Culture and Heritage
Welcome to the Herzegovina Wine Route, where stunning landscapes, unique culture, and world-class wines combine to offer a memorable experience for wine and culture enthusiasts alike.
This picturesque region showcases the best of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the breathtaking views in Mostar to the historic charm of Trebinje, Ljubuški with the oldest museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, religious and pilgrimage sites, and UNESCO sites like the Old Bridge and Radimlja necropolis.
The Herzegovina Wine Route is home to a vibrant wine and religious heritage, with iconic places to explore such as the pilgrimage site in Medjugorje, the Tekke in Blagaj, and the monasteries around Trebinje. Other highlights include the Tvrdos Monastery, the Rabi Moša Danon site in Stolac, and the numerous vineyards that dot the landscape. Whether you’re looking to explore the region’s spiritual side or its winemaking traditions, the Herzegovina Wine Route offers a unique insight into the culture and history of the region.
HWR
Culture and Heritage
Stećak tombstones – Boljuni i Radimlja
The Necropolis of Stećak Boljuni is located in Boljuni, 12 kilometers southwest of Stolac. 269 stećaks have been preserved in the necropolis, in two groups. According to the forms, the most are chests – 176, then slabs – 76, then gables – 12 and 3 crosses. Out of the total number, 92 stećaks (34%) are decorated. And while the Radimlja necropolis stands out for its wealth, variety and high quality of relief motifs, the Boljuni necropolis stands out for its large number of inscriptions – 19 (7%), which is the first in terms of the number of inscriptions place in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most common ornament on Boljuna stećci is a cross, followed by a bent vine with a trefoil (the motif is characteristic of the whole of Herzegovina, and it appears quite often here), a shield with a sword, as well as rosettes, then various borders, a crescent moon, scenes of hunting, tournaments, carts etc
Stećak tombstones in Ljubuški
In the vicinity of Ljubuški 214 tombstones were registered in 7 necropolises, of which: 88 tombstone slats, 78 grave chests, 9 sarcophagi and 48 grave slabs and grave chests. Of the 176 tombstones described, half are slabs, half are chests, while the sarcophagus is relatively small, but they are artistically better decorated than the others. Out of 176 specimens, 81 are decorated, 33 of them with the symbol of the cross, which was especially evident in the upper part of the village Studenci. Decorative motifs on the necropolises with stećak tombstones of the Ljubuški region are as follows: shield motif with sword, oyster symbol, human figures with decoration, twisted rope and ribbons, crescent, rosettes, trefoil tendrils, wheel, spiral motif, hunting scenes, falcon symbol and tournament. Several stonemason workshops were active in this area as bearers of various influences. It is not the same workshop of masters who made monuments at the necropolis in the upper part of the village Studenci and those who worked at the necropolis “Gračine” in Bijača, Zvirići and Pržine. Most of the monuments belong to the XIV. and XV. century, some specimens, however, could have appeared much earlier, perhaps even in the XII. century.
Stjepan Grad – Blagaj Fort
Stjepan grad, was built on a late antique fortress above Blagaj, which was one of the most important cities in Herzegovina. This was actually a palace, surrounded by hard ramparts with jagged peaks that are still visible today. Stjepan Vukušić Kosača dined in it, which is why it got the name Stjepan grad. This city was the backbone of the political and military turbulence of Herceg’s land until 1473, when it was conquered by the Turkish army and became the seat and residence of the Qadi.
Stone Bridge on the Bregava river
One of the most famous bridges is definitely the Old Bridge in Mostar, but little is known that there is a bridge just 40 km south of it, which was built half a century before it. It is an old stone bridge on the Bregava River in the Čapljina municipality, which was built in 1517 by the Herzegovinian Sandžak-beg Mustafa (Mustaj-beg), which is why this bridge is often called Mustajbeg’s bridge, and it was renovated by Ibrahim Šišman pasha from The author. It is located between Klepac and Tasovac polje. A bridge with a very elegant arch construction, which in some elements resembles the arch of the Crooked Bridge on the Radobolja in Mostar, but with its specific features it stands out and represents one of the most significant works of Ottoman architecture in the field of infrastructure facilities.
Strač
Architecturally, Strač is one of the most interesting old fortifications, as well one of the biggest in the whole Balkan. It located south east of Trebinje with the elevation of 750m. It has a beautiful view of Zupci, Petrovo polje, Trebinje and Trebinje forest. During the Austro-Hungarian period, Trebinje was one of the most protected cities. Each hill above the city had a fortification from which a potential attack could be seen so the people could be alarmed and respond to it. Unlike others, Strač was buried under ground for the major part, and because of this it is considered the most mysterious object of that time.The symbol of power of this fort is represented in its iron cannon domes on the top, which still resist the imminence of time, but human negligence as well, which caused significant damage to the object. It is interesting that Austrian experts have converted the then currency crown to today’s Euro, and calculated that the construction of this fortification cost the astonishing 60 million Euros.
Sultan Ahmeds – Emperor’s Mosque
This mosque was built by Osman Pasha Resulbegović on behalf of Sultan Ahmed III, which is why it is also called the Emperor’s Mosque. It is located in the Old Town near the right bank of the Trebišnjica River. According to the documents of the historical archive in Dubrovnik, it was built in 1719, and it was built by Dubrovnik craftsmen from hewn stone and covered with a four-pitched roof under tiles.
Antique Villa Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo is one of the most important monuments of the Roman era in Bosnia and Herzegovina and belongs to the most beautiful buildings of late antique architecture. Mogorjelo supplied the Roman city of Narona and probably served in the defense of the city and its surrounding, a dense grove of coastal trees (cypress) gives this monument a particularly beautiful frame. The building was excavated between 1889 and 1903, and in the following years it was conserved, being declared as a national monument in 2002.
Apparition Hill and the Blue Cross
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.
Antique Villa Mogorjelo
Mogorjelo is one of the most important monuments of the Roman era in Bosnia and Herzegovina and belongs to the most beautiful buildings of late antique architecture. Mogorjelo supplied the Roman city of Narona and probably served in the defense of the city and its surrounding, a dense grove of coastal trees (cypress) gives this monument a particularly beautiful frame. The building was excavated between 1889 and 1903, and in the following years it was conserved, being declared as a national monument in 2002.
Apparition Hill and the Blue Cross
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.
Archaeological site Gabela
Gabela is a national cultural monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Due to its strategic location, Gabela was also inhabited in Roman times, from which we have the remains of a brick factory and farm buildings on the outskirts of the town. Of the large number of medieval buildings, the remains of the old fort and a stone plaque with a large winged lion, the symbol of the Republic of Venice, are the most impressive to this day. Gabela was from the 15th to the 18th century a large trading center, but also an important strategic fortress on the Venetian-Turkish border. At one time it was known as the slave square. Various political and economic interests were competing for supremacy over Gabel. The Turks occupied it in 1477, and after several failed attempts in 1694, the Venetians occupied Gabela, then with the Peace of Požarevac in 1718, Gabela belonged to the Turks, and the Venetians demolished all the important buildings. Gabela is again under Turkish administration, but without its former power. During the Austro-Hungarian rule and the construction of the narrow-gauge railway, Gabela was a junction from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik and Metković. The Mexican scientist Roberto Salinas Price developed a hypothesis based on geographical information in the Iliad that the Trojan War was in the valley of the Neretva River, that is, that Gabela was Ilios, the capital of the state of Troy.