Glavatičevo () is a small village in Konjic Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a central village to a group of villages of a wider Glavatičevo, positioned 30 km southeast of Konjic, within a wide Župa Valley straddling the Neretva river. The village and its wider areal, with surrounding villages and the valley, is also referred to as Župa Glavatičevo, or Komska Župa, or simply Župa ().
Etymology One theory, set forth by Dr. Pavao Anđelić in his book "Spomenici Konjica i okoline", says that Glavatičevo is named after the medieval nobleman Glavat or Glavatec, who was from the area, another say that Glavatičevo is named after the endemic fish Salmo marmoratus from the Neretva called Glavatica.
Geography and climate
Hamlets Glavatičevo is a central village to a group of hamlets within a wide Župa valley in the Upper Neretva. The village is settled on both banks of the Neretva river, approximately close to a geographic center of the valley. Other hamlets and villages in the valley include Biskup, Dužani, Janjina, Kašići, Krupac, Čičevo, Lađanica, Razići, Ribari. The wider area, nearing the outskirts of Župa valley, include villages on the east, group of hamlets which include Odžaci, Ljuta which include Dindol; on the west are villages of Bukovica, Grušča, Dudle, Kula and Kamenica; on the north Dužani, and so on.
Natural heritage Glavatičevo and Župa valley belongs to Upper Neretva (), which is upper course of the Neretva river, and includes vast area around the Neretva, numerous streams and well-springs, three major glacial lakes near the very river and even more scattered across the mountains of Treskavica and Zelengora in wider area of the Upper Neretva, mountains, peaks and forests, flora and fauna of the area. All this natural heritage together with cultural heritage of Upper Neretva, representing rich and valuable resources of Glavatičevo, whole Župa valley as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Neretva river
The Neretva is the largest karst river in the Dinaric Alps in the entire eastern part of the Adriatic basin, which belongs to the Adriatic river watershed. The total length is 230 km, of which 208 km are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the final 22 km are in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.
Geographically and hydrologically the Neretva is divided into three sections.
Its source and headwaters gorge are situated deep in the Dinaric Alps at the base of the Zelengora and Lebršnik mountains, under the Gredelj saddle. The source is at 1,227 m.a.s.l. First section of the Neretva course from source all the way to the town of Konjic, the Upper Neretva, flow from south to north - north-west as most of the Bosnia and Herzegovina rivers belonging to the Danube watershed, and cover some 1,390 km2 with average elevation of 1.2%. The upper course of Neretva, Upper Neretva () has water of Class I purity and is almost certainly the coldest river water in the world, often as low as 7-8 degrees Celsius in the summer months. Rising from the base of the Zelengora and Lebršnik mountain, Neretva headwaters run in undisturbed rapids and waterfalls, carving steep gorges reaching 600–800 meters in depth through this remote and rugged limestone terrain.
Right below Konjic, the Neretva briefly expanding into a wide valley which provides fertile agricultural land. There exists a large Jablaničko Lake, artificially formed after construction of dam near Jablanica.
Streams and Neretva tributaries Rivers of the Ljuta, the Jesenica, the Bjelimićka Rijeka, the Slatinica, the Račica, the Rakitnica flow into the Neretva from the right, while the Živašnica (also Živanjski Potok), the Lađanica, the Župski Krupac, the Bukovica, the Šištica flow into it from the left.
Rakitnica river
Rakitnica is the main tributary of the first section of the Neretva river known as Upper Neretva (). The Rakitnica river formed a 26 km long canyon, of its 32 km length, that stretches between Bjelašnica and Visočica to southeast from Sarajevo.
From the canyon, there is a hiking trail along the ridge of the Rakitnica canyon, which drops 800 m below, all the way to the village of Lukomir. It is the only remaining traditional semi-nomadic, Bosniak, mountain village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At almost 1,500 m, the village of Lukomir, with its unique stone homes with cherry-wood roof tiles, is the highest and most isolated mountain village in the country. Indeed, access to the village is impossible from the first snows in December until late April and sometimes even later, except by skis or on foot. A newly constructed lodge is now complete to receive guests and hikers.
Lakes
Boračko lake
Blatačko lake
Endemic and endangered species
Trout The river Neretva and its tributaries represent the main drainage system in the east Adriatic watershed and the foremost ichthyofaunal habitat of the region. Salmonidae fishes from the Neretva basin show considerable variation in morphology, ecology and behaviour. Neretva also has many other endemic and fragile life forms that are near extinction. Among most endangered are three endemic species of Neretva trout: Neretvanska Mekousna (Salmo obtusirostris oxyrhynchus), Zubatak (Salmo dentex) and Glavatica (Salmo marmoratus).
All three endemic trout species of Neretva are endangered mostly due to destruction of the habitat and hybridisation with introduced trout and illegal fishing as well as poor management of water and fisheries (dams, overfishing, mismanagement).
Ecology and protection
Dam problems
The benefits brought by dams have often come at a great environmental and social cost, as dams destroy ecosystemsEnvironmental Impact of Dams and cause people to lose their homes and livelihoods.
