The largest karst region of Europe in conjunction with the Mediterranean

Can you imagine that on the soil of the Old Continent there are natural beauties that have not yet been sufficiently explored, offering every new traveller a potential new secret? This gift of the nature created back in the Mesozoic era, as a mountain karst system, to this date remains unique in the world for its size and composition. Its name is Dinaric Mountains, Dinaric Arc or simply the Dinarides. This is a great mountain range of south-eastern Europe, which with an area of approximately 100,000 km2 stretches on more than 6000 km of coastline, including the entire area which is facing the Adriatic Sea and naturally connecting eight countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia.

highest peaks
water courses
national parks
areas protected by UNESCO

The main characteristic of the Dinarides is the karst relief or landscape formed by dissolving of the layer or layers of soluble base coat, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite. The largest karst system in the world is made up of 200 mountains, with the same number of peaks over 2,000 meters, 200 natural lakes, 2,200 km of river flows, more than 40 national parks, 19 areas protected by UNESCO. Such relief gave rise to the rich flora and fauna, so that the Dinarides are center of biodiversity of European importance, represnting a home to numerous endemic species (in some areas exceeding even 10% of the total flora). There are many natural forest communities of deciduous and conifer trees, meadows and pastures, which in addition to domestic animals are home for protected large carnivores such as bears, wolves, foxes, lynx, deers .. In this area there are two last European rainforest: Perućica ( Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Biogradska Gora (Montenegro). Also, one of the last karst field in the world Livanjsko Polje (B&H) is located in this region.

The Dinarides contain important freshwater eco-systems, including the most extensive network of underground rivers (underground rivers) and lakes in Europe, flooded forests and wetlands of international importance, such as the delta of the river Neretva (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Croatia) and Lake Skadar (Montenegro/Albania). Tara River, which flows through Montenegro, and flows into the river Drina on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, carved one of the deepest canyons in the world. River gorges and canyons of the Dinarides are home to many endemic species, species that do not exist anywhere in the world.

Towards the south of the region stretching mountain ranges are taller, which are a real challenge for hikers and climbers, of which are the most grandiose are Prokletije (Montenegro, Albania), on which is located the highest peak of the Dinarides, the Lake peak – Jezerski vrh (Maja jezerce) with 2692 m.

Eastern Adriatic coast still contains pristine areas with limited development of mass tourism. Over 1200 islands characterize the eastern Adriatic coast in Croatia, from Cres to Mljet, supporting a variety of marine and coastal eco-systems. Deeply carved between the two mountains Lovcen and Orjen, the sea Bay of Kotor is unique in the Mediterranean, while the Albanian coast is one of the most pristine throughout the Mediterranean basin.

The Dinarides ensured their natural beauty with the Millennium creation, inaccessibility and cruelty. Of all the European massif this one is the least "touched" by human hands. And this is where its beauty lies. Our mission and commitment is to preserve the wild beauty of the Dinarides for the future.