An unforgettable holiday in Herzegovina

During every stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina I am trying also to discover and to explore new locations that could be added to the next edition of the book "Come, Enjoy, Pass It On BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA". The basic idea of this book is to present to readers the entire geographical and cultural diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to describe the places that can be visited and outdoor activities that can be done.

I like spending my vacation in Herzegovina. An area of Herzegovina that I have not visited yet, but which seems to me to be very attractive for biking, is located between the excursion area of Rujište and Boračko Lake on the eastern slopes of the mountain Prenj. Unfortunately, Motel Snježna kuća (Snow House) on Rujište does not offer bike rental which hindered the realisation this activity. This is really a pity, because the Hansko Field next to Rujište is an ideal place for leisurely bike rides. As I have not managed to take the drive from Rujište to Boračko Lake, I tried to organize the same in the opposite direction and I succeeded. To make my stay in Konjic, a city on the Neretva between Mostar and Sarajevo, even more attractive, I decided to repeat the very attractive rafting on the Neretva River and to undertake a new ascent to Prenj, my favourite mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The result of my planning was a three-day holiday in Konjic with three different outdoor activities: trekking, rafting and biking.

 

First day, trekking on Mount Prenj

The first day was reserved for trekking. Two paths are usually used to climb the mountain Prenj from Konjic. One leads from the valley of the river Konjička Bijela over the mountain saddle of Skok to the mountain lounges Jezerce. The second leads from the valley of the river Idbar, over the rise of Zmijanac to Tisovica valley and then continues to the mountain lounges Vrutak.

This time I decided for the route over Tisovica valley, the most beautiful valley on Prenj. With me was Suda, a very experienced mountain guide and a very interesting man, who works for the mountain rescue of Konjic. Our goal was to cross the Tisovica valley and reach the Zelena Glava peak, the highest peak of Prenj.

The morning promised to be very sunny, but the weather forecast for the rest of the day was not very promising. We parked our car at the end of the valley of the Idbar River. The ascent over Zmijanac took about 3 hours. The reward for our efforts was a very nice view of the Tisovica valley and the Zelena Glava peak.

On Tisovica it is possible to encounter greater flocks of sheep and cows in the summer. That was the case this time too. Although it was already June, at some points along the trail, we still encountered remnants of snow.

Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side that day. When we arrived at Sedlo, 100 m below the Zelena Glava peak, because of large black clouds, we decided to stop from further ascent and to return back. At the end we had been very lucky. Before the rain has started we reached the lounges Vrutak. We waited for the rain to stop and then proceeded in the direction of Idbar valley.

 

Second day, rafting on the river Neretva

On the second day, the plan was a rafting tour on the Neretva River. I joined a group that had formed formed in the Rafting Club Neretva Rafting - Džajića buk. After breakfast we sat in a small bus and headed towards Glavatičevo. The day was sunny and warm, ideal for rafting.

The first meters in the boat on the river Neretva showed that I was right. The colours of the Neretva, high grey canyon, untouched nature and a bit of adrenaline leave nobody indifferent.

The first break we made under a 5 meter high rock. From there, the skipper and daring tourists showed their skills in jumping into cold water of Neretva.

The second and longer pause we made at the mouth of the Rakitnica River into Neretva River. The beach around the river mouth on that day was full of teenagers that had a lot of fun. If someone would ask me to name the the paradise on earth, the mouth of the river Rakitnica would be my answer.

After the break, our trip continued through the canyon of the river Neretva. We passed under waterfalls, swam in the Neretva and at the end we were able to try body rafting. You have to jump in the Neretva and let yourself drift down from the water stream. No one of the participants of the rafting tour could resist a smile. At the end of the trip, a rich and tasty meal was waiting for us in the Rafting Club.

 

Third day, biking in Bike Park Prenj

On the third day came the biking. The mountain bikes we got at the agency Visit Konjic. Together with Sanjin Džajić, we started our ride from village Borci, above Boracko Lake, in the direction of Rujište.

The first part of the route led uphill on a gentle slope called Boračka Draga. We drove on a good gravel road and mostly through the forest.

On our left we had a great view of the Boracko Lake. After 2 hours of biking and several smaller breaks we reached the plateau Bahtijevica, the highest point of today's tour.

From here, we enjoyed the ride through a beautiful and peaceful karst landscape on the eastern slopes of the mountain Prenj. In the shade of the first large tree next to the road, we decided take our lunch break. We were quite surprised when we saw a large group of cyclists in the opposite direction. It was a group of Italians who wanted to spend their holiday biking from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo. On this day they took the route from Mostar to Boračko Lake.

After a half hour ride over the plateau we reached the edge of Hansko field. To reach Rujište we just needed to ride down on a newly paved road. It was the best part of the tour; an unforgettable feeling. On Rujište we renewed our water supplies at the source Ošljak and after the break went back in the direction of Boračko Lake.

 

 

I wanted to blog this story a long time ago, but because of other commitments I was not able to manage it. Perhaps this story is going to be an inspiration to someone for a similar relaxing holiday.

This is a proposal for a larger group and for four days holiday in the nature of Herzegovina. You start with hiking over mountain Prenj from Konjic to Rujište. This section requires two days and it is necessary to arrange in advance an overnight stay at the lounges Jezerce or Vrutak. On the third day you could undertake a bicycle tour from Rujište to Boračko Lake where you can spend the night. The fourth and final day is reserved for rafting on the Neretva River back to Konjic.

I would like to thank Kasim Džajić from the Rafting Club Neretva rafting and Sanjin Bubalo from the agency Visit Konjic who helped me with the realization of these activities around Konjic. I look forward to more new excursions and adventures this year.

Konjic, I'll be back!