Brdo combines a specific place to stay in the weekend village near Balkana with a surrounding area where lakes, hiking, cycling and regional handicraft culture offer different points of interest. Planning a trip therefore involves not only choosing where to stay, but also deciding which of these aspects you would like to explore further.
Stay in the weekend village of Brdo
Accommodation is available in the weekend village of Brdo near Lake Balkana. From there, you can plan your stay around Balkana, the slopes of Mount Lisina and regional attractions in and around Mrkonjić Grad. These areas offer different experiences: the lake is known for its scenery and summer swimming, Lisina for walks and hikes, and the wider region for cycling routes and traditional handicrafts.
Balkana: Two Lakes and Different Activities
Lake Balkana consists of a small and a large lake. Near Brdo, the Balkan Tourist and Recreational Center includes two oval artificial lakes at an altitude of 750 metres. The lakes of Balkana are fed by the mountain streams Cjepalo and Skakavac, as well as by springs below the Great Lake. Together, these features give the lake landscape a distinct character: two bodies of water of different sizes, their elevation and their named tributaries.
In summer, the lakes of Balkana are suitable for swimming. The TRC Balkana grounds also include a purpose-built ski slope. If you are planning a trip specifically for swimming or to use the ski slope, check current conditions in advance. This will help you plan around the activity you have in mind, rather than treating the two offerings as equivalent experiences.
Hiking and Cycling in the Surrounding Area
The slopes of Mount Lisina are suitable for walks and hikes. For visitors who prefer to get around on foot, this offers a different kind of exploration from cycling on the regional road routes that have been mapped. You can distinguish between the two when choosing the focus of your stay: Lisina offers mountain trails, while the cycling routes are geared towards covering longer distances.
In the wider region around Brdo, the Green Tour association has mapped more than 300 kilometres of cycling routes on paved and unpaved roads in the Mrkonjić Grad area. Another cycling route near Brdo is called the Mrkonjić Region–Balkana–Stričići–Krupa route. It is listed as 88 kilometres long, with 1,300 metres of elevation gain. These figures provide two specific reference points for assessing the ride; check current route conditions before setting out. The details of this route should be distinguished from the description of the regional cycling network.
Scything Festival and Blacksmithing Tradition
A scything festival is held annually at Balkana. It celebrates the art of scything and the best scythe mowers. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates in advance. Blacksmithing in Mrkonjić Grad offers another way to experience regional tradition: local workshops still produce traditional handmade tools, including the “Varcarka” scythe.
The festival focuses on the use of the scythe and the skill involved in mowing; the workshops represent the continued production of traditional tools. In this way, the scything tradition is reflected in two different contexts. Together with the lakes of Balkana and the opportunities for hiking and cycling, they offer a range of interests to shape your time in Brdo and the surrounding region around.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Šipovo, Vrhovina, Mišići, Nevesinje, Mrkonjić Grad, Vučja Luka, Srebrenica, Doboj
For the main travel overview: Republika Srpska.
