Cycling on Franciscana route

City of Mostar

Visit this city built by the Ottomans along the Neretva River, without forgetting its Old Bridge connecting the two shores of the city. Unique for all of its dwellings and monuments, united in a harmonious town planning, the city preserving its character, while being a place of artisanal production and an important center of commercial exchanges.

Accommodation: Dompes Rooms*** (breakfast included)
Dinner: local cousine

Day 2. cycling from Mostar to Ljubuški
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Mostar

By bike: Mostar – Međugorje – Ljubuški

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 69km/558mnv
• Difficulty: Medium

First part of route is cycling on Railroad of Ciro, an old railway line started from Mostar, alongside the Neretva river, before coming to willage Šurmanci from where starts uphill part in leght of 700m before coming to Međugorje.

Mostar is our city of departure
We cycle through the city of Mostar passing by Old bridge. Then, we will be passing near a wine route, and cycling further on Ciro trail we continue to local villages to Šurmanci and Međugorje.

Medjugorje – Experience one of the most famous shrines in Europe.
In 1981, Medjugorje became the most famous and most visited pilgrimage shrine in this region after the apparition of Our Lady on June 24, 1981. a group of Medjugorje children. Our Lady’s mission was to send a message of peace and love to the world, and Medjugorje is becoming known as a place of peace and beauty. Since then, Medjugorje has become the third most important place of apparitions in Europe, visited by more than a million people every year.
After visiting Međugorje we continue cycling to Ljubuški passing near by waterfall Kravice (open possibility to vissit kravice waterfall).
– Picnic somewhere near Kravice Waterfall

Museum of the Franciscan monastery of St. Anthony of Padua in Humac
Ljubuški is our finish of the first day. The Franciscan monastery of St. Anthony of Padua in Humac houses the oldest museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded in 1884.
The renovated museum exhibits objects collected in the wider area of Herzegovina from the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) to the present day. The Humac plate from the 12th century is also on display. century, the oldest preserved monument written in Croatian (a mixture of Glagolitic and Old Croatian Cyrillic – Bosnian) in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hotel & Diner: Franciscan monastery of St. Anthony of Padua***

Day 3. cycling from Ljubuški to Grude
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Ljubuški

By bike: Ljubuški – Drinovci – Gorica/Sovići – Grude

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 61km/762mnv
• Difficulty: Medium

The first part of the route we will drive along the beautiful river Trebižat and local villages, and visit the Koćuša waterfall, Peć Mlini adventure park, church/museum in Gorica, and we will end our trip in Grude.

Ljubuški is our city of departure
The starting point from Ljubuški will be the monastery on Humac, from where we will continue cycling along the beautiful river Trebižat, and visit the Roman camp Gračine, Koćuša waterfall and the adventure park Peć Mlini. The river Trebižat is 50 km long from its source in Peć-Mlini to the mouth of the Neretva in Struga. For centuries she quenched the thirst of the thirsty, cooled the bodies of the curious who wanted to test her temper in the summer heat. In summer when it is the quietest, most beautiful and dearest.
In the spring, she is proud, she amazes with her clarity, blue and blueness, which enchants the passer-by and invites her back to her. And again for centuries …

KOCUSA WATERFALL
Koćuša Waterfall is located in the village of Veljaci in the municipality of Ljubuški and is one of the most beautiful natural pearls of this part of Herzegovina. The beauty of this waterfall and the nearby landscape will not leave you indifferent. The height of the waterfall is five, and the length is 50 meters, and in the immediate vicinity there are mills and pillars that have adorned this place for years.
– Picnic somewhere near river Trebižat

ADVENTURE PARK PEC MLINI
The wider area of the water oasis Peć Mlina, according to historical knowledge, has been inhabited from the earliest times – prehistory, the Roman period, late antiquity and the Middle Ages until our time.

The river Trebižat is the only river in Europe that sinks 9 times and again like the Phoenix springs from the poor Herzegovinian karst each time even stronger and with its tributaries turning this part of Herzegovina into a fertile, arable lowland and God-given area for life. It stretches from its source in Tihaljina to the mouth of the Neretva in Struga, 50 km long, so that in this area we meet it under various names (Culuša, Ričina, Brina, Suvaja, Matica, Vrlika, Tihaljina, Mlade, Trebižat). It springs on a site of untouched nature in the southwestern part of the municipality of Grude.

Hotel & Diner: hotel Otok Grude***

Day 4. cycling from Grude to Tomislavgrad
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Grude

By bike: Grude – Posušje – Tomislavgrad

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 50km/886mnv
• Difficulty: Medium

On this section we mostly drive on the main roads from Grude through Posušje to Tomislavgrad. It is important to emphasize that the roads are not so busy, especially on the section from Grude to Posušje, but we will have two ascents that are not too demanding.

