Kupres – Winter Sports, Mountain Landscapes and Culture

The Stožer mountain massif surrounds the town of Kupres and is considered the source of the 365 springs of Kupres. One of the distinctive natural features is Kukavičko jezero: the glacial lake lies 1,200 metres above sea level and reaches a maximum depth of around 13 metres. It is 8 kilometres from the centre of Kupres, is considered a popular excursion destination and serves as a swimming lake during the summer months.

Near Kukavičko jezero, Usađeni kamen stands by the roadside as a rock formation approximately 10 metres high. A tree grows at its ring-shaped, hollowed-out top. Japage lies twelve kilometres west of Kupres. The area consists of five sinkholes covering approximately 1 square kilometre; there is also a lake there. Hajdučka vrata, a ring-shaped rock formation, lies between Kupres and Bugojno.

Adria Ski is a winter sports and sports recreation centre at 1,250 metres above sea level. The ski area has four ski runs with a total length of more than 13 kilometres and four ski lifts. Guided panoramic snowmobile tours are offered below the Adria Ski slopes; professional guides provide instruction in riding.

Ski Kraljica is the former Stožer–Vrana ski centre. The centre includes Kupreška kuća and a hut at the lift’s upper station at just under 1,800 metres. From there, the view extends across the plain, the mountains and Kupres. The offerings mentioned there also include a snow tubing run and an ice-skating rink.

Ski Ivan offers easy slopes for beginners and night skiing. There is also a baby lift, a large toboggan run and ski equipment rental. The offerings listed therefore range from easy slopes and tobogganing to other winter sports opportunities in the higher terrain.

Bike Park Vrana offers MTB trails for different levels of ability: from recreational cycling on cross-country routes and all-mountain and freeride trails to extreme freeride and downhill tracks. Near Kupres, there are also ten all-mountain and enduro trails with varying technical difficulty levels. A shuttle runs to Stožer at 1,760 metres; from there, the descents lead down to Kupres at 1,200 metres.

A hiking trail leads from Kupreška kuća to Pločata vrila, with an easy ascent of up to one hour. The viewpoint on Stožer is about an hour’s walk from the town centre of Kupres and can also be reached by a private vehicle, preferably one suitable for off-road driving.

Ravanjska vrata in Kupres is UNESCO component 1504-020 of the World Heritage Site of the medieval Stećci tombstone graveyards. In Otinovci, an archaeological site includes preserved and partially reconstructed building remains, designed as an open-air archaeological park. The complex includes an early Christian basilica from the 5th century and the Church of Saint John the Baptist from the 19th century and is designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Kupres Haymaking Cultural Days, known as Strljanica, are an annual tradition. They take place every year on the first Sunday in July on Kupreško polje. Regional cuisine is represented by the Kupreška kuća restaurant, which serves local dishes from Kupres cuisine.

Those arriving from the direction of Bugojno drive through Kupreška vrata and are greeted there by views of broad fields and meadows. The connection between continental Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Dalmatia and the Adriatic coast is therefore just as much part of Kupres’s geographical character as its high plateaus, mountain massifs and lakes.

Find more destinations at Šuica, Donje Peulje, Drvar, Tomislavgrad, Livno, Blažuj.

To the higher-level travel overview: Canton 10.