• Mala Kravica - KRAVICA WATERFALL LJUBUŠKI

In the Ljubuki region, the Trebizat River has created a unique natural wonder as it flows through limestone terrains, depositing tufa. Many visitors consider the Kravica waterfall one of the most beautiful natural attractions, making it a well-known symbol of Ljubuski and Herzegovina.

• Mostar - Discover Mostar’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town on this walking tour with a private guide. As you explore the city’s medieval architecture and historic landmarks, learn about its extensive history, from the Ottoman Empire and the communist era of former Yugoslavia to its involvement in WWII, the Cold War, and the Yugoslavian War.

• Pocitelj - The historic urban site of Počitelj is situated on the left bank of the Neretva River, along the main road from Mostar to Metković, south of Mostar, within the Čapljina Municipality.

In the Middle Ages, Počitelj served as the administrative and governance center of the Dubrava county, its westernmost point, giving it significant strategic importance. It is believed that Bosnia’s King Stjepan Tvrtko I built the fortified town and its surrounding settlements in 1383.

The walled town of Počitelj developed from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Architecturally, the remaining stone structures form a fortified complex, showcasing two evolutionary stages: medieval and Ottoman.

The first recorded mention of the town dates back to 1444, in charters issued by Kings Alfonso V and Friedrich III. Between 1463 and 1471, a Hungarian garrison occupied the town. After a brief siege in 1471, the Ottomans captured the town, and it remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 1878. From 1782 to 1879, it was the center of a kadiluk (jurisdiction of a qadi or judge) and from 1713 to 1835, it served as the headquarters of the Počitelj military district.

The town’s significance and appearance have changed throughout its history. Three periods are particularly notable for Počitelj’s development:

1. The era of Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus, when the town held significant strategic importance (1463-1471),

2. The period of growth under the Ottoman Empire, marked by the construction of typical public buildings: mosques, mekteb (Muslim primary school), imaret (charitable kitchen), medresa (Muslim high school), hamam (Turkish baths), han (inn), and sahat-kula (clock-tower) (1471-1698). During this time, military conflicts occurred in more distant areas.

3. The period of renewed strategic importance after the Venetians conquered and destroyed Gabela (1698-1878).

With the establishment of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Počitelj lost its strategic importance and began to decline rapidly. This loss of strategic role helped preserve the original urban architectural ensemble, maintaining the town’s original form to this day.

During the 1992-96 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Počitelj’s entire historic urban site and its various buildings suffered extensive damage.

In 1996, Počitelj was listed by World Monuments Watch as one of the world’s 100 most endangered cultural heritage sites, as proposed by the University of York, United Kingdom, and the University of Sarajevo, due to its outstanding value.

In 2000, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina initiated the Programme for the permanent protection of Počitelj, which includes: protecting cultural heritage from further deterioration, rehabilitating damaged and destroyed buildings, returning refugees and displaced persons to their homes, and ensuring the sustainable and long-term protection and revitalization of the historic urban area of Počitelj. The program is ongoing and currently focuses on rehabilitating housing complexes in the upper part of Počitelj.
ARCHITECTURE

FORT - The fort of Počitelj was constructed between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, with periods of halted construction. The original medieval nucleus of the fort is the oldest walled section, showing two construction phases: the older, inner town or fortress (a donjon tower with a small ward or bailey) from the late fourteenth century, with later additions, alterations, and reinforcements from the second half of the fifteenth century. Based on the layout of the oldest parts of the fortress, it is assumed that a small settlement existed below the fortifications, dating from the same or an earlier period. Shortly before 1698, the fortress was significantly enlarged and fortified with a stronger defense system. The town was walled to form an inner bailey from the square tower, two bastions (Mehmed-paša’s and Delibaša’s), Dizdar’s house, a granary, the fort’s mosque, and a “water-tower” - a cistern with an entrance and steps leading to the water, two large gateways, and two small ones. During the 1992-96 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the fortress did not suffer serious damage.

MOSQUE OF ŠIŠMAN IBRAHIM-PAŠA - or Hadži Alija’s mosque is one of the finest examples of classical Ottoman single-room domed mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to its chronogram, it was built in 970 AH (1562-63 AD) by Hadži Alija. The mosque holds a prominent position within the town’s urban fabric and natural surroundings. Other public buildings near the mosque include the mektebs, the imaret, the medresa, the hamam, the han, and the clock-tower. The mosque was destroyed in 1993: the dome and minaret were demolished, and the rest of the building was severely damaged. As part of the Programme for the permanent protection of Počitelj, the mosque was rehabilitated and has been restored to its original function.

MEDRESA (Muslim religious high school) OF ŠIŠMAN IBRAHIM-PAŠA - Evlija Čelebi’s travel chronicle indicates that the medresa in Počitelj dates back to before 1664. It is a standard type of smaller religious school, with five classrooms and a lecture room arranged along two sides of an inner courtyard. The classrooms are roofed with five small domes, and the lecture room with one large dome. During the 1992-96 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the medresa was damaged by shelling. As part of the Programme for the permanent protection of Počitelj, the medresa was rehabilitated.

HAMAM (the baths) - Evlija Čelebi’s travel chronicle suggests that the baths were built before 1664 by craftsmen sent from Istanbul.

The hamam is typical of smaller public baths. As part of the Programme for the permanent protection of Počitelj, the hamam was rehabilitated.

HAN (inn) OF ŠIŠMAN IBRAHIM-PAŠA - was constructed around 1665. It was a single-storey han type, built around a central area where horses were stabled. Little of the original structure remains: parts of an arched gate of finely dressed cut stone with sections of the outside walls to the left and right of the entrance, parts of the outside wall opposite the entrance, and some remains of the raised podium (for travelers to rest). These elements were recorded before 1960. The building was renovated in the 1970s for use as a catering facility.

SAHAT-KULA - CLOCK-TOWER - Since Evlija Čelebi’s travel chronicle does not mention the sahat-kula, it is assumed to have been built after 1664. It is typical of clock-towers in Herzegovina, influenced by Mediterranean-Dalmatian architecture. It is stone-built, with dressed quoins and a stone pyramid at the top. There are four pointed arches on the four sides above the opening near the top of the tower. This type of sahat-kula is found in Počitelj, Mostar, and Stolac.

HOUSING - The residential architecture of Počitelj blends Mediterranean and Oriental elements with local features. The Mediterranean influence is seen in the use of gable roofs, pronounced stone wall structures, small, widely separated windows, and the arrangement of rooms in small, single-storey buildings. The Oriental influence is evident in the use of hipped roofs, doksats or oriel windows, rows of close-set windows, the arrangement of rooms with a hajat (anteroom) on the ground floor and an open divanhan (sitting room) on the first floor, and the interconnected enclosed courtyard and interior living quarters. Stone was the primary building material. Common features include round chimneys and irregularly shaped stone slab roof cladding. All houses had privies in the courtyard and a hamamdžiluk (small bathroom) in the musandera (built-in carved wooden structure with cupboards occupying an entire wall of the main room). Wealthier households had a bathroom in every room. All houses in the town were destroyed during the 1992-96 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the Programme for the permanent protection of Počitelj, the mosque was rehabilitated and has been restored to its original function.

THE GAVRANKAPETANOVIĆ HOUSE - is a complex of buildings consisting of two smaller and one larger building (divided into selamluk and haremluk) constructed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is the largest and most developed example of Počitelj’s residential architecture. A notable feature is the use of arched windows on the west facade. By the mid-twentieth century, the buildings were abandoned and deteriorating. To preserve and renovate the building, a project to convert it into an artists’ colony was initiated in 1961 and completed in 1975. The central building was converted into accommodation for artists. During the war, the complex was set on fire and destroyed in 1993. The most severe damage was to the haremluk, the wooden post-and-pan construction, and wooden cladding. As part of the Programme for the permanent protection of Počitelj, the Gavrankapetanović housing complex was rehabilitated and has been restored to its function as an artists’ colony.

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• English Speaking Driver
• In-vehicle air conditioning

• Gratuities
• Lunch