The Via Dinarica White Trail is a long-distance hike of 1,200 to 1,500 km (depending on who you ask) which winds along the Balkan Peninsula. Beginning in Slovenia, the route follows the Dinaric Alps south through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, before ending in northern Albania. It is currently being extended east into Kosovo.
The beautiful church at Sumor jezero, only a few kilometres north of the Albanian border.
We hiked the route from May to July, 2018. As the official route is still being negotiated, we took the opportunity to try out a few alternatives, following our own noses alongside the advice of walkers past. Our route is certainly not the best, but it has been walked and loved and documented, and hopefully provides some use! We always make note of our poor decisions and suggest better options.
The resources available on our website include our daily blogs (below), which include lots of photos and should give you a sense of what it’s like to hike this track. There’s also a page full of general advice about food, water, fuel and shelter. Coming soon are some more detailed track notes, which will provide concrete information about resources along the way – supermarkets, water, guesthouses, restaurants, etc.
The best way to find the information you’re looking for is to use the Search function – you can search by place name, national park, mountain hut, the official Via Dinarica section, country, etc., and should be able to find all the relevant daily blogs. Alternatively, all the blog posts are hyperlinked below.
Slovenia
Razdrto to Mala Bukovica
Day 1: Razdrto to Predjamski grad
Day 2: Predjamski grad to Haasberg grad
Day 3: Haasberg grad to Slivnici dom
Day 4: Slivnici dom to Ars Viva Youth Hostel, Podcerkev
Day 5: Ars Viva Youth Hostel, Podcerkev to Sviščali Lodge via Snežnik Peak
Day 6: Sviščali Lodge to Trnovska Bajta
Day 7: Trnovska Bajta to Pension Gostilna Potok, Mala Bukovica (i.e. near the border)
Day 1: Predjamski grad (Pradjama castle), the incredible castle built into a cave in south-western Slovenia.
Croatia
Mala Bukovica to Delnice
Day 8: Pension Gostilna Potok, Mala Bukovica to Hahlić dom
Day 9: Hahlić dom to Schlosserov dom
Day 10: Schlosserov dom to Delnice
Day 10: Hiking down from Schlosserov dom (Schlosserov mountain lodge) in Risnjak National Park, Croatia.
Delnice to Senj
Day 11: Delnice to Ratkovo sklonište
Day 12: Ratkovo sklonište to Stalak kuća
Day 13: Stalak kuća to Krivi Put sklonište
Day 14: Krivi Put sklonište to Senj
Day 11: A beautiful stone monument to World War II in the grassy meadows as we head towards Ratkovo sklonište (Ratkovo mountain shelter).
Senj to Starigrad-Paklenica
Day 16: Oltari kuća to Alan kuća
Day 17: Alan kuća to Skorpovac sklonište
Day 18: Skorpovac sklonište to Ždrilo sklonište
Day 19: Ždrilo sklonište to Stap sklonište
Day 20: Stap sklonište to Starigrad-Paklenica
Day 19: Tatekova koliba at Stap, also known as Stap sklonište, is one of the many beautiful free, unmanned mountain shelters on the Via Dinarica, Croatia.
Starigrad-Paklenica to Knin
Day 21: Starigrad-Paklenica to Struge sklonište
Day 22: Struge sklonište to Dušiće sklonište
Day 23: Dušiće sklonište to Crnopac sklonište
Day 24: Crnopac sklonište to Gračac
Day 25: Gračac to roadside near Prevjes
Day 26: Roadside near Prevjes to Knin
Day 21: Looking back down the mountain as we climb up to Struge sklonište (Struge shelter) in Paklenica National Park, Croatia.
Knin to Sinj and Ljut
Day 28: Brezovac dom to Glavaš kuća via Dinara
Day 29: Glavaš kuća to Peručko jezero
Day 30: Peručko jezero to Sinj
Day 31: A word of advice: don’t try crossing the Cetina river on your way out from Sinj. It’s very cold (or so Callum says).
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ljut to Jablanica
Day 32: Ljut to Marinovac plaža at Buško jezero
Day 33: Marinovac plaža at Buško jezero to Bošnjak Household in Prisoje
Day 34: Bošnjak Household in Prisoje to slopes of Orlov kuk near Omolje
Day 35: Slopes of Orlov kuk near Omolje to Omar
Day 37: Masna Luka to Planinarski dom Vilinac
Day 38: Planinarski dom Vilinac to Jablanica
Day 38: The impressive stone monument of Hajdučka vrata (The Rebel’s Gate) on Čvrsnica mountain in Blidinje National Park, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Jablanica to Kalinovik
Day 39: Jablanica to Milanova koliba
Day 40: Milanova koliba to Planinarska kuća Jezerce via Cetina
Day 41: Planinarska kuća Jezerce to Boračko jezero via Zelena glava and Otiš
Day 42: Boračko jezero to meadows past Vranske stijene
Day 43: Meadows past Vranske stijene to old watermills at Vodenice
Day 44: Old watermills at Vodenice to Tušila via Drvsta and Vito
Day 45: Tušila to Ljuta via Visocića
Day 46: Ljuta to Simovića kuće, Vlaholje via Lukavac
Day 40: Looking out from Cetina, a peak of 1992 m on Prenj mountain, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kalinovik to Tjientiste
Day 47: Simovića kuće, Vlaholje to B&B at Lalović family, Jelašca via Kalinovik
Day 48: B&B at Lalović family, Jelašca to Štirinsko jezero
Day 49: Štirinsko jezero to Gornje Bare jezero
Day 50: Gornje Bare jezero to Tijentište via Borić
Day 48: One of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Štirinkso jezero (Štirinsko lake) in Lelija mountain, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Montenegro
Mratinje to Žabljak
Day 51: M-3 E762 near Hydroelectric Plant Piva to Mratinje
Day 52: Piva jezero near Mratinje to Maglić peak, return
Day 53: Mratinje to Mitrić B&B, Nedajno
Day 54: Mitrić B&B, Nedajno to Katun Lokvice via Bobotov kuk
Day 52: Climbing down from Maglić, the highest peak in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies just north of the border with Montenegro.
Žabljak to Mojkovac
Day 55: Katun Lokvice to Zminičko jezero via Žabljak
Day 56: Zminičko jezero to Zabojsko jezero
Day 57: Zabojsko jezero to Mojkovac
Day 58: A small part of our breakfast spread at Mojkovac, Montenegro… oh, yes.
Mojkovac to Sumor jezero
Day 58: Mojkovac to Šiško jezero
Day 59: Šiško jezero to Katun and Eko Dom Trešnjevik
Day 60: Katun and Eko Dom Trešnjevik to Crkva Svetog Ilije at Sumor jezero via Kom Kučki
Day 59: Making friends with horses on the way to Trešnjevik, Montenegro.
Montenegro and Albania
Sumor jezero to Valbonë via Rickovačko jezero
Day 61: Crkva Svetog Ilije to Rickovačko jezero
Day 62: Rickovačko jezero to Lepushë
Day 64: Gusinje to Liqjentës e Jezercës
Day 65: Liqjentës e Jezercës to Thethi via Maja e Jezercës
Day 65: Climbing the brutally cold, slate-grey rock of Maja e Jezercës, the highest mountain in Albania.
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