Dabarsko and Fatničko polje near Berkovići: floods from late autumn to spring and birds

In brief

Dabarsko and Fatničko polje near Berkovići are under water from late autumn to spring, and cranes and lapwings stop there on migration. The gaovica fish comes out of the Vrijeka springs in spring and autumn, and the waterfall by Ratkovača runs in winter. A canal for the Dabar hydropower plant, announced for 2027 and 2028, is being built across Dabarsko polje, so flooding may change.

Dabarsko and Fatničko polje, near Berkovići and the neighbouring villages of Bileća, are under water from late autumn to spring. On and around them a host can show guests birds, the gaovica fish and caves. The facts come from the websites of Berkovići municipality, the Tourist Organisation of Bileća and the Trebišnjica hydropower company.

In short

The municipality says Dabarsko polje covers 50 km² at 470 to 550 m, and that most of it is under water in late autumn and early spring (Berkovići municipality, Resources).
The Tourist Organisation of Bileća says the four karst poljes of the area, Bilećko, Plansko, Fatničko and Dabarsko, take in water in winter and turn green in summer, and names Fatničko and Dabarsko polje as bird habitats (TO Bileća, Nature and karst).
A canal for the Dabar hydropower plant is being built across Dabarsko polje, with completion announced for 2027 and 2028, so flooding on the polje may change (see "What is changing").

Two neighbouring karst poljes

According to the Tourist Organisation of Bileća, the ground in this area is cut through with caves, ponors and springs, and south of Bileća the sinking river Trebišnjica rises (TO Bileća, Nature and karst). Our article on the karst of East Herzegovina explains where the water from these poljes flows underground.

What there is to see

Birds. The Tourist Organisation of Bileća calls the karst poljes a paradise for birdwatching and points birdwatchers to Fatničko and Dabarsko polje (TO Bileća, Activities). According to the international inventory of Key Biodiversity Areas (assessed in 2018), common cranes, lapwings and meadow pipits stop on these poljes on migration, and turtle doves and bee-eaters breed there (Key Biodiversity Areas). Ask a local bird expert about exact migration times.
Gaovica. The Tourist Organisation of Bileća says the gaovica comes out of the underground cave springs of the Vrijeka in spring and autumn (TO Bileća, Activities).
Caves and karst pits. The municipality says many caves and karst pits may interest visitors, but many have not been properly explored or not explored at all (Berkovići municipality, Resources).
The waterfall by Ratkovača. The municipality says the village of Potkom has Ratkovača cave, partly explored by local people, and next to it a waterfall about 150 m high that runs in winter and freezes in harder winters (Berkovići municipality, Resources).

Heritage along the poljes

Nearby are the old fortress of Koštun, the stećci (medieval tombstones) necropolis at Donja Bitunja (Potkuk), which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing, and the Radovac necropolis at Potkom (Berkovići municipality, Resources).

What is changing

The Upper Horizons (Gornji horizonti) hydropower system matters for the water on the poljes, and the Dabar hydropower plant is part of it. According to the Trebišnjica hydropower company, water from Nevesinjsko polje, where the Pošćenje dam is being built, is brought to Dabarsko polje through a 12.25 km tunnel, and leaves the plant through a 6,750 m canal across Dabarsko polje into the Dabar - Fatnica tunnel, towards Bileća lake (HE na Trebišnjici, HE Dabar). The tunnel from Nevesinje to Dabarsko polje was holed through in October 2025 (Trebinje Live, 24 October 2025). Filling of the reservoir is announced for the end of 2027, and connection of the plant to the grid for the first half of 2028 (Trebinje Danas, 2 November 2025). The Key Biodiversity Areas inventory names this system as the main threat to both poljes (Key Biodiversity Areas).

Once the plant is running, flooding and birds on the poljes may look different from what is described here. Before you promise guests a flooded polje, check the situation with Berkovići municipality or local people.

Trip ideas

From late autumn to spring, while the polje is flooded, a morning walk along its edge with binoculars and breakfast on the farm. Suggest a local bird expert to keen birdwatchers.
In summer, a walk to the Vrijeka spring, explaining how water in the karst disappears into ponors. Check the state of the water in the bed with local people.
In winter, a trip to the waterfall by Ratkovača while it is running. Check access and the state of the path with local people, and do not enter the cave without cavers.

The municipality says the polje suits cereals and fodder crops and lists sir iz mijeha (cheese matured in a skin) among traditional dishes (Berkovići municipality, Resources). If you serve or sell the cheese, see our article on katuns and sir iz mijeha and the compliance articles.

Who to contact

We found no official tourist organisation for Berkovići. Contact Opština Berkovići (Berkovići municipality), Poginulih boraca otadžbinskog rata bb, 88363 Berkovići, phone +387 59 860 111, or the Centar za promociju održivog razvoja Berkovići (Centre for Promotion of Sustainable Development), phone +387 59 222 868, email odrzivirazvojberkovici@gmail.com (berkoviciturizam.ba). For Fatničko polje and Bileća, contact the Turistička organizacija opštine Bileća (Tourist Organisation of Bileća) (turistickaorganizacijabileca.com).

Sources

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