Vjetrenica cave
Bosnia and HerzegovinaNational Commission for UNESCO of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Disclaimer
The Tentative Lists of States Parties are published by the World Heritage Centre at its website and/or in working documents in order to ensure transparency, access to information and to facilitate harmonization of Tentative Lists at regional and thematic levels.
The sole responsibility for the content of each Tentative List lies with the State Party concerned. The publication of the Tentative Lists does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the World Heritage Committee or of the World Heritage Centre or of the Secretariat of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its boundaries.
Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party
Description
Vjeternica (which means 'wind cave') is the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the warmer parts of the year a cold air blows from its entrance. The cave has been explored and described to a total of about 6.1 thousand meters in length; of this the main canal is about 2.47 thousand metres long (from the edge of Popovo polje to the south). There are several permanent and occasional streams, and lakes, which the largest is about 180 m long. There are many stalactites, flowstone, draperies, cascades and others forms. In terms of its biological diversity it is one of the richest caves in the world. It is officially in second place, with 85 troglobionates. The remains of eight fossilised animals have bee found in it, the largest being the cave bear (Carnivoria, Ursus spelacus) and one comlete skeleton of leopard (Carnivoria, Panthera pardus). On the rocks at the entrance to the cave there are two carved stones, typical for Medieval tombstones in the region. In a scientific sense, Vjetrenica has been the site of many different forms of research, which may be traced back to the 16th century. Pliny the Elder in his work 'Historia naturalis' mentions a nameless cave from which a strong whirlwind blows, and he was actully referring to Vjeternica. Vjeternica has been visited by thousands of tourists until 1991, when in the fighting tourist equipement was destroyed.