The Vjetrenica 'wind cave' in Bosnia
and Herzegovina has been included in the list of UNESCO world
heritage sites. It is the largest cave in the country within
which a great variety of species lives. Vjetrenica is located
near the village of Zavala, in the municipality of Ravno, in
southern Herzegovina. It is a cave in the Dinaric Alps mountain
range. In the hot periods of the year, a strong current of cold
air blows from its entrance, which contrasts with the heat and
dryness of the surrounding rocky terrain. The cave has been
explored up to a length of approximately 6.3 km. Based on soil
analysis, geologists hypothesized that this tunnel could extend
to the Adriatic Sea through the coastal strip belonging to
Croatia, 15-20 km from its entrance. This hypothesis could not
be verified due to a huge scree which blocks the possibility of
continuing further. Vjetrenica has great underground
biodiversity with almost two hundred different species that have
been recorded in the cavity, especially underground aquatic
fauna. It is home to a number of globally threatened vertebrate
species and the world's only subterranean tube worm as well as a
diversity of plant species endemic to the Balkans.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