Grude is our city of departure
According to the latest census, the smallest municipality in the West Herzegovina County has 17,208 inhabitants per 220.8 km2. Mild Mediterranean climate with natural gems of Lake Krenica and the source of the river Tihaljina, provide tourists with the opportunity to get to know this area. Adventure park Peć mlini with Ravlića cave, mills, promenades, cultural and historical complex in Gorica are just a part of the diverse tourist offer offered by the Municipality of Grude.
Bicycle routes through our Municipality stretch for 122.1 km, as circular routes for day trips full of sensational diversity of landscapes as well as the richness of cultural and historical heritage. The Archaeological Collection in Gorica, Lake Krenica, the Peć Mlini Adventure Park by the source of the Tihaljina River and the Ravlića Cave Archaeological Site are our biggest tourist attractions for adventurers, as well as the opportunity for a perfect family trip. Welcome!

FRANCISCAN MONASTERY AND TOMISLAVGRAD MUSEUM – Parish of St. Michael the Archangel
Christianity took root in the tobacco area very early. This is best evidenced by the existence of the Delmini (Duvanjska) diocese in the second half of the 6th century, as well as the remains of eight late antique churches found so far: in Tomislavgrad (Karaula), Bogdašić, Prisoje, Crvenice, Borčani, Vinica, Bukova Gora and Kovači.

The museum is located in a house built by the Franciscans of Tobacco in 1988, and was intended for religious education, youth meetings and cultural events. Numerous archeological and ethnological objects were kept inside the house, which the friars diligently collected for many years. The objects were not available to the public, so the idea of arranging the museum space has existed for a long time. Finally, the guardian, Fr. Ante Pranjić, with great financial efforts and the help of Eng. B. Petrica, designed the museum space on the first floor of the house, and with professional museum workers from Sarajevo, selected and arranged a permanent museum exhibition with five museum collections: archaeological, sacral, ethnological, ethnographic, African with some philately and numismatics. He named the museum in honor of the Tobacco Franciscan Fr. Jozo Križić.
– Picnic somewhere near Tomislavgrad

Hotel & Diner: Franciscan monastery Tomislavgrad
Hotel accomodation is available on request

Day 5. cycling from Tomislavgrad to Livno
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Tomislavgrad

By bike: Tomislavgrad – Buško jezero – Livno

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 67km/584mnv
• Difficulty: Medium

On this section we start cycling from Tomislavgrad, with a slight ascent, followed by a descent towards Buško Lake. We continue cycling on a flat section along the beautiful Buško Lake, and we take a break in the beautifully landscaped Eco Village Grabovica. The end of the trip is in Livno, ie in the Franciscan monastery and museum in Livno.

Tomislavgrad is our city of departure
Tomislavgrad also known by its former name Duvno, is a town and municipality located in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It mainly covers an area of the historical and geographical region of Tropolje. As of 2013, it has a population of 33,032 inhabitants.

The Buško Lake  
The Buško Lake, at an altitude of 700 meters has an area of 55.8 km². One-third of the lake is located in the municipality of Livno and two-thirds of the municipality of Tomislavgrad.
Judging by the area of the lake, it is one of the largest lakes in Europe.  It was created by sinking of the Buško mud in the 1970-ies.
The lake is located on the border between Bosnia, Dalmatia and Herzegovina, so its natural position and climatic conditions are the reasons why it attracts so many tourists. An interesting history of this region has left numerous archaeological sites, numerous ruins of the Illyrian and Roman times, many artifacts and cemeteries with many tombstones.

ECO-VILLAGE GRABOVICA – A village like no other
The Buško Lake is situated along the border with Croatia and Dalmatian hinterland, at the point where Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia, Mediterranean, continental and moderate climate intersect at an altitude of 700 meters.
Visit the Eco-Village of Grabovica and experience the genuine natural beauty of the Buško Lake and residents’ hospitality and spend an active vacation in the beautiful landscape of the rural idyll.
We have prepared a number of daily activities and amenities for you to keep you entertained on the property and the surrounding area where you can experience magical moments while staying at the Buško Lake.
– Picnic somewhere near Buško lake

