For most people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sutjeska National Park is a pilgrimage not for its astounding nature but for its historical significance. It was here that Tito’s Partisans, in a brilliant display of guerilla warfare, were able to beat back a better-equipped German army in the mountainous terrain of eastern Bosnia during the Second World War. The park is still visited by tens of thousands of visitors each year. They come to pay homage to the fallen, who secured the birth – and future success – of Yugoslavia. What few know though: this swath of Mother Nature is quite possibly the most pristine and stunning corner of southeastern Europe. Sutjeska was declared a national park in 1967. It was the second area in Bosnia and Herzegovina designated as a protected natural area after Kozara NP in the northwest. A small part of the park – approximately 17,500 hectares – is a strictly protected zone. This untamed border area is home to more bio-diversity than anywhere in the country. Sutjeska National Park is home to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highest peak, Mt. Maglić at 2,386 meters. Below the towering peaks of Maglić is one of Europe’s last remaining primeval forests: Perućica, which scientists date to be 20,000 years old. This lush, green oasis shelters bears, deer, chamois, wolves, and dozens of other creatures. The grassy green peaks of Zelengora Mountain flank the park’s southwestern edge. Not quite as rugged as the Maglić side, Zelengora is dotted with mountain lakes, alpine meadows, and beautiful forests of spruce, oak, beech, and black pine trees. The Donje Bare area of Zelengora was a favorite hunting spot for Tito.