Feel Herzegovina ,Adventure sightseeing in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Blagaj, Žitomislići, Počitelj, Kravice

The first station is Blagaj.

It is 15 minutes away from Mostar. Blagaj is a settlement in the south-eastern part of the Mostar plane in Herzegovinian-Neretva County in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the edge of Bišće plateau and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and differs from other similar structures in urban layout. Blagaj is located at the source of the river Buna and the historical Tekke (tekke or monastery Derviš). Blagaj’s Tekke was built around 1520 with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument. Blajaj’s Tekke is a monastery built for dervish cults. The spring of Buna is the source of the river Buna a strong karst source. Rijeka flows about 9 km west and joins the Neretva village of Buna. The historic town of Stjepan Town, on the hill above Blagaj, was the seat of the royalty of Stjepan Vukčić and the birthplace of Bosnian queen Katarina Kosača-Kotromanić.

After Blagaj the next station Žitomislići follows.

In Žitomislići there is a Serbian orthodox monastery dedicated to The Annunciation and located near the city of Mostar. In 1566. the Ottoman Empire represented by the kadyas in Nevesinje, granted the Miloradovic-Hrabren family permission to build a monastery in Žitomislići on the ruins of the old church. It took more than forty years for the construction of the monastery to be completed and in 1606. the first recommendation was given to the serving monks in Žitomislići. The monastery praised the high-level iconostasis, and in its time was a scriptorium with significant activity and reputation. At the height of its existence, the monastery was supported by large land cultivated by the monks themselves. It was destroyed and renewed several times, and today it is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The next station is Počitelj.

Počitelj, the hidden jewel of Herzegovina lies on a slope that makes a kind of amphitheater and overhangs the turquoise river Neretva. This pleasant resort is located 30 km south of Mostar on the way to the Adriatic coast. Its unique Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style combines a special dimension to this city, making it a true jewel of architecture. This unique stone city was entered in 2007. on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The fort was built at the end of the 14th century by the order of the famous Bosnian king Tvrtko, but Počitelj was first mentioned in 1444. as a parish seat. Počitelj is a true open-air museum and a highly regarded place for many artists who find inspiration for the artwork in this magical landscape. In addition to its beautiful oriental architecture and Ottoman feeling, Počitelj hosts the longest working art colony in south-eastern Europe. Artists from all over the world, among other things, gather here to paint between bright red roses and figs that grow in abundance on the hillsides of Počitelj. Walking around town you feel like you’re back in time. Here you will see incredible architecture, city walls, mosques, art studios and much more.

Kravica will be our last stop.

The Kravica waterfalls, often mistakenly called Kravice, is a large cascade on the river Trebižat in the karst center of Herzegovina. It is located 10 km south of Ljubuški and 40 km south of Mostar. Its height is 25 m and the diameter of the lake at the foot of the waterfall is 120 m.

Second day

The Battle for Wounded on Neretva River

The Battle for Wonded on Neretva river was a salvation for more than 4000 wounded. It was the battle raged in February and March of 43. by partisans who were surrounded by German troops combined with Italian troops, Ustashe and Chetniks.

It all took place in the valley of Neretva and Prozor basin. In month of February Partisan units, civilian refugees along with wounded found themselves surrounded. In those difficult times Josip Broz Tito, the partisan commander, ordered to bring down all the bridges in that area. Four of them brought down on Neretva and one on Rama, the river.

The german commanders were ensured that partisans, along with the wounded and civiliand, won’t be heading to East over the river Neretva, but to North in the valley of Vrbas river.

On the other heand, the breaktruogh didn’t happen as it was expected by German command, but in Jablanica across the river Neretva.

However, breaking out of this kind was quite of unique phenomena in history of war.

The heavy force surrounding much weaker opponent was shattered without any out.

Nature Park. Blidinje Park was founded on April 30, 1995. Located in the central part of the high mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It covers an area of ​​364 km² in three municipalities: Posušje, Tomislavgrad and Jablanica. The central part of the Park dominates the long field with the Blidinje lake, located in the south-eastern part of the Park. The western border of the Park is Vran mountain, in the southeast are the Neretva river and the mountain Čvrsnica, and in the northeast of Doljanka. In geomorphological conditions we can distinguish four areas: mountain peak Čvrsnice (2.228 m), mountain top Vran (2.074 m), mountain ridge of Western Čabulje and The Long field. There are also medieval stone thresholds – Christian gravestones dating back to the 12th and 14th centuries, located in the Blidinje Nature Park in two large necropolises and at several other locations. Their beauty and history spell time and testify of different past centuries. Necropolis the Long field is one of the 30 medieval tomb necropolis that were listed on UNESCO World heritage list in 2016. They are located in the Jablanica municipality on the road leading to Kedžara. The necropolis consists of 150 tombs most of which are slabs and coffins, and some of the tombs are also decorated. These steaks are well preserved and make one of the most important cultural attractions on the Blidinje nature park.

