Neum Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Frequently Asked Questions
At anchor in the bay, a deep inlet sheltered from open-sea winds by a spit of land. Mostly cruise yachts call here: the water is calm and the town tiers its houses up the white hills.
Because of the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. The Republic of Ragusa, today's Dubrovnik, ceded this corridor to the Ottoman Empire to place a buffer between its territory and its Venetian rival. Three centuries later the border remains.
About 20 kilometres, and that is the country's entire seafront. Neum is its only coastal resort: few port calls let you tell such a singular geography simply by looking from the deck.
Either the excursion to Mostar, about 50 kilometres inland, or a quiet day by the water. The town itself takes an hour to stroll along the shore.
Yes, from late spring to early autumn. These are pebble and smoothed-concrete beaches rather than sand, but the water is remarkably clear, turning turquoise or ink-dark depending on the hour.
It is the standout excursion. The road climbs through the karst hills of Herzegovina, past vineyards and pomegranate groves, then opens onto the Neretva valley. The Stari Most, a high slender Ottoman arch, spans the green river between two cobbled quarters.
It was destroyed during the war of the 1990s and rebuilt exactly as it was. It has become the city's symbol again, and with a little patience you can watch one of the traditional divers leap from the parapet.
An Ottoman-era fortified village clinging to the cliff above the river, with its watchtower and stone-slab roofs. Some excursions stop there on the way.
Yes, the walled city is less than 50 kilometres southeast and some excursions go there. Factor the border crossing into your timing.
The Bosnian convertible mark, though euros are often accepted in tourist businesses. Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are spoken; English gets you by in the seafront cafes. Prices remain noticeably gentler than in neighbouring Croatia.