FRANCISCAN MUSEUM AND GORICA GALLERY LIVNO 
The beginnings of FMGG date back to the second half of the XIX. century when the Franciscans of the newly founded monastery in Gorica in Livno, aware of the need to preserve cultural heritage, visit archaeological sites and begin to collect antiquities. Nevertheless, the Museum in its modern form was officially founded on October 2, 1995, by an agreement concluded between the Franciscan Monastery in Gorica and the Livno Municipal Council.
It is designed as a complex institution with archaeological, ethnographic, artistic, numismatic and sacral collections and a collection of old weapons.
An integral part of the Museum is a gallery with a permanent exhibition of paintings by the great Bosnian-Herzegovinian painter Gabriel Jurkić, a richly equipped library, archives and photo library and medical equipment of Fr. Mihovil Sučić. Part of the collection is housed in the Franciscan Monastery building (Gabriel Jurkić Gallery, sacral and art collection, library and archives), and the other part is housed in the newly built Museum building (lapidary, archeological, numismatic and old weapons collection), which includes a multipurpose hall for occasional exhibitions and a planned conservation and restoration workshop.
A building from the 19th century was incorporated into the complex of the new Museum. century, once a church and school, in which the ethnographic exhibition is exhibited.
Once a small monastery collection, it has grown into a modern museum, which in its content and scope reflects the continuity of cultural and historical events in these areas from prehistoric periods to modern times. With its research work, collection and exhibition activities, it presents itself to the public as a modern museum institution.

Hotel & Diner: Franciscan monastery Livno
Hotel accomodation is available on request

Day 6. cycling from Livno to Rama
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Livno

By bike: Livno – Šujica – Rama

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 67km/1.062mnv
• Difficulty: Medium/Hard

We start cycling in Livno with a constant ascent towards Šujica. Today’s stage will be a little harder with the ascents, the first of which is at the very beginning of the day, while the second ascent from Šujica awaits us before the end of the day. At the end of the day, we will be delighted by the descent towards Rama Lake, as well as the beauty of Rama Lake. Ramsko Lake is the final destination of the day.

Livno is our city of departure
Livno has a stable continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. It is situated between big mountains like Cincar and Kamesnica which make the climate more continental than the climate in Mostar and Capljina for example. The winters in that part of the country are not as cold as in Livno.

Livno is a city and the administrative center of Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the river Bistrica in the southeastern edge of the Livno Field at the foot of Kruzi plateau which are located beneath the Cincar mountain and rocky hill Crvenice. Livno is the centre of the Canton 10 which mainly covers an area of the historical and geographical region of Tropolje. As of 2013, it has a population of 37,487 inhabitants.

Šujica
Šuica is a village in the municipality of Tomislavgrad in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. The village is named after the river Šuica. The very name, signifies not only the settlement but also the area of Šuica Valley around the upper course of the river where there are several villages situated at the crossroads of Bosnia, Dalmatia and Herzegovina.

Until 1828, the area of today’s Šujice parish belonged to the ancient parish of Duvno (since 1806 with its seat in Seonica), and then to the newly established parish of Mokronoge – Županjac.
Due to the increase in the number of believers and the distance from the seat of the parish (since 1861 in Tomislavgrad), the parish of Šujica became independent in 1864, since when it has its own registers. It includes the settlements of Šujica, Bogdašić, Galečić and Baljke. Today, about 1,500 Catholics live in the parish.
– Picnic somewhere near Šujica

Rama Lake 
Rama Lake is an accumulation lake on the Rama River. It is located in the municipality of Prozor-Rama in Bosnia and Herzegovina, surrounded by mountain ranges Raduša, Makljena, Ljubuša and Vrana.
The lake was built in 1968. 12 kilometers long and 95 meters deep, its waters can oscillate about 50 meters. Its islands and peninsulas give it a special beauty, and the most famous is the Šćit peninsula, which reminds many of the shape of the guitar.
There is a Franciscan monastery on Šćit, and there is also a popular tavern Gaj. On the terrace you can indulge in beautiful views and local specialties. The most popular are homemade pie, lamb, veal, cheese and trout, with the inevitable glass of ram plum brandy.

Franciscan monastery and museum Rama Šćit 
The Museum of the Franciscan Monastery Rama-Šćit, housed in the old monastery, is the only building in BiH, the only one of its kind from the time of Turkish rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina, built in 1857.
The ethnographic museum on Šćit presents the life of the inhabitants of the Rama region. Exhibitions of old crafts, economy, means of transport, housing culture are placed on two floors. The third floor is a textile workshop – the production process and all types of products in use. There is also a friar’s monastery cell – the room of Fr. Jeronimo Vladić. The fourth floor represents the flora with about a hundred of the most common plants with names and basic characteristics and fauna – families of animals in full life form.

Hotel & Diner: Franciscan monastery Rama Šćit
Hotel accomodation is available on request

Day 6. cycling from Rama to Nature park Blidinje
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Rama

By bike: Rama – Jablanica – Rama

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 76km/1.917mnv
• Difficulty: Medium/Hard

On the sixth stage, we drive from Rama to the Blidinje Nature Park, ie to the church in Masna Luka. This is one of the most difficult stages with the ascent from Jablanica in the length of 35 km and 1,100 meters of climbing. The first part of the stage is extremely easy, where we mostly descend from Rama towards Jablanica, driving along the beautiful Jablanica Lake. From Jablanica to Blidinje there is a constant ascent until entering the Blidinje Nature Park, but once you succeed, entering the Nature Park, you will realize that all the effort was worth it.

Rama is our city of departure
Prozor-Rama is a municipality located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its seat is Prozor. Also, Ramsko lake is located in the municipality.
– Picnic somewhere near Jablanica

Nature Park Blidinje
Nature Park Blidinje is one of the most beautiful natural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is located only an hour and a half from the Adriatic coast. It has a surface area of 358 km 2 , spread out at the foothills of Vran and Čvrsnica mountains.
Its unique geomorphological features, a great diversity of local flora and fauna, and beautiful untouched nature, make it a perfect getaway spot for all those looking to escape the stress of everyday life. Whether you’re looking for a place to relax in fresh mountain air, a chance to learn about the intricacies of local history and cultural legacy, or you’re looking for an adventure – Nature Park Blidinje is the ideal place for you.

Franciscan monastery and museum Masna Luka 
A mountain pearl at the foot of Čvrsnica, with the beautiful Church of Saint Elias that perfectly blends in the natural environment, is certainly one of the most beautiful spots in Blidinje Nature Park. This part is characterised by a great wealth of pine and fir forests and disposes of several drinking water springs. The natural reserve Masna Luka, with its endemic Bosnian pine, is the perfect spot to rest your body and soul and to fully surrender to nature. Here you can visit the Franciscan gallery with valuable artwork from this area or enjoy one of the drinking water springs, the most famous one being Jasle.

Hotel & Diner: Franciscan monastery Masna Luka
Hotel accomodation is available on request

Day 7. cycling from Nature park Blidinje to Mostar
8:30 AM Check-out at the reception and start cycling from Blidinje

By bike: Blidinje – Posušje – Široki Brijeg – Mostar

• Suitable for MTB and Road bikes
• Trail length/altitude: 94km/1.080mnv
• Difficulty: Medium

The seventh stage takes us from Blidinje to Mostar, passing through Posušje and Široki Brijeg with a tour of the monastery and museum in these places. This is the longest section on this trip but it is not extremely difficult since we are descending most of the time. Mostar is the final destination and the end of the journey.

– Picnic somewhere near Jablanica

Franciscan monastery  Posušje
Drought has developed into a decent town in recent decades. Apart from the town, the parish also includes the villages of Rastovača, Čitluk, Osoje, Tribistovo and parts of the villages of Batin and Vinjani.
The soil is quite sparse, but the future of the population in recent times is provided by craft activities, and partly by industrial production. Certainly Posušje is the fastest growing parish in the whole of Herzegovina, which is a consequence partly of immigration from the countryside to the city, and partly still of a decent birth rate. The parish is mostly located on the edge of Posuško polje, below the hill Radovnja, and the town of Posušje developed at the intersection of the roads Široki Brijeg – Tomislavgrad and Imotski – Rakitno. The only village Tribistovo with its hamlets is completely separated from the fields and is located in the hills on the way to Rakitno.

Franciscan monastery and museum Široki Brijeg
Širokobriješki je samostan sudbonosno utjecao na sudbinu puka i kraja. Njegova crkva prva je crkva na području zapadne Hercegovine otkada su Turci sredinom XVI. st. srušili sve crkve i samostane (Mostar, Konjic i Ljubuški) na zapadnoj strani Neretve. Ostala je jedino crkva u Roškom polju, srušena stotinjak godina kasnije. Pobjegavši iz samostana u Mostaru i Ljubuškom u Dalmaciju hercegovački su franjevci sagradili samostane u Zaostrogu i Živogošću, odakle su služili puk u Hercegovini sve do kraja XVII. st. No nakon završetka Bečko-morejskog rata i potpisivanja Karlovačkog mira (1699.) bilo im je pod prijetnjom smrću zabranjeno prelaziti preko novostvorene turskomletačke granice na područja koja su ostala pod osmanskom vlašću. Stoga su dušobrižničku skrb za hercegovačke katolike preuzela tri preostala franjevačka samostana u Bosni. Tako su franjevci iz samostana u Kreševu skrbili za župe u zapadnoj Hercegovini, iz Fojnice za duvanjske župe, a iz Kraljeve Sutjeske za župu Roško Polje. Takvo je stanje potrajalo kroz gotovo 150 godina.

Mostar is our final destination.

Hotel: Five Rivers***