Vjetrenica Cave

The "wind cave" in Herzegovina

Vjetrenica Cave is the biggest cave complex in Herzegovina and will soon get status as a national park.
In the summer, there is a strong and cold wind blowing out of the entrance. The reason for this is unclear. The warmer the weather is the stronger the wind. In the middle ages, a local chief had a house at the entrance where he used the wind to keep his house cool.

The cave has been explored to a length of 2500 meters and has 6500 meters of galleries and canals. The main gallery is almost horizontal and about 600 meter long. It is open to the public and has a constructed foot patch and lightings. All the tourist infra structure for the cave was damaged during the homeland war and has not yet been fully restored, but there are plans to open the cave even deeper and into a large lake that can be crossed by boat and further on to even bigger galleries.

From the cave flows a constant stream of water through a canal underground into the Trebisnjica River and from the far end it seems to flow in the other direction. The total length of the cave is unknown as the far end is blocked by a stone slide. An experiment was conducted here where a strong coloured substance was added to the water, and it surfaced on the Island of Sipan outside the cost north of Dubrovnik. If the cave really is that long it could account for the fact the a strong wind is blowing from it when there is a difference in air pressure at the cost and in the mountains.

There are several lakes and stream in the cave and a biological diversity with species that cannot be found elsewhere and who have adapted to a life in complete darkness.

Animals of the cave

Vjetrenica is a rich cave in term of subterranean bio diversity. More than two hundred different species are registered in the cave, and about 37 were discovered and described in Vjetrenica for the first time.

There has been found 85 animals (troglobionates) that have adapted to life in the cave. The most interesting is the olm, or the "human fish" as it is called. It can be 20–30 cm long, has four legs and both lungs and gills. It is a remarkable animal that can go for several years without eating, and it can be more than 100 years old. Average age that has been measures by French scientists is 65 years.

Bones of pre-historic animals have been found in the cave. Cave bear and a complete skeleton of a leopard. Human traces are mainly from the middle ages where there are characteristic paintings similar to those that can be seen on the old grave stones.

Visiting Vjetrenica Cave

The cave is open to the public, but there are very few tourist who find their way to it. If you want to visit Vjetrenica Cave you are advised to call in advance to make sure that the guide will be there. And you may also just call when you are at the cave. The guide lives only few km away and will be happy to come and open the cave for you. Tickets are 7 Euro per adult (summer 2011). Bring a sweater or a jacket. The temperature in the cave is only 11 centi degrees, so it is cool in summer and warm in winter. And wear some good shoes. The path you walk on may be slippery from water..

Telephone number to the guide 00387 36891034

Driving on the coastal road to Dubrovnik you may see a brown sign for Vjetrenica pointing inland. Do not follow it. It leads to a border station that may only be used by local residents.

Driving directions from Komarna.

Fastest route:

• Drive to Neum and continue through to the border station where you leave Neum again.
• Alternativ 1
  
• Turn left just after the border station and drive 4 km up to a T-junction.
• Turn right and drive 12 km to road on your left leading to Lisac
• Turn left and go 6 km on a narrow road.
• Alternativ 2
• Drive towards Dubrovnik and from the road leading out to Peljesac (after petrol station) drive 3 km
• Turn left in Doli towards Lisac and go 4,3 km to T-junction
• Turn left towards Neum and go 650 m
• Turn right towards Lisac and go 6 km on narrow road
  
• Turn left and keep left for 1.7 km
• Turn right and go through border station
• Drive 3.9 km to Trebinje to road on your right to Ravno
• Turn right towards Ravno and go 9.7 km
• In Ravno, after the post office and before the church turn right
• After 1.5 km at the end of the road turn right towards Zavala.
• After 5.4 km turn left and look out for some blue festival toilets and a brown log cabin at the entrance to the cave

Alternative route:

• Drive to Neum and turn left at the traffic light towards Stolac/ Hutovo.
• After 8km keep left In Gradac.
• After  10km at the "center" of Hutovo turn right towards Ravno. There may be a brown sign her for Vjetrenica.
• After 3 km keep right. You now drive into Popovo Polje, that has been very damaged by the homeland war in 1992.
• On your left you pass a lake and a canal that was constructed by the Austrians to control the seasonal waters rising in Popovo Polje when the Trebisnjica River over floated. (Unfortunately it doesn't work well).
• After 14 km keep left and keep left again
  
• After 1.5 km turn right for Ravno and you are now at a bigger road
  
• After 4.5 km In Ravno turn left after the church and before the post office.
• After 1.5 km at the end of the road turn right towards Zavala.
• After 5.4 km turn left and look out for some blue festival toilets and a brown log cabin at the entrance to the cave
  

The total driving distance is about 65 km from Komarna. On the alternative route the last part of the road is quite narrow, but cars can pass each other. The fastest route has good roads except for 4-5 km which are narrow.

If you prefer an even better and more regular road you can access the caves from Metkovic and Caplinja via Stolac and then turn right for Ravno. The driving distance here is about 90 km.

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