Велики Самоград

Veliki Samograd


Useful Information

Location: M6.1.
(43.662870, 17.185620)
Open: no restrictions.
[2023]
Fee: free.
[2023]
Classification: KarstBare Karst KarstDoline SpeleologyKarst Cave
Light: n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Uroš Stepišnik, Aleš Grlj (2018): Caves, Denuded Caves and Collapse Dolines as Past Hydrological Pattern Indicators of the Grabovica Plateau, the Dinaric Karst (Bosnia and Herzegovina), December 2018Dela 2018(49):95-111. DOI researchgate
Address: Jama Surdup, 80240 Tomislavgrad, Tel: +387-63-332822. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History


Description

The are between Buško jezero and the M6.1 road is an oval limestone hill named Grabovačka planina which is heavily karstified. The bare karst area has more than 200 caves and several hundred dolines, both shallow solution dolines with a patch of soil on the bottom, and huge collapse dolines with vertical walls. One of the most spectacular dolines of this area is the Велики Самоград (Veliki Samograd). It is 160 m long, 100 m wide, and about 60 m deep, it almost qualifies as a Tiankeng. While the surrounding plain is bare karst, the floor is covered by dense vegetation, predominantly hornbeam forest.

Nearby is the Арнаутовац (Arnautovac) dolina (sinkhole) which is 420 m long and 138 m wide, but only about 20 to 30 m deep. Nearby is мали Самоград (Mali Samograd, Small Samograd) with a cave at the floor. Сурдруп (Surdrup) doline is 360 m long and 120 m wide and 50 m deep. It is also called Jama Surdrup (Surdup pit), which actually means pothole or daylight shaft. Numerous such huge dolines can be reached after a short walk from the road which was built for the huge windmills. The road branches off M6.1 300 m north of the Vidikovac outlook. It seems the touristic value of those enormous holes has not yet been realized, there is so far no development. Some signs and trails would be sufficient to make them a first class tourist spot. However, access it not restricted, and you will be alone if you visit them.