Last week, we shared our journey through the underrated region of Herzegovina, and the destinations that both impressed us and reminded us of other locations from our prior travels around the globe. Today is Part 2 of that post, where we bring you more of Herzegovina.
4. Konjic or we (almost) visit Albania.
Konjic was the first place we visited in Herzegovina and a logical stop to break up our drive from Sarajevo to Mostar. The town is relaxed and charming and features a beautifully restored Ottoman bridge over the fast-flowing Neretva River. For many people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Konjic is known for two things. It is where you go for water sports activities, like white-water rafting. The other claim to fame is the bunker of Josip Broz Tito.
During the Cold War, the Yugoslav “father of the nation” feared a potential nuclear conflict. And so, on his orders, a giant secret bunker was built near Konjic to protect him, his family, and his close circle of associates. The massive bunker was designed to shelter more than 300 people and withstand a 20-kiloton nuclear blast. Nowadays, it is a tourist attraction, and part of it was even turned into an art gallery. But unfortunately, we didn't get to see it. The bunker was open only by reservation, and our timing didn't allow us to squeeze in the visit.
However, when we learned about the bunker, we immediately thought of one nearby Balkan country that we visited in 2021, where, to paraphrase one of the characters from Ted Lasso, bunker is life! Albania. Infamous Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha, who ruled the country for over 40 years, was so paranoid that his country would be attacked that he ordered the building of thousands of bunkers across the country. When we visited Albania, we saw these weird remnants of the Hoxha rule, now often painted in some absurd colors, almost everywhere. And in Tirana, one of the bunkers was even repurposed into … an art gallery.
Although looking at a bunker, be it in Albania or Bosnia and Herzegovina, may not be the prettiest sight or something that people seek out on vacation, for those with an interest in Cold War history, Tito's bunker can surely be a thought-provoking attraction.
5. Jablanica or we (almost) visit Belarus
After we left Konjic, we continued driving towards Mostar. The stretch of the road that followed, Konjic-Jablanica, was the most dramatic landscape that we encountered in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The road snaked through the Dinaric Alps, and we followed the Neretva River through towering limestone walls and lush forests.
Despite the beauty of this canyon road, for many people in former Yugoslavia, Jablanica is mainly known as the place of wartime glory of local partisans led by the country’s future leader, Tito, during one of the decisive WWII battles in the region.
This is how the official story goes: Surrounded by Axis troops near Jablanica in 1943, Yugoslav partisans were trapped and faced imminent death. A daring strategic decision was needed. And Tito delivered it. In a move that seemed to defy logic, Yugo Boss ordered something improbable – to blow up the only bridge in the vicinity over the Neretva River. The plan was to make the enemy believe that the partisans would not cross the river. And it worked! After the bridge was demolished, a makeshift bridge was built overnight, allowing the partisans to transport the wounded and escape to safety.
The story of the battle at Jablanica and Tito’s trickery is so well known in the region that it was even subject to the critically acclaimed 1969 movie, Battle of Neretva. Near the spot where the bridge was destroyed, there is now a giant concrete museum built in the Socialist-modernist style narrating the events. The fragments of the blown-up bridge are also displayed (although it is a reconstructed version that was made for the movie set).
At Jablanica, I was immediately transported to my childhood in Belarus. Because Belarus suffered greatly during WWII, many of my school field trips were either to the WWII War Museum or locations associated with the war. At these museums and memorials, part of the presentation was always about the horrors of the war, the heavy price that was paid for the ultimate victory, and a repetition of the “never again” mantra. That, and a dose of Soviet propaganda mixed with wartime myths and legends.
The museum at Jablanica is a very typical Socialist war museum. But for anyone interested in learning more about WWII in Yugoslavia, it may be one of the most compelling spots to learn about it.
6. Počitelj or we (almost) visit Türkiye
If we could dispense only one piece of advice on how to spend time in Herzegovina, it would be this: follow the Neretva River. Wandering through Herzegovina, we passed through a few evocative places strewn along the river: Konjic, Jablanica, Mostar. But there is more. If you follow the river further south, almost to the border with Croatia, you get to one of the most photogenic settings in the region – Počitelj.
Standing in the parking lot by the main road, steps from the Neretva River, we were craning our necks to see the historic Ottoman town majestically hanging over our heads. The camera lens was failing to capture the image in one frame. So, we just stood there, taking in and enthralled with the view. Then, the sun started to set, and the golden light illuminated the stunning medieval setup: an abandoned stone tower, an old mosque, and semi-demolished houses covered in overgrown vegetation. The atmosphere was eerily beautiful, and with no one around, the poetic silence hung in the air.
We were told that in the high season, Počitelj can be quite busy with visitors from tour buses crowding narrow, uneven stone steps leading to the top of the hill. But we were there in late afternoon in the off-season, and the place looked empty and almost like … Kayaköy.
Like the Turkish ghost town on the Lycian Way that we visited in September of 2023, we spent most of our time in Počitelj scrambling through the atmospheric ruins of this partially deserted town. We even climbed to the top of the tall, abandoned tower to enjoy the sunset and listen to the wind.
7. Kravica Waterfall or we (almost) visit Argentina
Kravica Waterfall is an awe-inspiring sight, and probably the most impressive attraction in Herzegovina after Mostar. On the day of our visit, we witnessed a breathtaking spectacle of nature - countless streams of water slipping through cracks of tufa, rolling over moss-covered rocks, and then majestically falling into a basin of this horseshoe-shaped waterfall. The water beautifully reflected the sunlight. Mist sprayed in the air. A rainbow appeared. We even listened to the waterfall with our eyes closed, and the calming sound was as good as in a top-rated meditation app.
As we approached the waterfall, we felt as if we had traveled back in time to 2012 when we visited Iguazu Falls on the Argentina-Brazil border. Kravica is significantly smaller but delivers the same wow-factor as its more famous counterpart. Here, it is as if you are staring at a small section of the South American waterfall. And although it is not located in the jungle like Iguazu Falls, the lush vegetation of Kravica may easily make you believe that you are indeed somewhere in a subtropical forest and not in Europe.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you visit Kravica in early spring, like we did, you will get more dramatic views than if you come here in summer. The waterfall is fuller and has more volume. But if you visit during the summer months, you can enjoy one of the most popular activities - sunbathing and swimming by the waterfall. Regardless of the season, Kravica is an absolute gem that should not be missed.
Overall, Herzegovina is a fascinating region to visit. Although people generally skip it, choosing to spend no more than a day in Mostar, we found that Herzegovina deserves much more attention. It is rich in history and natural and cultural sights. So, it is not really that surprising that in such a diverse place we discovered the reminders of other destinations that we visited across the globe.
