Gatačko polje, Lebršnik and the waters of Gacko: a watershed between two seas and kajmak matured in a skin

In brief

Gatačko polje lies at 920 to 960 m and is drained by the sinking Mušnica, the headwater of the Trebišnjica. Part of it drains underground to the Black Sea, the rest to the Adriatic. "Gatački kajmak iz mješine" has been a protected designation of origin since 2024 and is made from 1 May to 1 November, and at the end of February the Tourist Organisation of Gacko holds the "Svi na snijeg" event on Čemerno.

At Čemerno near Gacko, rain falling on the roof of the weather station drains partly to the Black Sea and partly to the Adriatic. Most of what follows about this, Gatačko polje, Lebršnik and the waters around the town comes from the Gacko municipality's Local Environmental Action Plan for 2025 to 2030 (LEAP); the rest comes from the Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska and other public bodies.

In short

Gatačko polje is about 20 km long and 3 km wide on average, lies at 920 to 960 m and covers 67 km² (Gacko LEAP 2025 to 2030).
The polje's main watercourse is the sinking river Mušnica, the headwater of the Trebišnjica (LEAP).
The south-eastern part of the polje drains underground towards the Piva and so to the Black Sea, while the rest drains to the Adriatic (LEAP).
"Gatački kajmak iz mješine" (Gacko kajmak matured in a skin) was entered in the BiH register of protected designations of origin on 30 August 2024 (Food Safety Agency of BiH).

The polje and its waters

The lower polje is Gatačko polje proper; the upper polje to its south-east, at 950 to 1,000 m, is a karst basin whose floor is covered with dolines (vrtače) (LEAP). On the ground, show guests the flat floor of the lower polje and then the upper polje pitted with hollows.

The Gračanica river, a tributary of the Mušnica, sinks at Šabanov ponor in the village of Kula and rises again at Zagradci (LEAP). The LEAP names Vrelska cave on Lebršnik as the source of the Mušnica. According to the same document, Vrelska cave and Đatlo are among the ten longest caves in Republika Srpska.

Lakes

Klinje: a reservoir created between 1891 and 1896 with a 26 m stone arch dam built to irrigate Gatačko polje. The dam is a protected cultural and historical monument (TO RS, Lake Klinje; LEAP).
Vrba: a reservoir built in 1982 for the thermal power plant, at about 1,040 m. It is about 3 km long, covers 107 ha and is the largest body of water in the municipality (LEAP).

The Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska says fishing in Gacko municipality takes place on the Mušnica, Gračanica, Sutjeska, Neretva, Đeropa, Desivoje and Vrba rivers and on Lake Klinje (TO RS, Trebinje fishing region). Ask the Tourist Organisation who issues fishing permits and whether there are organised bathing places before promising either to guests.

Mountains and pastures

Above the polje rise Lebršnik and Živanj, with the Čemerno pass (1,329 m) between them, and further away Zelengora, Volujak and, to the south-west, Bjelašnica (1,867 m) (LEAP). The flatter parts of these mountains are mountain pastures where, according to the LEAP, nomadic herding has been present "since the earliest times". Sutjeska National Park says herds are on Zelengora from May to September (NP Sutjeska), and the Grčić family from Medanići takes its livestock up to the katun on Volujak and Lebršnik from June to October (Gazdinstvo Grčić).

Winters are long and harsh and summers short and cool, so tell guests to bring warm clothes even in summer (LEAP). At the end of February the Tourist Organisation of Gacko holds the winter event "Svi na snijeg, Čemerno te zove" on Čemerno; the fourth edition took place on 22 February 2026 (Radio Gacko, 23 February 2026).

Local food: kajmak matured in a skin

The Food Safety Agency of BiH registered "Gatački kajmak iz mješine" as a protected designation of origin (ZOP), on application by the Association of Gacko Kajmak Producers (register extract). Under the specification, the production area is Gacko municipality; the kajmak is made seasonally from 1 May to 1 November, matures in a sheepskin for at least 30 days, and each skin is used for maturing only once (product specification). The Association was founded in 2021 and had 26 members in 2024 (SeeSrpska, 2 April 2024).

Only a product that meets the specification may be sold under that name, so ask the Association about it. If you serve or sell kajmak, see the knowledge-hub articles on labelling home-made food and on allergens.

Gacko farms on the platform also make cheese and kajmak, for example Gazdinstvo Buha, Gazdinstvo Grčić, Gazdinstvo Buha DiM, Gazdinstvo Snezane Markovic and Porodično gazdinstvo Lažetić. Arrange purchases and visits in advance.

Programmes through the year

Following the water, half a day. From Šabanov ponor to the place where the water rises again, explaining ponors and springs, then lunch with kajmak.
Klinje, half a day. A walk to the 1890s dam and the story of irrigating the polje.
A summer day on the pastures. In summer, by arrangement with herders, a visit to the flocks on Volujak or Lebršnik, returning over Čemerno, where the watershed lies.
Winter weekend. Snow at Čemerno and the February event, with home cooking on the farm. Domaćinstvo Koprivica in the village of Gradina offers overnight stays with home-cooked meals. Check road conditions before guests arrive.

Take guests into caves such as Vrelska cave and Đatlo only with experienced cavers. Đatlo is protected as a natural monument (e-priroda RS).

Who to contact

Turistička organizacija opštine Gacko (Tourist Organisation of Gacko), Stojana Kovačevića 2; tel./fax +387 59 472 600; jutoog@gmail.com (TO RS). The organisation's own website did not respond when we checked.
Udruženje proizvođača gatačkog kajmaka (Association of Gacko Kajmak Producers), Nemanjina 5, 89240 Gacko (from the ZOP register).

Sources

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