Third day

Our first station will be the Boljuni necropolis.

The Boljuni necropolis is in the immediate vicinity of Stolac, and since 2016. it is on the World Heritage site of UNESCO. Nearby are remains of the Illyrian period (hills and tumulus), a place called Crkvina, probably from the late antique, remains of an early medieval cemetery. Tombstones are in the ranks, all set in the west – east direction with slight deviations in some cases. The necropolis has 82 panels, 176 chests, twelve chandeliers and four crosses of graves. There were 29 panels, 57 chests and six buried tombstones, totaling 92. It makes it one of several large, richly decorated necropolises.

After Boljuna we headed for the Radimlja necropolis.

Radimlje necropolis is one of the most important medieval monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in Vidovo polje, three kilometers west of Stolac, on the Čapljina – Stolac road. Due to the number of copies, the variety and representation of all the basic forms, the relatively high artistic quality of making, the richness of plastic decorations, relief performances and inscriptions mentioning the well-known historians, as well as their unusual accommodation and availability, it is one of the most prominent and the most important tomb necropolis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The importance of the necropolis itself is manifested in the number of copies, in the quality of the workmanship and the manner of the sculptors who cherished motives on the tombs, as well as in the variety of specimens that can be seen. Radimlja has 133 tombs, divided into two parts. The lower part has 122 copies, and in the upper part there are 11 tombs.

Radimlja is the only true tourist destination in Stolac, and every year a large number of foreign and domestic tourists visit a tombs necropolis. The sign of this necropolis is a male figure with a raised hand and a relatively large fist and fingers. This necropolis dates back to the end of the 14th century when three large chest-shaped tombs were carved. Most tombs dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The necropolis has 133 tombstones: 36 panels, one plate at the base, 27 chests, 24 chests at the base, four high chests, five tall chestnuts at the foot, two clasps, 31 on the feet at the foot and three cross tombs. Sixty-three of 133 tombstones were arranged. The decorations are in the form of relief, engraved or combined with both. The motifs of symbolic meaning, such as the sun (circle), the star and the crescent moon, are among the most common decorative motifs that are also highlighted. There are numerous crosses, often very stylized, as well as shields, motifs of swords and arches and arrows. Several tombstones carry animal characters, and the necropolis is also rich in figural scenes. Especially important “dukic figures” and numerous men with raised weapons are particularly important; there are also combat scenes, hunting and dancing scenes. On the list of world cultural heritage of UNESCO .

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After Radimlja we headed for the Vjetrenica.

Vjetrenica is the most famous cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a protected monument of nature and tourist destination in the south-eastern part of Herzegovina. It is located 300 m east of Zavala, on the western edge of Popovo polje, in the municipality of Ravno, and 12 km away from Slano on the Adriatic coast (Republic of Croatia) and 80 km from the city of Mostar. A total of 6,700 meters underground channels were discovered. The speleological features of this unique cave are specific beauty, spacious corridors and halls, numerous cumulus flowstones, and a rich hydrographic world with numerous lakes, several waterfalls, more streamlined streams, and dozens of smaller periodic flows that run in different directions. Particularly attractive is the appearance of the strong wind at the entrance as well as the considerable airflow in several places in the interior.

Vjetrenica is equally interesting in the ecological, geomorphological and economic sense, and at the same time it is also one of the strongest sources of identity in the wider area of ​​Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a protected monument of nature since 1950., and in 1981. it was proclaimed a geomorphological nature reserve.

It contains remains of eight fossilized animals, the largest cave bear (Carnivoria, Ursus spelacus) and a leopard skeleton (Carnivoria, Panthera pardus). On the rocks at the entrance to the cave there are two engraved stone, typical of medieval tombs in the region. In scientific terms, Vjetrenica was the site of many different forms of research, which can be traced back to the 16th century. Platinum in her work in ‘Historia naturalis’ they mention a cave from which a strong wind blows, and he calls on the Vjetrenica.