Šator
1,872 m
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Also known as Veliki Šator, Шатор, +1Also known as
Veliki Šator · Шатор · Šator Planina
- Elevation
- 1,872 m
- Prominence
- 605 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 13 Jun 2025
A June 2025 report describes the gravel access road to Šatorsko jezero as badly damaged by lorries and runoff: manageable in a 4x4, difficult for ordinary cars.
planinarenje.hr
Routes
1Sources differ: Moderately difficult (srednje teška) (planinarenje.hr)
A short, steep walk from the glacial lake of Šatorsko jezero (about 1,480 m) below the summit: up scree and dwarf pine to a pass above the lake, across a grassy plateau and a new gravel road, and a sharp final climb to the cairned top. About 1¼ hours and 400–450 m up, 45 minutes down.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 2.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +379 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,872 m
- Time Up
- 1h 38m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 08m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Šatorsko jezero lies in a glacial cirque under the summit and is reached only by long gravel roads. From Bosansko Grahovo drive via Obljaj to Tičevo (about 19 km, mostly asphalt); at the junction where the asphalt ends turn right (signed 17 km to the lake), follow about 10 km of fair forest gravel to the junction with the road from Livno (via Gornje Peulje), then about 7 km of poorer gravel. In June 2025 a commenter described the road as badly damaged by lorries and runoff, fine for a 4x4 but hard going for ordinary cars. Park by the Runolist motel, which has been renovated but is not open and has a caretaker. From the lake shore a signpost on a tree gives 'Veliki Šator 1 h 15 min'. The well-trodden path climbs steeply over scree and rock overgrown with dwarf pine to a pass with views back to the lake and over the wild side of Šator. Turn right at the junction (straight on leads to Nuglašica), cross a gentle grassy plateau with views of Livanjsko polje and Troglav, and after about 10 minutes reach a recently cut gravel road. At the next junction (left to Nuglašica, 3 h 15 min) continue straight, leaving the road for a steeper final climb of about 15 minutes to the summit, marked by a cairn. On clear days the view reaches Klekovača, Dinara, Vitorog, Cincar and the Adriatic. Descend the same way in about 45 minutes; a short detour to Greda (1,843 m) gives the best view down to the lake.
Start
Šatorsko jezero1,504 m
- None; the lake is reached only by gravel road from Bosansko Grahovo or Livno
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Šatorsko jezero → Veliki Šator | 2.7 | 379 | 13 | 1h 38m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Šatorsko jezero1,504 m
Parking by the Runolist motel above the lake
- Summit: Veliki Šator1,872 m
Key Passages
- Steep scree and dwarf-pine slope above the lake
- Final 15-minute climb from the road junction
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A tent-shaped limestone summit (1,872 m) in western Bosnia between the Livno and Glamoč fields, rising directly above the glacial lake of Šatorsko jezero. The walk from the lake is short and steep, but reaching the lake means a long, rough gravel drive.
Šator ('tent'), probably named for its pyramid shape, is a mountain in western Bosnia and Herzegovina forming a natural divide between Livanjsko and Glamočko polje, north-west of Troglav and Cincar. Its highest point, Veliki Šator, rises above a glacial cirque holding Šatorsko jezero, a lake of about 300 by 120–150 m at around 1,480–1,500 m. A spring on its south-west side and an outflow to the north-east keep the level constant; Mlinski potok drains it towards the source of the Unac. The lake freezes in winter and reaches about 20 °C in summer, when people swim and camp on its shores.
The slopes of Veliki and Mali Šator and the crags round the lake are a habitat of protected edelweiss, and the mountain is otherwise a quiet mix of dwarf pine, scree, karst plateau and forest. From the cairned summit the view takes in Klekovača, Lunjevača, Dinara, Vitorog, Cincar and, on clear days, the Adriatic.
The ascent from the lake is only about 1¼ hours, so most of the effort is getting there: Šatorsko jezero is 17 km of gravel from Tičevo near Bosansko Grahovo or reached by gravel from Gornje Peulje on the Livno side, and the last 7 km are rough.
Climbing Notes
From the lake allow about 1¼ hours up and 45 minutes down, with about 400–450 m of ascent; add the short detour to Greda for the view of the lake, or a walk round the lake shore. The path is well trodden and waymarked, steep on scree and rock at first, then easy across the plateau.
The main logistical question is the road: in 2025 the last section was badly damaged and is best driven in a high-clearance or 4x4 vehicle. The Runolist motel by the lake has been renovated but was not open at last report; camping is popular in summer, especially in August. Bring supplies, as there are no services. Bulino vrelo, a spring a few hundred metres north of the lake, provides water.
In winter the access roads are generally not cleared and the lake freezes; the ascent then becomes a long winter expedition.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Access roads snowbound; lake frozen
- Feb
- Access roads snowbound
- Mar
- Snow; roads impassable
- Apr
- Lingering snow; muddy roads
- May
- Road access improving; snow patches high up
- Jun
- Good conditions
- Jul
- Good conditions; swimming in the lake
- Aug
- Busiest month for camping
- Sep
- Good conditions, quieter
- Oct
- Cooler; first snow possible
- Nov
- Early winter; roads may close
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No staffed hut. The Runolist motel at the lake was renovated but not open at last report (2022–2025).
- Rules
- Edelweiss on Šator is protected: do not pick it
- Getting There
Bosansko Grahovo (about 36 km by road); Livno
Split Airport (SPU)
- From Bosansko Grahovo: via Obljaj to Tičevo (about 19 km, mostly asphalt), then 17 km of gravel to the lake; the last 7 km are rough
- From Livno: across Livanjsko polje to Gornje Peulje, then gravel to join the Grahovo road for the last 7 km
- High-clearance or 4x4 vehicle recommended (2025 report); no public transport
Hazards
- Remoteness
- Weather