horse, and let’s go have fun! Riders who are not interested in ski joering can enjoy riding in the surrounding snowy forest trails and glades. After ski joering, riding and lunch for tired riders and skiers, you will jump into the vehicle and head towards the Olympic Mountain Jahorina to enjoy a half-day of skiing. Jahorina is the best of all worlds: a balanced mix of blue, red and black runs featuring everything from a newly-built, dedicated beginners area, up to slopes that were used during the women’s events at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Day 5 - Thursday

Riding: 3 hours

Horses and riders well rested, you will continue with the ski joering challenge and visit further trails towards the peaks of Bjelašnica. For those who prefer riding, it is possible to travel on horseback instead. After a half-day of riding/ski joering, you will prepare for a skiing adventure on another Olympic slope, Bjelašnica, where you will ski for half a day. During the 14th Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games in 1984, Bjelašnica hosted competitions in alpine skiing disciplines for men. Downhill, slalom and giant slalom tracks were built at the time. The mountain was once synonymous with rough winters and isolated villages frequented only by the most experienced hikers, hunters and adventurers. Tired and satisfied after skiing, the group will then head to the accommodation for a hearty dinner.

Day 6 - Friday

Riding: 3 - 4 hours

After several days of riding, today will be a relaxed ride towards the camp our hosts have prepared for you in the deep forest. By the campfire, you'll recount the events of the previous days and, with a glass of mulled wine, toast to future adventures riding/skiing together. The most relaxing part of this riding programme is yet to come, a massage and spa day in a 5-star resort just the thing relax tired riders at the end of this holiday. Enjoy the warmth of the saunas, soothing water of the swimming pool and round off the day with a full body massage for total rejuvenation before a farewell dinner.

Day 7 - Saturday

Riding: No riding.

Breakfast at the ranch, after which your departure transfers will be scheduled in accordance with your booked flight time. Typically, there will be two transfers offered to the airport, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Day 1 - Sunday

Riding: No riding.

Arrive Sunday afternoon to be picked up at the Airport or your accommodation in Sarajevo and transfer to the equestrian centre, approximately 30 min drive. Enjoy the afternoon settling into your accommodation, taking a walk in the forest, or watching the riding lessons taking place in the riding arenas. Dinner with the group and your guide, with a ride and safety briefing. The chef at BBQ will be your host, Rasim.

Day 2 - Monday

Riding: 2 hours

After breakfast, you will have an introduction to the horses and an evaluation of the riding skills of the group in the arena.
You will then saddle up for a morning’s easy introductory ride of approximately 2 hours. The aim of this introductory ride is to get used to the horse with whom you will spend an unforgettable riding week. Lunch at the farm, followed by a trip into Sarajevo for a guided 2-hour walking tour, learning all about the history of this beautiful city. After sightseeing you will visit the first vineyard on your wine-tasting journey, on the slopes of the Sarajevo hills with a beautiful view of the city.

The Hedona Wine Club is the first boutique winery in Sarajevo, surrounded by vineyards at an altitude of 850m. Hedona designed a great way to showcase their wines, carefully paired with innovative renditions of classic Bosnian dishes. The vineyard has 3,500 vines, mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which they use to carefully make sparkling wines following traditional methods.

After the tasting, the group will choose their favourite, and take a bottle of it back to the accommodation to toast the upcoming adventure.

Day 3 - Tuesday

Riding: 5 - 6 hours

Today you will enjoy the pleasure of riding through the wine regions of Herzegovina, the sunny south part of the country. After an early breakfast, you will head out by car to where the horses are waiting for you, safely brought by your hosts' reliable stableman Zijo.

You will spend your first full-riding day in Herzegovina in a natural park called Hutovo Blato, which is a nature reserve for birds and a well-known ornithological site. You will mainly be riding through the lowlands today, but will also ascend the nearby hills for a stunning view of the wetlands. There you will make camp for an afternoon rest and a picnic, after which you will take an electric boat ride to enjoy the silence of the Deranje lake.

The afternoon ride will take you to the first overnight stay which is on the shore of the lake, a small hotel with a restaurant famous for its river fish delicacies. After a short rest, the group will head to the first winery, Domano. It is known for the red wine variety Blatina. Their slogan is “wine with deep roots”, because wines have been produced in Herzegovina since the time of the Illyrians. Along with selected varieties of Blatina, you will enjoy homemade culinary delicacies.

Day 4 - Wednesday

Riding: 4 hours

Wednesday is reserved to enjoy what many consider to be the most beautiful river in Herzegovina, the Trebižat. After a hearty breakfast and a 40-minute drive, you will arrive at the starting position of today’s riding tour. You'll ride along the shores of the green Trebižat and, at convenient locations, also through the shallow water, offering refreshments for your four-legged friends.

You will take a lunch break in one of the restaurants at the numerous waterfalls. After a well-deserved rest, you will set off on a new adventure, but this time in a kayak and not in the saddle! Tired but satisfied after enjoying the water, you will settle in at a nearby family farm and choose one of the 6 wineries in the nearby town of Ljubuški. The city is known for its large concentration of wineries; guests can choose one and enjoy a tasting of wine, cheese, and local products.

Again, the widely known Blatina is on the wine menu and for white wine lovers the best local variety of Žilavka is grown in this area.

Day 5 - Thursday

Riding: 4 hours

Today is a special riding day. After a 2-hour drive, the group will arrive at the foot of the Cincar mountain, home to numerous herds of wild horses. It is estimated that their total number has already reached 1,000. Here you will mount your horses for an exciting ride across the Krug plateau, a landscape that invites you to take a leisurely canter. In a nearby glade, you will have the opportunity to watch the wild horses as the camp is set up. This will give you ample opportunity to study their behaviour in the herd and take unforgettable photos. The horses often approach the camp out of curiosity or because they are used to receiving salt and food from visitors.

After an unforgettable experience, you will settle in a nearby hotel and prepare for a new tasting of wine and the delicious Livanja cheese, which is considered the best cheese in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Livno is home to many wine producers and your hosts will be taking you to their favourite organic one, the Knebu winery, which many say is a real sensation in the world of wine. Located at an altitude of 950 meters, it ranks among the highest in the world. Dramatic weather extremes at high altitudes cause sudden and powerful reactions in the vines, releasing great amounts of charged energy. The high altitude contributes to the intense taste and aroma of the grapes due to significant differences between day and night temperatures. Chardonnay and Traminac are the wine varieties which the Knebu winery is most proud of.

Day 6 - Friday

Riding: 5 hours

Today, spectacular Blidinje is the destination - a wild mountain plateau that offers miles of flat areas that invite fast canters and gallops along the beautiful Blidinje Lake. Blidinje is also the place where the charismatic and widely known Hajdučke Vrleti (Haiduk’s crags) restaurant is located, where you will relax and enjoy local food and wine.

After this last day of riding, the horses will be loaded into the horse truck and together you will head back to the Equestrian Centre. There you will have the chance to change before taking the short drive to a beautiful local spa for swimming, sauna, steam rooms and a massage.

Of course, everything is planned for in advance, and this final evening of your horseback wine tour is sweetened with a selection of wine, brought back from each winery, so you can once again taste the best that Herzegovina has to offer, alongside a farewell Bosnian “gala dinner”!

Day 7 - Saturday

Riding: No riding.

After breakfast you can say goodbye to the horses before being transferred to the airport or your accommodation in Sarajevo.