NOVAKUŠA CAVE – A HIDDEN GEM OF EASTERN HERZEGOVINA

Located in the Bišina area, west of Nevesinje, Novak uša Cave is an impressive natural wonder and a protected natural monument. With its monumental entrance, spacious underground chambers and extraordinary rocky surroundings, it attracts the attention of nature lovers, explorers and photographers.

PHOTO: Boris Trogrančić

The remarkable site was recently visited by landscape photographer Boris Trogrančić, who was photographing the natural beauty of Eastern Herzegovina for the Tourism Organisation of Republika Srpska when he decided to take a detour and explore this unusual location.

“This is one of the most unusual natural sites I have visited,” Trogrančić told SeeSrpska. His photography has also been published by National Geographic.

A MONUMENTAL ENTRANCE SURROUNDED BY IMPRESSIVE CLIFFS

According to information from the Nevesinje Tourism Organisation, the entrance to Novak uša Cave is approximately 70 metres wide and 20 metres high, making it one of the largest known cave openings in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The cave lies at the foot of a natural rocky amphitheatre, surrounded by almost vertical cliffs that reach heights of around 100 metres in some places. The combination of the enormous entrance and the dramatic rock formations gives the location a distinctive and striking appearance.

Beyond the entrance, visitors encounter a vast underground chamber, from which horizontal and vertical passages extend deeper into the cave system. Speleological information describes the main chamber as approximately 200 metres long and wide, highlighting the remarkable scale of this natural phenomenon.

THE LEGEND OF STARINA NOVAK

Novakuša Cave is also associated with an intriguing local legend. Its name is linked to Starina Novak, a legendary hajduk, or outlaw, who is believed to have once sought shelter in its spacious chambers.

According to local folklore, a stone slab in one of the smaller chambers is connected to the place where he supposedly slept. This story adds a historical and cultural dimension to the cave, complementing its geological significance.

DISCOVERING THE HIDDEN NATURAL BEAUTY OF EASTERN HERZEGOVINA

Novakuša Cave is one of the natural attractions that reveal how much Eastern Herzegovina has to offer beyond the region's more familiar tourist destinations.

Its enormous entrance, dramatic cliffs and extensive underground chambers make it a remarkable destination for those interested in geology, speleology and the region's natural heritage.

For travellers seeking to explore lesser-known places in Republika Srpska, Novakuša offers a glimpse into a fascinating underground world, where extraordinary rock formations meet local legends and the untold stories of Eastern Herzegovina.