Konjic is the town that connects Herzegovina with Bosnia and our guide jokingly said that Konjic is the “&” in Bosnia & Herzegovina. We visited Konjic on our Bosnia trip and did white water rafting in the Neretva River. Konjic like other cities in Bosnia, blends history, and nature especially popular for white water rafting and in fact when we were inn Konjic, they were holding the European rafting championships on the river.
Things to do in Konjic:
- Stara Ćuprija- The old bridge
- Boracko lake
- White water rafting on Neretva River
- Tito’s bunker on Zlatar mountain
- Final Thoughts
Stara Ćuprija- The old bridge
Built in 1682, the Old Bridge in Konjic is one of the most beautiful bridges from the Ottoman period in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The bridge, made of stone and consisting of six arches, is considered the point where Herzegovina merges with Bosnia. Alongside Mostar’s Old Bridge, Trebinje’s Arslanagića Bridge, and the Mehmed-paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, the Old Bridge in Konjic is a significant cultural and historical monument of the country, declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unfortunately, the original Old Stone Bridge was demolished on March 3, 1945, during the withdrawal of the German army, and a wooden structure stood in its place for a long time, serving as a crossing over the Neretva River. In 1962, the bridge was reconstructed with a concrete structure, restoring it to its original state. The renovated bridge was reopened on June 16, 2009, with the assistance of the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
Boracko lake
Located about 20 kilometres from Konjic, Boračko Lake is a glacial lake that lies at the base of Mount Prenj. We stopped here on the way to our white water rafting start point but I would definitely love to go back and explore this lake more. There are some bed and breakfast places near the lake and it is supposedly really beautiful in fall season. For more on this lake, check out this blog
White water rafting on Neretva River
Rafting on the Neretva River is a popular activity in Konjic, and we did ours through Visit Konjic rafting company. There are several providers, and they all seem to follow the same route. When we did our rafting in mid-June, 2024, we were on the only ones on the entire 22 km path, but our guide informed us that during peak season of July and August, there might be as many as 100 rafts on the water. We enjoyed having this amazing canyon to ourselves and felt like the scenery is right out of middle earth with lush green tress, waterfalls and beautiful canyons. During June, the rapids were level II and III and very manageable.
The white rafting take place in 26 kilometers long, the Rakitnica canyon that separates the Bjelašnica and Visočica mountains and connects Bosnia and Herzegovina and is one of the deepest canyons in Europe. Most rafting tours start from village of Glavatičevo and end near the bridge of Konjic.
A typical itinerary for white water rafting looks like below and since we did this during off season, we started around 11 AM.
- Arrival to Rafting Base Camp – Once we reached the base camp, we were given wet suits and changed into water shoes. After the safety briefing, off we went to the starting point in a minivan.
- Departure towards the rafting start location in Glavaticevo -It takes about and hour to reach the starting point at village of Glavatičevo. The drive is beautiful and goes through the beautiful mountains. On the way to the village, we stopped at the Boracko Lake lookout point for photos.
- Rafting start at – 12:00 After ariving to start point in Glavaticevo,we got in the rafts and started our descent towards Rakitnica Canyon where we did a 30 min stop for some snacks and swim.
- Rakitnica Canyon Swim Stop -The first leg of the journey ended when we reached to the point where Rakitnica tributary river meets Neretva. This place is beautiful and we appreciated the crystal-clear waters and surrounding mountains.
- Second leg of the Journey – 14:30 After a nice relaxing swim stop, we started on our second leg and arrived back at the base camp around 3.30PM. After a warm shower and a change of clothes, we had traditional Bosnian lunch made by the hosts.
Tito’s bunker on Zlatar mountain
Officially named the “Armijska Ratna Komanda” (ARK D-o), Tito’s bunker was built between 1953 and 1979. It served as an atomic shelter to protect the military command and 350 members of President Tito’s government in the event of a nuclear attack during the Cold War. It is now a museum and visit it when you are in Konjic
Final Thoughts
Konjic is a beautiful place and has lots to do. We did a day trip from Sarajevo, but you can definitely spend couple of days here to truly appreciate all Konjic has to offer.
Peaks to Palaces 