Apparition Hill and the Blue Cross in Medjugorje hold profound spiritual significance for millions of pilgrims worldwide. Medjugorje is a renowned pilgrimage site where, since June 1981, six young visionaries have reported regular apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Apparition Hill, or Podbrdo, is the site where the first apparition allegedly occurred, drawing countless devotees seeking solace, healing, and spiritual renewal. On the other hand, the Blue Cross, situated at the base of Apparition Hill, has become a place of intense prayer and reflection, where visitors meditate on the sufferings of Christ and present their intentions to the Virgin Mary. Both sites have become symbols of hope and faith, attracting people from various backgrounds to seek divine encounters and experience the transformative power of Medjugorje’s spiritual atmosphere.

Just 12 km from Mostar, on the river Buna, lies the enchanting town of Blagaj, a medieval city from which today’s Herzegovina emerged. The ruins of the old city or Herceg Stjepan’s Tower offer a breathtaking panorama of the Neretva valley. Nearby attractions include the Velagić House, Sulejman’s Mosque, Karađozbeg’s Bridge, and the Tekija—a 16th-century house of prayer and meditation. Blagaj, with its picturesque scenery and the spectacular Buna River spring, is a treasure not to be missed.

In 1999, Nancy and Patrick Latta began to build a castle in Medjugorje, to be used as a retreat place for priests, nuns, seminarians, and religious. Robert Nanasi, the architect, designed the various buildings and structures comprising the castle. 17 years later, the work is continuing. Patrick was a very successful businessman in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.  He and his wife Nancy enjoyed a lavish life style, but God was missing from their lives. Patrick’s four children (from two previous marriages) had everything that money could buy, but they were haunted by addictions to drugs, alcohol, and immoral life styles. Patrick’s conversion occurred when Nancy gave him a copy of Our Lady’s messages from Medjugorje. He read the shortest message – “For the last time, I am calling you to conversion.” Something inside him told him that it was time to return to the Catholic Church. After going to Confession, he began his journey back to the Catholic faith. As a result of prayer, fasting, and living according to the “five stones” mentioned by Our Lady, their lives, and those of his children, changed for the better. Patrick and Nancy give talks to pilgrimage groups, telling and retelling their story to young and old alike.

The Diocese of Trebinje (Trebinje-Mrkanje) is one of the oldest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was first mentioned in the Bull of Pope Benedict VIII in 1022. The construction of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary began in 1880, immediately after the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian army, and was completed in 1884. In 1984, the former parish church was declared a Cathedral Church, on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the Trebinje Diocese and 100th anniversary of the church. In 2006, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary was declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The church is located in the Hrupjela settlement, on a hill where there used to be a tower built during the Austro-Hungarian occupation. It is dedicated to St. Archangels. It dominates the city with its beauty together with Herzegovinian Gračanica. Also, from the elevation on which it is located, there is a unique view of Trebinje.

The Church of St. Elijah is located on the top of Ilija hill (Ilijina glavica) in the village of Mesari, north of the main road Trebinje – Mostar. It is located on the edge of Popovo polje, 20 km west of Trebinje. The Church of St. Elijah is a trikonchos, which has been rebuilt several times. The last time, according to the inscription on the architrave beam, was in 1897. This church has a pre-Romanesque stylistic character, and it is considered that the original church was probably built in the period from  the 9th  to  the 11th  century. It is among the oldest buildings in Herzegovina. The Church of St. Elijah with a prehistoric burial mound (tumulus) and a necropolis with stećci in Mesari was declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2008.