Sightseeing stop in Vjetrenica: discover beautiful places in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Vjetrenica highlight

cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

We at Monterrasol Transfers specialize in private car transfers. Together with the transfer itself, we propose that you visit some beautiful places along the transfer route. We call such places optional sightseeing stops (short excursions).

One of the places we selected to propose as a sightseeing stop is a beautiful Vjetrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sightseeing stops are a perfect easy opportunity to see new places during your transfer across Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially during long distance transfers. Take it as a great option to get in touch with local culture and history. It's good to combine transportation and sightseeing together!

Vjetrenica (the wind cave) is the largest and most important cave in Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most important caves in the Dinaric Alps mountain range, which is famous worldwide for its karstic and speleological richness. It is a real treasure in biodiversity. Also, it is the home to the famous olm (cave aquatic salamander) and houses beautiful cave formations as well.

Last reviewed: 31 August 2024

Vjetrenica description

Vjetrenica cave is located on Popovo Polje in Ravno, East Herzegovina, near the Adriatic coast (approximately 20 km). The entrance is near the village of Zavala. In terms of its biological diversity it is one of the richest caves in the world.

The cave has been explored and described to a total of 7,014 m in length; of this the main channel is about 2.47 km long. Vjetrenica is the richest cave in the world in terms of subterranean biodiversity: among more than two hundred different species are registered in it, almost hundred are troglophiles (small cave-dwelling animals that have adapted to their dark surroundings), a great number of them are narrow endemic (native), fifteen are steno endemic, and about thirty seven were discovered and described in Vjetrenica for the first time.

Certainly, the most famous is the olm (cave aquatic salamander). The cave is considered to have the richest cave fauna, with highest rate of endemism (species being unique to a defined geographic location). Besides, the remains of eight fossilized animals have bee found in it. There are several permanent and occasional streams, and lakes, which the largest is about 180 m long. There are chambers with plenty of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstones and other astonishing cave formations. Water, wind, rocks, minerals, temperature, and pressure work together to form stunning geological creations.

If you happen to be en route to (or from) Dubrovnik or Montenegro through Herzegovina, then this cave is a must-see attraction. It has accessible paths well lit. The average temperature inside the cave is about 11 degrees Celsius. Real-life journey to the Center of the Earth.

Vjetrenica cave, located in Popovo Polje, together with the Zavala Village with its old architecture and stone masonry, constitute the natural and architectural ensemble, which is in the process of being protected as National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as such it is was placed on UNESCO Tentative List.

From August 2024, Vjetrenica cave inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage site. The description said that the property stands out with its remarkable cave biodiversity and endemicity. Known since antiquity, the well-conserved representation of karst topography is one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots for cave-dwelling fauna, notably subterranean aquatic fauna. It is home to a number of globally threatened vertebrate species, and the only subterranean tubeworm in the world, as well as a diversity of plant species endemic to the Balkans. Additionally, several of the species found in Vjetrenica Cave are tertiary and pre-tertiary relict species, meaning that many of them can be considered living fossils whose closest relatives went extinct a long time ago.

We know good things to see in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We know the roads, well-known tourist attractions like UNESCO sites, and off-the-beaten-path places.

If you would like to learn more about Bosnia-Herzegovina and explore it by visiting different attractions, come with us for a private tour. We can travel all across Bosnia-Herzegovina and we will show you all the important tourist attractions together with the hidden gems of this beautiful country. Feel free to contact us!

We have developed numerous itineraries for private car tours in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as in neighboring countries, including tours passing through several countries as one journey. Solo private tours and tours for Seniors are available also.

Transfers to Vjetrenica

Currently we know prices for these car transfers to Vjetrenica:

Private transfers from Bosnia-Herzegovina

• private car transfer Trebinje to Vjetrenica cave

Private transfers from Croatia

• private car transfer Cavtat to Vjetrenica cave

• private car transfer Dubrovnik to Vjetrenica cave

Private transfers from Montenegro

• private car transfer Budva to Vjetrenica cave

• private car transfer Kotor to Vjetrenica cave

• private car transfer Perast to Vjetrenica cave

• private car transfer Podgorica to Vjetrenica cave

• private car transfer Portonovi to Vjetrenica cave

Unable to find your transfer?

If the transfer you need not exist in the list of our transfers, feel free to ask us for custom transfer by this form: ask for a custom private transfer to Vjetrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina.