Sights in Mostar - Croatia and Slovenia - page 682

The Main Coastal Road
The vast majority of traffic from Dubrovnik to Mostar follows the coastal road north, then
cuts east into Bosnia. Because this is one of the most direct routes, it can be crowded (allow
about2.5hours).It'salsoabitinconvenient, asyouhavetocrosstheborderthree times (in-
to and out of Bosnia at Neum, and into Bosnia again at Metkovi ć ).
Begin by driving north of Dubrovnik, passing some of the places mentioned in the Near
Dubrovnik chapter: Trsteno (with its arboretum), and Ston and Mali Ston (with a mighty
wall and waterfront restaurants, respectively). After passing the Ston turnoff, you'll see the
long, mountainous, vineyard-draped Pelješac Peninsula across the bay on your left.
Soon you'll come to a surprise border crossing, at Neum. Here you'll cross into Bosnia-
Herzegovina—then, sixmileslater,crossbackoutagain(fordetailsonthisoddlittlestretch
of Bosnian coast, see here ) .
You won't be back in Croatia for long. Just north of Neum, the main coastal road jogs
away from the coast and around the striking Neretva River Delta —the extremely fertile
“garden patch of Croatia,” which produces a significant portion of Croatia's fruits and ve-
getables.TheNeretvaisthesameriverthatflowsunderMostar'sOldBridgeupstream—but
in Metkovi ć , it spreads out into 12 branches as it enters the Adriatic, flooding a vast plain
and creating a bursting cornucopia in the middle of an otherwise rocky and arid region. En-
joying some of the most plentiful sunshine on the Croatian coast, as well as a steady supply
of water for irrigation, the Neretva Delta is as productive as it is beautiful.
At the Neretva Delta, turn off for the town of Metkovi ć ; at the far end of that town,
you'll cross the border into Bosnia-Herzegovina, then continue straight on the main road
(M-17) directly into Mostar. As you drive, you'll see destroyed buildings and occasional
roadside memorials bearing the likenesses of fresh-faced soldiers who died in the recent
war.
Along the way are a few interesting detours: In Č apljina, you can turn off to the left to
reach Me đ ugorje (see here ) . If you stay on the main road, keep your eyes peeled soon after
the Č apljina turnoff for a mountaintop castle tower (on the right side of the road), which
marks the medieval town of Po č itelj (see here ) . With extra time, just before Mostar (in
Buna), you can detour a few miles along the Buna River into Blagaj (see here ) .
Approaching Mostar on M-17, you'll pass the airport, then carry on straight toward Sa-
rajevo (ignoring the first turn-off to the left for Centar ). As you skirt the city, take the left
turn for Centar and Posušje . When you come to the traffic light, you can turn right to reach
theeastsideoftheriver(fortheMuslibegovi ć HouseorHotelKriva Ć uprijaII);orcontinue
straight to reach the west side of the river (for my other accommodations). If you continue
straight, you'll bear right onto Bulevar street, and continue on that main artery for several
blocks (passing several destroyed buildings). At the street called Rade Bitange (just after
the giant church bell tower), turn right to find the public parking lot (2 KM/hour, 10 KM/8