JABLANICA

Jablanica is a small town on the road between Sarajevo and Mostar, and the point where that journey (if heading to Mostar) heads into the stratosphere on the beauty front. The town is famous for a World War II battle and spit-roasted lamb, and I don’t know if there is any irony in that. Jablanica has excellent restaurants on its outskirts, one of the country’s best museums, loads of hiking routes, and beautiful lakes nearby. It also has a fantastic little rock cafe bar that I love, although maybe that isn’t as universal as those other things. Also, Hasan Salihamidžić and Valid Halilhodžić were born here, which is good news for football tourists.

TRANSPORT

Jablanica bus station (+387 36 753 743) is in the town centre, with a little ticket office and waiting room. There is a toilet, but it might be a figment of my imagination (it isn’t; you need to ask for the key), so go to a cafe before you head to the station. Buses stop in town on the route between Sarajevo and Mostar, and there are also direct connections to Zenica (via the Vakufs, Bugojno Travnik and others), Trebinje, Tuzla and others. Jablanica train station is on a little hill across the Neretva, above the museum, and is a stop on the picturesque route between Sarajevo and Mostar.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

Museum of the Battle for the Wounded at the Neretva

The name is a mouthful, but the museum is undoubtedly one of the best in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is actually five museums in one, but the brutal events surrounding the iconic WWII Battle of the Neretva are the focus, from the events leading up to the battle and the incredible evacuation of the wounded and beyond. There is also a section about the Yugoslav-era movie based on the battle, Jablanica through the years and other art pieces. The interest continues outside with the main exhibition, the destroyed bridge over the river, and a locomotive perilously sitting on the bank’s edge. Incredible stuff from start to finish. 1. Mart 23, +387 36 752 705

Lake Jablanica

A difficult one to judge. On the surface, Lake Jablanica is a gorgeous expanse of water that sparkles with the surrounding greenery, a haven of fishing and wildlife that encapsulates everything that makes Herzegovina so magical. Under the surface, however, the picture isn’t so rosy. Poor management has led to many species disappearing, either from the introduction of invasive species or the local predilection to, for want of a better phrase, chuck their shit into the water. The lake was created when Jablanica Dam was built in 1953 and is 14km northeast of town.

Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Bloody hell, these church names are flamboyant, aren’t they? Jablanica’s central Catholic Church is no different, taking all of the words and putting them out into a moniker. Don’t let that take away from the charm of the church, a 1911 construction paid for from the pockets of a Hungarian baron keen on extending the parish in Konjic. While it isn’t the most jaw-dropping church in the region, it serves its purpose in the heart of town. Pere Bilića, +387 36 752 425

City Mosque

Jablanica’s City Mosque is rather imposing, a modern building favouring 21st-century architectural flourishes over the more nuanced forms found elsewhere. The mosque was opened in August 2013 (eight years after the first foundation stone was laid) and is one of the largest in Herzegovina, not to mention one of the most functional. Omladinsko Šetalište, +387 36 753 107

Podbrežje Mosque

What the City Mosque lacks in charm and character, the Podbrežje Mosque has in spades. Constructed in 1912, this is historically the most important mosque in Jablanica, one that Sarajevo helped to fund and Mostar helped to finish. That last part is actually curious, as the mosque was without a minaret for the first 21 years of its existence until stone was brought from Mostar to finish the job. 1. Mart.

Ski Resort Risovac

Now, I can’t vouch for this personally. I have never been skiing in my long life, after all, but it definitely feels notable enough to get a mention in this humble guide. Risovac is a ski resort on the Blidinje plateau, and people have enjoyed the piste for decades. I say ‘enjoyed’, but that isn’t entirely true, as concrete information is hard to find. Still, the restaurant and motel look pretty darn nice. Blidinje-Risovac, +387 39 718 514

Gradski Park

Hell yeah, I’m mentioning the park. There isn’t a heap to write home about here, but Jablanica’s City Park is a pleasant shady spot to sit and read a book, consider life, make plans for the future, recover from all the lamb, recover from a night at Nans, recover after all that death in the museum. Recover, in short. There is a small World War II monument in the park, featuring busts of Suljo Čilić, Pero Bilić and Nikola Bojanović.

BREWS, BOOZE AND BITES

The often-lamented troped of ‘travel in BiH is hard if you are a vegetarian’ needs to crawl in a hole and die (there are good meat-free options everywhere), but I will make an exception with Jablanica. You are in spit-roasted lamb country, baby. The road in and out of Jablanica is paved with restaurants serving incredibly delicious lamb, with stunning views and professional service. Kovačević (Donja Jablanica, +387 36 754 500), Kod Gojka (Mostarska, +387 60 31 26 876) and Zdrava Voda (Mostarsko, +387 36 753 151) stand out, but seriously, everyone is a winner. Except the lambs, obviously. On the beer front, Caffe Bar Nans (Muzej Bitka za Ranjenike, +387 61 714 765) is the only option. How can it not be? Directly next to the museum, red lights, good beer, friendly people, the occasional playing of Biffy Clyro or Taproot. All the thumbs up, as far as I’m concerned. I have had a couple of enjoyable espressos on the terrace of Torpedo (Zlatnih Ljiljana, +387 62 018 260), which shouldn’t be too surprising because the place is called TORPEDO.

SLEEPING

I was going to recommend Hotel Jablanica, but then the owner was in the news for beating up a female employee, so no, that won’t do. Motel Maksumić (Lendava, +387 36 751 500) will take its place here, although the motel is just on the northern edge of town.