Radimlja
6 hoursAdmission Ticket Included
Third day
Our first station will be the Boljuni necropolis.
The Boljuni necropolis is in the immediate vicinity of Stolac, and since 2016. it is on the World Heritage site of UNESCO. Nearby are remains of the Illyrian period (hills and tumulus), a place called Crkvina, probably from the late antique, remains of an early medieval cemetery. Tombstones are in the ranks, all set in the west – east direction with slight deviations in some cases. The necropolis has 82 panels, 176 chests, twelve chandeliers and four crosses of graves. There were 29 panels, 57 chests and six buried tombstones, totaling 92. It makes it one of several large, richly decorated necropolises.
After Boljuna we headed for the Radimlja necropolis.
Radimlje necropolis is one of the most important medieval monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in Vidovo polje, three kilometers west of Stolac, on the Čapljina – Stolac road. Due to the number of copies, the variety and representation of all the basic forms, the relatively high artistic quality of making, the richness of plastic decorations, relief performances and inscriptions mentioning the well-known historians, as well as their unusual accommodation and availability, it is one of the most prominent and the most important tomb necropolis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The importance of the necropolis itself is manifested in the number of copies, in the quality of the workmanship and the manner of the sculptors who cherished motives on the tombs, as well as in the variety of specimens that can be seen. Radimlja has 133 tombs, divided into two parts. The lower part has 122 copies, and in the upper part there are 11 tombs.
Radimlja is the only true tourist destination in Stolac, and every year a large number of foreign and domestic tourists visit a tombs necropolis. The sign of this necropolis is a male figure with a raised hand and a relatively large fist and fingers. This necropolis dates back to the end of the 14th century when three large chest-shaped tombs were carved. Most tombs dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
The necropolis has 133 tombstones: 36 panels, one plate at the base, 27 chests, 24 chests at the base, four high chests, five tall chestnuts at the foot, two clasps, 31 on the feet at the foot and three cross tombs. Sixty-three of 133 tombstones were arranged. The decorations are in the form of relief, engraved or combined with both. The motifs of symbolic meaning, such as the sun (circle), the star and the crescent moon, are among the most common decorative motifs that are also highlighted. There are numerous crosses, often very stylized, as well as shields, motifs of swords and arches and arrows. Several tombstones carry animal characters, and the necropolis is also rich in figural scenes. Especially important “dukic figures” and numerous men with raised weapons are particularly important; there are also combat scenes, hunting and dancing scenes. On the list of world cultural heritage of UNESCO .
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After Radimlja we headed for the Vjetrenica.
Vjetrenica is the most famous cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a protected monument of nature and tourist destination in the south-eastern part of Herzegovina. It is located 300 m east of Zavala, on the western edge of Popovo polje, in the municipality of Ravno, and 12 km away from Slano on the Adriatic coast (Republic of Croatia) and 80 km from the city of Mostar. A total of 6,700 meters underground channels were discovered. The speleological features of this unique cave are specific beauty, spacious corridors and halls, numerous cumulus flowstones, and a rich hydrographic world with numerous lakes, several waterfalls, more streamlined streams, and dozens of smaller periodic flows that run in different directions. Particularly attractive is the appearance of the strong wind at the entrance as well as the considerable airflow in several places in the interior.
Vjetrenica is equally interesting in the ecological, geomorphological and economic sense, and at the same time it is also one of the strongest sources of identity in the wider area of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a protected monument of nature since 1950., and in 1981. it was proclaimed a geomorphological nature reserve.
It contains remains of eight fossilized animals, the largest cave bear (Carnivoria, Ursus spelacus) and a leopard skeleton (Carnivoria, Panthera pardus). On the rocks at the entrance to the cave there are two engraved stone, typical of medieval tombs in the region. In scientific terms, Vjetrenica was the site of many different forms of research, which can be traced back to the 16th century. Platinum in her work in ‘Historia naturalis’ they mention a cave from which a strong wind blows, and he calls on the Vjetrenica.