The Neretva and two main tributaries are already harnessed, by four HE power-plants with large dams on Neretva, one HE power-plants with major dam on the Neretva tributary Rama, and two HE power-plants with one major dam on the Trebišnjica river, which is considered as part of the Neretva watershed.
Also, the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity has unveiled plans to build three more hydroelectric power plants with major dams (as over 150.5 meters in height) upstream from the existing plants, beginning with Glavaticevo Hydro Power Plant in the nearby Glavatičevo village, then going even more upstream Bjelimići Hydro Power Plant and Ljubuča Hydro Power Plant located near the villages with a same names; and in addition one more at the Neretva headwaters gorge, near the very source of the river in entity of Republic of Srpska by its entity government. This, if realized, would destroy this river, so its strongly opposed and protested by numerous environmentalist organizations and NGOs, domestic as well as international, who wish for the canyon to remain untouched, unspoiled, and protected.
Moreover, the same Government of FBiH preparing a parallel plan to form a huge National Park which include entire region of Gornja Neretva (), and within Park those three hydroelectric power plants, which is unheard in the history of environmental protection. The latest idea is that the park should be divided in two, where the Neretva should be excluded from both and, in fact, become the boundary between parks.
This is a cunning plan of engineers and related ministry in Government of FBiH and should leave the river available for the construction of three large dams, and give them hope in order to remove the fear of contradiction in the plans for environmental protection in the area and the flooding its very heart, in terms of natural values - the Neretva. Of course, such deception failed, because the concerned citizens from the local community are not given bluff, as well as concerned citizens of whole country, and its particularly strongly opposed by NGOs and other institutions and organizations that are interested in establishing the National Park of Upper Neretva towards the professional and scientific principles and not according to the needs of electric energy lobby.Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams, by Patrick McCully, Zed Books, London, 1996
Cultural heritage
Stećci
The Stećci (singular: Stećak) are monumental medieval tombstones that lie scattered across the landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are the country's most legendary symbol. Although many of them are found in Serbia and Croatia, the vast majority are found within the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina – 60,000 in all, of which approximately 10,000 are decorated (and sometimes inscribed). Appearing in the 12th century, the stećci reached their peak in the late 14th to 15th centuries, before dying away during the Ottoman occupation. Their most remarkable feature is their decorative motifs, many of which remain enigmatic to this day. Although its origins are within the Bosnian Church, all evidence points to the fact that stećci were erected, in due time, by adherents of all religious denominations, the Serbian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Bosnians alike, and later by early Bosnian Muslims even.
District Komska Župa or Glavatičevo, is full of stećci. Some of them, and there are hundreds, are a true rarity.
In the necropolis Sanković, at the Grčka Glavica (), in the area of Biskup village (), there are about 115 stećak tombstones. The most famous is the stećak on the grave of Goisava Sanković, from aristocratic Sanković family. Among these decorated stećak, two are decorated with motifs of vines.
In Kasići there is a group of five stećak tombstones. One is decorated, and one has a label that was partially damaged, but can nevertheless be translated.
In Krupac, in one of two lone stećak, there is a drawing of a crescent.
Near Razići, at Crkvine hamlet, there is a huge necropolis of 93 stećak, decorated with the only three interesting themes. In one drawing is the human head, "that makes the spirits go away" and it is likely that below this carving, probably, a Bogumil was buried. On the second is a carved cross which signified that under this stećak is Christian, while the third stećak has a crescent moon under which, probably, rests a local inhabitant who accepted Islam.
The hamlet Račica at the place which is called Gromile, there are two lone stećak. One of them has two podiums, which is very rarely.
On the Visočica mountain, on the Poljica, in a really great necropolis tombstones are two stećak: Vukosav Lupčić and Rabrena Vukić with inscriptions
Ancient road Roman road from Narona (Village Vid at Metković) ran over Nevesinjsko field and Dubrava, and on the location of Velika Poljana, near Lipeta, join with main rout. Solid construction of the Roman roads, making it clearly visible even today, from Lipeta to Vrabča. Milestones found in Konjic at the mouth of the Bijela river, in Polje, Borci village, Kuli, Malom Polju near Lipeta, all mentioning Roman emperors Augustus, Dacija, Tacitus, and Philip Augustus. That means that the Romans constructed these roads sometime in the 1st century and with significant reconstructed during the 3rd century, and continuously used in the Middle Ages as the closest connection from Dubrovnik Republic with trading centers in Bosnia.
From Lipeta to Konjic, Roman Road and the Turkish route have been built almost on the same route. During Ottoman rule, there was a vital traffic between Sarajevo and Mostar. How important this road was in the Middle Ages Bosnia, tells us his name: "Džada Mostar", "Great road of Mostar" or "Sarajevo road".
Even the Romans had forts to ensure traffic and the protection of passengers on this rout. During the Middle Ages, except fortifications, along the way were built settlements. In Ottoman times along the way were made Karaula (), with a mission to protect the passengers. Karaula are placed on peaks, canyons and places that are ideal for the attacker and the most dangerous for passengers.