The Best Way to See These Places
Public transport to these destinations ranges from limited to nonexistent. We run a Herzegovina Private Car Tour that covers all of these sites in a single day — with a local guide, comfortable transport, and a fully flexible itinerary. Up to 6 people.
Learn about the private car tourBlagaj
Cave Monastery at the Source of the Buna River
Where the Buna River emerges from the base of a 200-metre cliff, a 16th-century Dervish tekija (monastery) has stood since approximately 1520. The combination of vertical rock face, cascading spring water, and Ottoman architecture is one of the most visually striking scenes in all of the Balkans — and it receives only a fraction of the visitors that places like Dubrovnik or Kotor attract.
The Buna spring is one of the most powerful in Europe, producing approximately 43 cubic meters of water per second. What's astonishing is where the water comes from: an underground river system that runs beneath the Dinaric karst mountains, with a source estimated to be in the mountains 19 kilometres away. The water temperature remains constant at around 11°C year-round.
What to Know Before You Go
Počitelj
The Ottoman Hilltop Fortress Village
Počitelj is the kind of place that makes people stop speaking mid-sentence. A fortified stone village on a terraced hillside above the Neretva River, with the river valley stretching south toward the Adriatic, the entire structure looks like something assembled for a film set — except it's real, and it's been real for 600 years.
The village suffered significant damage during the 1990s war — Croatian forces destroyed many of its mosques and damaged its architecture. The reconstruction has been ongoing and is incomplete. This is part of what makes Počitelj an honest place: beauty and damage, restoration and absence, existing in the same stone.
The fortress tower at the top (Gavankula) requires a climb over uneven stone terrain. The view from the top — over the river valley, the village, and the surrounding mountains — is worth every step.
What to Know Before You Go
Kravice Waterfalls
Bosnia's Most Beautiful Natural Secret
A semicircular tufa waterfall 25 metres high, with a turquoise pool at its base surrounded by lush woodland. If you've seen photos and wondered whether they're real — they are. The water genuinely is that colour. The cascade genuinely is that dramatic.
Kravice is formed by tufa — a porous limestone material deposited by calcareous water. The tufa builds up over geological time, creating the stepped, layered structure of the falls. The same material underlies Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, the more famous cousin.
In summer (June–September), swimming is possible in the pool at the base of the falls. The water is cold and the current near the falls themselves is strong — stay in the designated swimming areas.
A Responsible Tourism Note
Kravice has experienced significant growth in visitor numbers in recent years. In peak summer, it can be crowded. Please: take all rubbish with you, don't use sunscreen before swimming (it damages the ecosystem), and treat the natural environment with respect. The waterfall is extraordinary precisely because it's been relatively undisturbed. Help keep it that way.
What to Know Before You Go
Međugorje
One of the World's Most Visited Pilgrimage Sites — In Your Backyard
Since 24 June 1981, when six young local children reported seeing an apparition of the Virgin Mary on a rocky hillside outside the village, Međugorje has become one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites on Earth. Approximately 30 million pilgrims have made the journey since then — more than 1 million per year. In September 2024, the Vatican formally granted its "Nihil Obstat" blessing, encouraging Catholic pilgrimages to the site.
You don't have to be religious to find Međugorje extraordinary. The atmosphere here — the scale of faith, the silence on the hillsides, the candles, the thousands of people from dozens of countries praying in the open air — is unlike anything else in the region. It's a window into something rarely visible in modern life: mass, collective belief, expressed in a small Herzegovinian village.
What to See in Međugorje
Apparition Hill (Podbrdo)
The rocky hilltop where the six visionaries first saw the apparition on 24 June 1981. A white statue of the Queen of Peace marks the original site. The path up is lined with bronze relief panels depicting the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary — made by Italian sculptor Carmelo Puzzolo. The walk takes 20 minutes at pace, but pilgrims often spend over an hour. The views across the valley are exceptional.
Cross Mountain (Križevac)
A larger, steeper climb than Apparition Hill, topped by a concrete cross erected by the local parish in 1933. The path follows the Stations of the Cross. Pilgrims often complete it barefoot as an act of penance. The panoramic view from the summit — across Međugorje, the Neretva valley, and the karst landscape of Herzegovina — is breathtaking regardless of your faith.
St. James Parish Church
The centre of all pilgrimage activity in Međugorje. Daily Mass is held in multiple languages — Italian, German, English, Croatian, and others — reflecting the international composition of the visitors. The square in front of the church, with its outdoor altar and rows of seating, holds thousands of worshippers during evening prayer. An extraordinary sight at peak pilgrimage season.
The Blue Cross & Statue of the Risen Saviour
The Blue Cross, at the foot of Apparition Hill, has been a place of prayer since 1985. Nearby, the striking bronze Statue of the Risen Christ — known by pilgrims for a phenomenon where liquid appears on the knee — draws quiet, attentive crowds at all hours of the day. Whether miraculous or not, the reverence around it is undeniably moving.
The Scale of International Faith
On any given day, pilgrims from Italy, Poland, Ireland, the United States, South Korea, and Brazil share the same hill paths. Međugorje is a genuinely global gathering place — and one of the few places in Herzegovina where the local economy has been entirely shaped by a single, ongoing spiritual event. Observing this — without needing to participate in it — is itself a remarkable cultural experience.
For All Visitors, Not Just Pilgrims
Međugorje is open to visitors of all faiths and none. Modest dress is appreciated — covered shoulders and knees on the hillsides and at the church. The village has restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. It's easy to spend 2–3 hours here comfortably, or longer if you wish to attend Mass or climb both hills.
See All of This in One Day
Our Herzegovina Private Car Tour visits all of these destinations — Blagaj, Počitelj, Kravice, and Međugorje — in a fully customisable private experience with a local guide. Up to 6 people, pickup from your accommodation.