Dinaric Alps, Mountain range across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia
The Dinaric Alps stretch 645 kilometers from northern Italy to Albania, forming a chain of parallel mountain ridges that rise along the Adriatic coast. These limestone massifs reach heights above 2500 meters and separate the coastal plain from the Balkan interior.
The mountain range formed around 100 million years ago through tectonic uplift and collision of the Adriatic microplate with the European continent. During the Ice Age, glaciers shaped the highest peaks and left behind karst lakes and valleys visible today.
In the central Balkans, the mountains carry names from Slavic languages and local dialects that refer to shapes, peaks or old settlements. Herders lead their flocks to high plateaus in summer, using traditional routes that have existed for generations.
Many hiking trails follow old livestock paths and mountain passes that are accessible in summer, while snow makes higher sections impassable from November through May. Weather conditions change quickly at altitude, and fog can roll in unexpectedly even in summer.
Beneath the limestone ridges lie underground rivers that sometimes disappear for years before resurfacing kilometers away. Some caves contain bones of Ice Age animals that sought shelter there.
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