One of the most beautiful regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is not getting enough deserved visibility, but we consider it to be one of the most preserved and most authentic regions, is East Herzegovina. Under this term we consider everything east of Neretva river until the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Montenegro and south Croatia.
Places like Stolac, Radimlja, Daorson, Vjetrenica cave, Tvrdos monastery, Trebinje and many others have an amazing story to tell. So, if you are passing nearby, why not “hear” it.
Funky Tours unique tour of East Herzegovina which can be done as a full day round trip from Mostar or a connecting tour-transfer, between Mostar and Dubrovnik (or Kotor / MNE), is surely one of the most amazing ways to discover this unique region.
Departure Times Daily at 8 AM.
Pickup Locations We will pick you up and drop you off at your address in Mostar.
Activity Note: The tour is adapted to all ages and is not physically demanding. Due to the distance of the locations, we use vehicles during the tour, but most of the tour is done on foot.
As soon as we leave Mostar, after 30min driving we shall arrive at Radimlja. It is a UNESCO listed World Heritage site with a necropolis of 133 Stećak (tombstones), dating from late 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. A total of 63 tombstones are decorated with a variety of motifs depicting the lifestyle of people living and dying during the late period of middle-ages in this region of Herzegovina.
Short guided tour at the site will be conducted and most important facts of the Radimlja UNESCO necropolis will be presented.
>Radimlja Necropolis in Herzegovina
Just 15min driving away from Radimlja necropolis, we shall stop by Daorson. The megalith walls located just 5 kilometers away from Stolac, represent true architecture wonder. Being built by the Illyirian tribe “Daorsi”, on the model of the Greek city of Mycenae in the 4th century BC, this town is one of the oldest in Europe.
During the excavations, archeologists found remains of numerous amphorae, fine ceramics and bronze helmet, with an inscription on it similar to the inscription on the helmet found in Macedonia. Also the remains of a granite sculpture of Cadmus and Harmony and an Illyrian relief with thirteen snakes and five pairs of eagle wings, were found too.
When visiting these locations, one can not admire the mightiness of ancient civilisations, who by constructing these megastructures, have proven that our lives are just drop in the ocean, and that we can’t take our time on Earth for granted. For the future generations, we have to leave it in better condition than we originally found it.
>Walls of ancient capital Daorson which housed all of the important administrative, public and religious buildings of Illyrian tribe Daorsi.
“If God wanted to create the World anywhere, then He created it in Stolac” – are the words of Yugoslavian time, Bosnian born in Travnik, 1961. literature Nobel prize winner – Ivo Andrić.
With a history written by the Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Ottomans, Austro-Hungarians, Yugoslavians and present day Bosnians and Herzegovinians, Stolac among the local people, is known as the museum under the open sky.
Due to the length and continuity of life here, since the Epipaleolithic, a period going back in the past for over 16,000 years, and being a city is on the preliminary UNESCO World Heritage List, visiting Stolac is a must when visiting the Balkans and region of Herzegovina.
As a true time machine, with locations like Vidoški fort, beautiful Bregava river with its stunning bridges, slopes and waterfalls, old mills, old mosques and churches and many other sights of interest, Stolac is truly one of the most beautiful towns in Herzegovina.
Heavily damaged by the Bosnian Croat and Bosnian Serb forces during 1993, today just partially reconstructed, this town still has an amazing story to tell.
That is why the Funky Tours guided tour of Stolac will surely bring to clear understanding every aspect of the importance of this unique Herzegovina jewel.
>Stolac the pearl of Herzegovina
Vjetrenica, or translated to English, meaning a “windy cave”, is a hydrologically active flowing-through speleological object with as many as 4 watercourses – streams, and dozens of smaller periodic streams with subterranean lakes. It is located in the area of the South Dinaric karst, with an entrance on the edge of Popovo polje, 300m east of the center of the village of Zavala at 260m above sea level, 12km air distance to the Adriatic Sea.
Being the World’s most biodiverse cave system, with a total length of 7km and constant annual temperature of 11.6°C, this extremely rich cave, with numerous stalactites and stalagmites is a unique walking-through experience.
Vjetrenica is a home to the Olm or the “human fish” – cave salamander (lat.Proteus anguinus) which is endemic to the underground freshwater habitats of the Dinaric karst. It belongs to the order of rapacious amphibians together with salamanders and newts.
If we are lucky on the day, there is a high probability we could witness the human fish in the depths of the Vjetrenica cave.
>Vjetrenica Cave in Herzegovina at Popovo Polje region
One of the most interesting stops of the day is a visit to the XV century Serbian Orthodox monastery founded on the remains of the IV century Byzantine church.
Beautifully located on the right bank of the turquoise Trebisnjica river, the largest underground river in the Balkans, Tvrdoš monastery seems to have adopted its colorful beauty and calmness, adding even more to the experience of the whole place.
While being an active monastery, at the same time, it is one of the globally most renowned wineries. Producing a variety of wine sorts with Vranac (red) and Herzegovina native Žilavka (white) being the most popular, other products such as Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Rose are also of a great quality.
The monastery is also known for the fact that Saint Basil of Ostrog received a monastic vow and a priestly rank here, after which he served as a parish priest from Popovopolje for a certain period. That is the reason why Saint Basil is also called “Ostroški and Tvrdoški”.
A stop at Tvrdoš monastery will include guided tour of the monastery, and wine tasting of several different grape sorts.
>Tvrdoš Monastery near Trebinje in South Herzegovina
>Trebinje old town with Trebisnjica river
Being a city with annually 260+ sunny days, with an ideal mediterranean climate, Trebinje is a great way to further explore and better understand this most-south-eastern town of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Located on the left bank of the emerald green Trebišnjica river, Trebinje old town is known for Ottoman fortification walls, shops and bazaars, Osman pasha mosque, Herzegovina museum, secret passage to Trebišnjica river bank, and many more sights hidden within the walls of the Trebinje old town.
Just outside, under the shade of plane trees, we shall visit an amazing market offering a wide range of local products. It is just normal to taste different types of brandy or cheeses before or if you decide to buy, so bear that pleasure in mind.
The most famous symbol of Trebinje is Arslanagića bridge – built by the endowment by Mehmed-pasha Sokolović in the 16th century. It stood on the old road which connected Dubrovnik and Herceg Novi with Istanbul (Constantinople).
>Trebinje is known for one of the most beautiful bridges in the Balkans – Arslanagića Bridge.
It was named Arslanagića bridge by the Arslan-aga, a man who in the 17th century was given permission to charge tolls for those crossing the bridge.
Sunset stop at Trebinje will be Hercegovačka Gračanica, Serbian Orthodox monastery located at Crkvina hill, built in 2000 as a replica of the middle ages Gračanica monastery, located at Kosovo.
>Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery above Trebinje in South Herzegovina
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