UNA RIVER VALLEY

Una National Park is the largest national park in Bosnia & Herzegovina at 76 square miles. It was established to protect the Una River and its tributaries, and to maintain their natural state. Unfortunately, many other pristine rivers here have been affected by dams.

The largest waterfall in the park is Strbacki Buk and fishing is a popular sport in its calmer waters. I spend the night on the river at Auto Kamp Suad, where Suad and his wife Hanna invite me to share coffee and schnaps. His dad enjoys fishing here, they have a huge garden and life is peaceful. They also sell local honey products that I’m happy to add to my pantry.

The next day I drive 6 miles up river to Camp Buk. I see castle ruins in the distance and decide to make getting there my day’s hike. I cross over the Una River and instead of taking the short 2 kilometer asphalt road, I choose an old gravel road that looks more interesting. That pays off when a fox quickly crosses my road! Later, I see a sign indicating a path, but when I try to follow it, it disappears. Forging ahead, I make my way through meadows of pasture flowers. I realize that even though my spontaneous route is longer and more circuitous, it is more rewarding thanks to the unexpected discoveries.

At the ruins I find what remains of an Ottoman era fortress. There is a great view of the valley and I can see my van in the campground. I take the short road back and spend a relaxing evening next to the river.

It’s a 6 mile drive the next day, up river to Martin Brod, where there is another famous waterfall. A dog follows me out of camp and kindly leads me off the road and to a detour through the woods. This day’s hike goes up a mountain and passes the stunning water fall on the Martina Staza Trail.

My map shows the trail ending at the viewpoint over the river, but I can see the trail continues to a bridge below. I decide to check it out as it would be nice to return a different way. At a fork in the trail, I take the path heading steeply downward and find an abandoned railroad track leading into a tunnel. I’m sure I can climb down somewhere before the tunnel and I start looking around. I see a makeshift wooden bridge and voila... I’m on the other side of the river and enjoy a lovely walk back - filling up my water bottle with mountain water and watching someone fishing near my campsite as I reach the end of my hike.

I am learning to go past maps and follow my curiosity. While I had no idea what to expect, and certainly didn’t want to do the steep hike back, I trusted that if I encountered a problem, a solution would arise. Traveling is about moving forward to the unknown with the expectation of wonderful adventures.

CROATIA

Next up... A detour to Croatia for the day to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia. It is famous for having the largest waterfall in the country, and because it is so famous and stunning it’s very crowded. I bought my ticket online, two days in advance, and that allows you to reserve a time slot for easy entry.

I was planning to walk the perimeter trail but a large section was closed, so I took a boat ride the the other side where I could walk part of the perimeter trail back. Instead of walking through the large hot parking lot, I found a path up and around through the woods that went by a huge cave and ended where my van was parked.

Time to explore more of the countryside. After a stop in Bihac to stock up with groceries and gas, I head to the village of Ostrozac where there is a former Ottoman fortress with an Austro-Hungarian castle inside. What a cool surprise, when entering the grounds, to find very interesting sculptures everywhere! It is also nice that even though the castle is run down, they allow people to go through it - with signs saying “At your own risk”. The experience is topped off with a view of the Una River below.

I take the trail from the castle to the Una River and follow a dirt road which eventually leads to a riverside camp for kids. It’s a hot day and for a nanosecond I think it would be great to jump into the river... followed by the thought that the water is moving dangerously fast! I’m glad to get back on the trail in the woods, even though it is a steady ascent the entire way.

I spend two nights parked next to the castle. Across from the castle is a new charming outdoor cafe with ice cream and excellent coffee. I meet Suada, her husband Herve, (and niece) who started the business last year. We develop a wonderful connection and I love hearing their story about living in Switzerland where Herve was a chef and tiring of the rat race. Suada is from this area, and since relocating, they are loving life. I suggested Suada list her cafe, Kod Cuce, on Google maps where I could enter her first review... five stars of course!