The Spring of the Bosna river ( bs, Vrelo Bosne, ) is a public park in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

featuring the system of numerous springs of the

River Bosna The Bosna () is the third longest river in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is considered one of the country's three major internal rivers, along with the Neretva and the Vrbas. The other three major rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the Una, to ...

at the

foothills Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topogr ...

of the Mount

Igman Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of Sa ...

, on the outskirts of

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

, capital of

in the municipality of

Ilidža Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and is ...

. Vrelo Bosne is one of the country's popular natural landmarks and provides a quiet escape from city life.

Geography and hydrology

The spring water at Vrelo Bosne is drinkable, however not recommended.

Biodiversity

Typical animals are

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

s and swans among others.

History, archaeology and culture

Roman Bridge The ancient Romans were the first civilization to build large, permanent bridges. Early Roman bridges used techniques introduced by Etruscan immigrants, but the Romans improved those skills, developing and enhancing methods such as arches and ...

is located not far from Vrelo Bosne on the Bosna river in the Ilidža municipality, which was built sometime between 1530 and 1550 from the original Roman stones and ruins of the bridge that stood there during the Roman period used to connect the Romans with the village of Aquae Sulphurae at the time.

is also known to have been an archaeological site dating 2400–2000BC. The straight main avenue (''Velika Aleja'') leading inside contains traditional buildings from the Austro-Hungarian-era offering a peek into the luxuries of the past. During the Bosnian War the park was not maintained and trees were chopped and used for heating by the local citizens. In 2000 the park was restored to its former look by local youths led by an international

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

organization.

Park entry

On a typical year more than 60,000 tourists visit the park. The park is usually entered by foot or by horse-carriage via the 3 kilometre avenue (''Velika Aleja'') leading into it. The paths and roads inside the park are ideal for walks and bicycle riding and give the visitors the opportunity to take a closer look at the bubbling streams and waterfalls. Outdoor cafés and restaurants are available offering drinks and food but opening times vary from season to season. * Adults: 2 KM * Pensioners, students, disabled: 1 KM * Children from 7–16 years old: 1 KM * Children with special needs or up to 7 years old: Entry free Money from the park entry fees is used to up-keep the park by ''KJU Zaštićena prirodna područja Kantona Sarajevo'
KJU link

Photo gallery

File:Spring of the River Bosna, Sarajevo (3).JPG, Spring of the River Bosna, Sarajevo (Autumn 2005) File:Spring of the River Bosna, Sarajevo (1).JPG, Spring of the River Bosna, Sarajevo File:Ilidža - Velika aleja.JPG, Horse carriage (Velika aleja) File:Bridge on Vrelo Bosne (1).jpg, Vrelo Bosne Bridge File:Bridge on Vrelo Bosne.jpg, Vrelo Bosne Bridge File:Vrelo Bosne Park in Sarajevo.JPG, Vrelo Bosne Park File:Vrelo Bosne Trees.JPG, Vrelo Bosne (Summer 2010) File:River Bosna at Vrelo Bosne Park in Sarajevo.JPG, River Bosna at Vrelo Bosne File:River Bosna, Sarajevo (4).JPG, River Bosna, Sarajevo (Autumn 2005) File:Vrelo Bosne, Sarajevo park.JPG, Vrelo Bosne (Summer 2010) File:Vrelo Bosne Ducks 03.JPG, Vrelo Bosne ducks File:Vrelo Bosne Ducks 01.JPG, Vrelo Bosne ducks File:Ducks at Vrelo Bosne, Sarajevo 03.JPG, Ducks at Vrelo Bosne File:Ducks at Vrelo Bosne, Sarajevo 05.JPG, Ducks at Vrelo Bosne File:Baby duck at Vrelo Bosne.JPG, Baby duck at Vrelo Bosne File:Vrelo Bosne Swans 01.JPG, Vrelo Bosne Swans File:Vrelo Bosne Swans 02.JPG, Vrelo Bosne Swans File:Vrelo Bosne Swans 03.JPG, Vrelo Bosne Swans File:Vrelo Bosne Swans 04.JPG, Vrelo Bosne Swans File:Vrelobosne2007winter.jpg, Vrelo Bosne in winter

Trivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is known to hold their training sessions at the Vrelo Bosne park. Team also stays at near by Hotel Hercegovina.

References

External links

Official Facebook Gallery
{{Sarajevo SVrelo Bosne Springs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ilidža Nature parks of Bosnia and Herzegovina Protected areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina Tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina