- Introduction to Bosnia -

Foreword

Every trip to Trebinje is a journey through time. Trebinje is a reminder of the large and multinational Yugoslavia. The iconic café “Platany” was and is the largest open-air café in Yugoslavia. Anyone who wants to feel the rhythm and spirit of Trebinje should try sitting in the shade of 16 huge plane trees planted by the Austrians at the beginning of the 20th century. Delicious cappuccino and Americano are also brewed here.

So we can hardly get past the leisurely “sycamore trees”... Next to the plane trees there is a city park and the cathedral church of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

An interesting place is the Tvrdosh Monastery and its wine cellar. The monks will be happy to open the dungeon gates for you, behind which there are huge oak barrels for storing wines. Their eagerness is understandable - few tourists, after the summer heat, will refuse a small tasting of dry wines stored in these cellars. And after a few glasses of good dry wine, the guests feel comfortable and the monks feel happy - harmony! Vineyards are scattered around the monastery, which are irrigated by the Trebešnica river in a very unusual way - huge water wheels. We will stop near them for a photo break.

From anywhere in Trebinje and the surrounding valley you can see Mount Crkvina, which rises 300 meters above the town. We will definitely climb it. A zone of peace and beauty has been created on Crkvina. On one side of the hill there is a small menagerie with a garden and restaurants, on the other side there is a complex of the Hercegovachka Gracanica monastery. It was built after the civil war in 2000 in memory of the famous Trebinje native Jovan Ducic, Serbian poet and diplomat. The most notable building of the complex is the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, surrounded by beautiful cypresses with beautiful frescoes inside. The monastery complex includes the church itself, a bell tower, an amphitheater, a summer garden, a library, a church shop. From the church and amphitheater there is a breathtaking view of Trebinje, its surroundings and the Trebišnica River with the Araslancic Arch Bridge. This bridge is another point of our excursion.

Turkish Araslanchich Bridge was a very busy place during the Ottoman Empire. Goods flowed through them to Istanbul and troops were relocated. The bridge is a typical Turkish structure in the style of arch symmetry that was prevalent at the time. We would like to remind you that Trebinje was under the rule of the Ottomans until the end of the 19th century, and then for half a century under the occupation of the Austro-Hungarians. The mix of architectures of Trebinje Old Town is a living reminder of this. We will also visit the old town of Trebinje.

We return to Montenegro by road to Grahovo, from where we descend into the Bay of Kotor. On the way we climb the Ilyino Brdo pass, where a panoramic view of the gorge opens from a height of 1000 m.

Tasty and inexpensive food - yes, this is about Trebinje and Bosnia in general. We offer you lunch in a cozy family restaurant with national cuisine or lunch in a modern, air-conditioned shopping center on the banks of the Trebeshnitsa River.

Route details

9.00 departure from Budva,

10:00 ferry Kamenari

11 a.m. Crossing the Montenegro/Bosnia border

11.30 Arrival in Trebinje, on Crkvina Hill, to the Gracanica Hercegovacka Monastery. Free time 30 minutes. Photo breaks.

12.00 p.m. Arrival in the center of Trebinje, shopping in the shopping center, walk through the old town, the center, the cafe “Under Plananes”. Lunch, 3 restaurants to choose from. Free time 1 hour 45 minutes. Walk along the embankments of the Trebeshnitsa River.

1.45 p.m. Departure to Tvrdosh Monastery, photo break at the old water wheels

2:00 p.m. Arrival in Tvrdosh, visit of the monastery and its wine cellars. Optional wine tasting in the wine cellar.

3:00 p.m. Departure from Tvrdosh

5:00 p.m. Arrival in Budva