The Hutovo Blato marshland is situated in the south of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The area has been protected since 1954 due to its biodiversity. However, its significance for the animal and plant world has been known for much longer: the great diversity of species has been mentioned since ancient times. Due to its proximity to the Mediterranean, the climate is (sub)Mediterranean, and the watery landscape is characterised by lakes and springs, allowing numerous plant species to flourish and around two dozen fish species to live in Hutovo Blato. Since the Krupa and Neretva rivers connect Hutovo Blato to the Mediterranean, species such as the European eel can swim through the rivers to this point. However, Hutovo Blato is particularly well known for its bird species: many marsh birds live here permanently, and many more stop over here during their migrations, because the area is located on an important migratory route.
More information: http://hutovo-blato.ba
Photo: A boat on the edge of a lake. Credits: Pixabay
