Vlasic Mountain

Vlasic rises to 1,943 metres north of Travnik, a broad mountain of open pasture and beech and spruce forest rather than rock, and it has two identities. In winter the resort at Babanovac operates lifts and pistes on the slopes below the summit, one of the country's main ski areas, with a base village of hotels and apartments at around 1,250 metres. In summer the pasture carries sheep and the mountain produces Vlasic cheese, a white brined sheep's milk cheese matured in skins or barrels that is the best-known cheese in Bosnia and Herzegovina and sold across the country. Walking and cycling routes cross the pasture and the forest.

What you actually see

• The pasture - the open grazing land across the mountain top.
• The ski area - the pistes and lifts at Babanovac.
• Vlasic cheese - the sheep cheese made on the mountain and sold below.
• Forest and meadow trails - the walking and cycling routes.

When to go

December to March for skiing, with January and February most reliable. June to September for the pasture, the cheese and the walking. Weekends fill the base village in both seasons.

Honest expectations

The ski area is small with limited terrain and lift capacity. The base village is a cluster of accommodation rather than a resort town. Summer facilities are thin. The mountain road is steep and difficult in snow.

Nearby

Travnik lies south; Prusac is northwest.