Blidinje plateau () is a karst plateau in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated at the heart of Dinaric Alps, between major mountains of the range, Čvrsnica, Čabulja and Vran, with characteristic karstic features such as Dugo Polje field, Blidinje Lake, Grabovica and Drežanka valleys, and others. It represents important natural, hydrogeological reservation in karst of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with significant cultural and historical heritage, and Dinarides in general.
Geography and hydrology
The melting glaciers from Čvrsnica during the two past ice ages created this open and barren valley. A spacious plateau, 15–25 km long, is situated at an elevation of 1.150-1.300 meters a.s.l., between Čvrsnica and Vran mountains with a total area of 513 km2. Although geomorphologically one whole, plateau is divided in two geographically and topographic distinct features, first in lower southern part, areal around the lake Blidinje, and another in northern higher part of the plateau where a flat plain Dugopolje is situated, as well as administratively between four municipalities: Jablanica, Prozor-Rama, Posušje, Tomislavgrad, and Mostar.
Doljani valley
Doljani valley is the longest valley and a northern border of the Čvrsnica-Vran-Čabulja complex, with the Doljanka river running through.
Dugo Polje
Going from the north and the Doljanka river, plateau opens with a flat plain of Dugo Polje at the higher end and lead toward south longitudinally between Vran at the north-northwestern side, with its highest peak on 2.074 meters a.s.l., and on the south-southeastern Čvrsnica mountain, with its highest peak Pločno at 2.228 meters a.s.l. On the opposite south-southeastern end of the plateau, beyond Blidinje lake, is Čabulja mountain with its highest peak at 1.786 meters a.s.l. further toward east beyond Čvrsnica is Grabovica valley that stretches all the way to the Neretva river and its canyon.
Svinjača Polje
Grabovica valley
Grabovica valley with small Grabovica creek is a special reserve within park, squeezed deep into Čvrsnica, and form a deep canyon between steep and rugged cliffs of the mountain. Within the valley are two small villages Gornja Grabovica (Jablanica) and Donja Grabovica (Jablanica). The legend of Diva Grabovčeva tells the story about legendary daughter of a local shepherd who, as story goes, was killed by local nobleman whom she rejected, so that she would not marry another.
Drežnica valley
Further downstream much larger vale appears again, this time between Čvrsnica and Čabulja mountains, called Drežnica. The stream of Drežanka runs between large and steep slopes of the valley, with two eponymous villages, Donja Drežnica (Lower Drežnica) and Gornja Drežnica (Upper Drežnica) being situated on its banks.
Blidinje lake
The most important hydrogeological phenomena in the park is alpine lake, Blidinje Lake, largest of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Blidinje lake is the direct result of a glacial retreat, but according to the Poklečani Parishes office documents, lake is, also, a product of anthropogenic intervention and activities of human inhabitants. According to these documents, the lake is artificial and it was created at the end of the 19th century. In order to keep the water that is lost through the subterranean passage, local residents and cattle breeders sealed sinkholes with branches and clay, so that water could not find its way underground. Therefore, the lake was formed. Its surface area varies between 2,5 and 6 km2, while its average depth is 1.9 m, with altitude of 1,184 m above sea level.
Other lakes and lokvas
Beside Blidinje, plateau hosts few other, smaller lakes and lokvas, such as Crepulja and Crvenjak. The Crvenjak Lake is a small glacial lake located in the Čvrsnica massive. The lake is oval-shaped, approximately 70 meters long and 50 meters wide. It has a depth of approximately 9 meters.
Flora and fauna
Accompanying some of the rocky and seemingly lifeless slopes are thick forests of pine, including the endemic white-bark pine at Masna Luka called Pinus leucodermis (Bosnian pine). Three types of wild thyme and dozens of wild flowers cover the valley and mountain sides in the spring and summer.