Orlovača Cave
Description
Orlovača Cave is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in BiH, in the Pale municipality, just eighteen kilometres from Sarajevo. It hides in the rock of the same name above Sumbulovac, close to the main road and easy to reach. The whole system is almost ten kilometres long, about two and a half explored, with over five hundred metres of lit paths arranged for tourists. Its interior is a realm of cave decoration – stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, petrified waterfalls and rimstone pools in many shapes and colours.
It is also a precious archaeological site, yielding the bones of a cave bear over sixteen thousand years old and traces of ancient people. Today Orlovača is also a habitat of protected bats, and its temperature stays around nine degrees. It is toured only with an expert guide, making the underground adventure both safe and unforgettable.
What Orlovača hides?
Orlovača enchants with its rich cave decoration – stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, petrified waterfalls and rimstone pools in a range of shapes and colours. It is also a valuable archaeological site: it has yielded the bones of a cave bear over 16,000 years old, fragments of prehistoric pottery, ammonites and even Roman bricks. Some of these finds are displayed in a museum below the cave.
Visiting & access
Orlovača is toured only with an expert guide, and the tour lasts 30 to 45 minutes. The main season runs from 15 April to 15 October, with several time slots a day; outside the season visits are possible by arrangement. Booking is required, and a paved road and arranged access with steps lead to the cave. The ticket also covers the museum within the complex.
