24 Hours in Stolac
Hey! © Goran Vrhovac // Shutterstock
There are heaps of things to check out in Stolac, so best start this one early and bring plenty of energy. You ain’t gettin’ no taxi here, so prep the legs and get walking. Of course, all of this can be done in reverse, you do you, boo…
A view over the very centre of Stolac // © SCraitza // Shutterstock
Morning
Start your day off by soaking up the atmosphere of the Ćaršija with a coffee or tea. Of course, by “atmosphere” I mean “middle-aged dudes talking at each other”, but the history of Stolac’s main square is enough to compensate for that. There are plenty of nuggets of history here, and a darn good job has been done of renovating things after the war. Head up the Makovica Hiša to check out what is essentially a love letter to Stolac-born artist Mak Dizdar, before wandering out to the Provalije waterfalls for a real showstopper.
You’ll pass the Inat Ćupria on the way, which is another to add to the extremely long “Stone Bridges in Bosnia and Herzegovina” list. There’s another one a little further up (on the other side of the river) too, the charming Sara Bridge. Stop for another injection of caffeine at Caffe Nota (the view of the waterfalls is stunning) before wandering on further to the remains of the Begovina complex. This collection of half-restored, half-destroyed buildings was constructed in the middle of the 19th century for Ottoman ruler Ali Pasha Rizvanbegović. There’s not a whole lot to see, truth be told, but history isn’t about what you can touch. Do a little bit of prep on Rizvanbegović, and you’ll find yourself immersed in what remains of a man who helped define Stolac at a vital time of its history. Watch out for the dogs, although they are chained to kennels, so yeah.
Some seriously fascinating medieval culture awaits at Radimlja // © Goran Vrhovac // Shutterstock
Afternoon
Head back to the Ćaršija for lunch at Restoran Han and nip into the tourist information centre to ask whatever questions you feel need to be asked. I recommend a big lunch, obviously, but you’re going to need plenty of energy for what is essentially a 6km round walk coming up. Still, you can’t come all the way to Stolac without checking out the Radimlja stećci necropolis, right?
The town’s shining glory sits 3km outside of town, although the walk is an extremely easy straight line jobby along the road. Once there, you can immerse yourself in these most curious relics, medieval tombstones decorated with all manner of designs, most famously the dude with a massive hand. That obviously wasn’t the original intention (or was it?), but the image is undeniable. Hang out with the stećci, ask questions in the info centre and maybe even get yourself another coffee. There isn’t much on the walk between Stolac and Radimlja, although it will do you a world of good on the calorie-burning front.
The beautiful Bregava runs through the heart of Stolac // © Tarik Jesenkovic // Shutterstock
Evening
What to do with your evening? There isn’t a huge amount on the other side of town, although there’s a charm to enjoying a beer at Old School while the call to prayer rings out from the neighbouring Podgrad Mosque. Behar is a decent enough spot for dinner, and there is a symmetry to ending your day surrounded by (you guessed it) old dudes talking at each other. If you’re visiting Stolac in summer, consider a trek up to the Stari Grad to watch the sunset in the distance, although don’t feel too bad if the walk to Radimlja has rendered your legs incapable of such journeys. All that remains then is to wander back to Hotel Stolac for a comfortable night’s sleep, before loitering by the town’s obliterated bus station in the morning. If you get stuck in the hills above Domanovići, best of luck to you.
