Jablanica: Where Natural Beauty Meets History and Gastronomy
Halfway between the cities of Sarajevo and Mostar is the town of Jablanica. It is located in the beautiful Neretva River valley and is known for its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and roasted lamb. We stopped here on our way to Mostar after whitewater rafting in Konjic, another charming little town about 20 km away.
Jablanica has several notable attractions, including the picturesque man-made Jablanica Lake, perfect for boating and fishing, as well as the pristine Neretva River, which offers rafting and kayaking. The high peaks of Mt. Prenj and Mt. ÄŒvrsnica are known for their challenging hiking trails, making it a paradise for nature lovers. Along with incredible nature, Jablanica steeped in history specially played key role in second world war.
Jablanica Bridge- A thrice destroyed bridge
Jablanica Bridge holds a significant place in history, having witnessed destruction and restoration multiple times. The first instance was a clever ruse, orchestrated to outwit Nazi forces during World War II. Subsequently, the bridge fell victim to an actual attack, succumbing to the ravages of warfare. Remarkably, its story continued to unfold even after the war, as it was reconstructed for the filming of “The Battle of Neretva,” only to be meticulously destroyed once again as part of the movie production. Each of these events contributed to the bridge’s enduring legacy, perpetuating its role as a symbol of resilience and historical significance.
Visitors can explore remnants of the conflict and visit the Museum of Battle for the Wounded, offering an immersive experience into the town’s historical significance and the bravery of those who fought for freedom.
The Battle of Neretva movie and Pablo Picaso’s poster
The movie “Battle of the Neretva” depicts the true story of the Yugoslav partisans fighting against the Nazi invaders during World War II. In a powerful gesture, Picasso created the poster for this movie and incorporated elements from his artwork “The Rape of the Sabine Women” into the film’s poster, symbolizing the battle against oppression. Picasso declined payment for his work, requesting instead a box of the finest Yugoslav wine containing 12 bottles.
Roast lamb on Lamb alley
The Jablanica area is known localy well known for its ‘jagnjetina’, lamb meat made in old tradition of roasting sheep over an open fire brought fame to a series of restaurants on the main road (M17) south of the town. This part of M17 is known as lamb alley. Our friends from Mostar suggested that we should try Restoran Kovacevic Jablanica not only for the lamb but also for the view form the restaurant. We stopped at the restaurant for the view (mostly vegetarians in our group) and it was absolutely beautiful. In most the restaurant on lamb alley you can watch the sheep being roasted on a spike in the traditional way
Final thoughts
We stopped at Jablanica on our way to Mostar after spending most of the day white water rafting in Konjic but Jablanica definitely needs more time than we spent to truly appreciate all it has to offer. There are a few tour companies that offer specific 1-3 day trips( sich as visitJabalnica to Jablanica and based on what we saw, 2 days in Jablanica might be good to truly appreciate the place
Peaks to Palaces 