Kupres

Kupres sits at around 1,200 metres on a karst plateau in the west, high enough for reliable snow, and the Cincar and Adriatic ski areas above the town make it one of the main winter destinations in the country, with pistes, cross-country trails and a long season by Bosnian standards. In summer the plateau is grazing land and hay meadow, and on the last Sunday of July the Strljanica mowing competition is held on Strazbenica hill: teams mow assigned strips of meadow by scythe against the clock and the quality of the cut, watched by a large crowd, with folk dress, food and music around it. The custom was inscribed on the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2020.

History

Archaeological finds show people here since prehistory, and from the Neolithic to the 4th century BC the area was home to the Illyrian Dalmatae and to Celts, who left or were absorbed after the Roman conquest under Augustus; Rome then ruled the area until 476. Kupres is first mentioned in documents of the Kingdom of Croatia, based in nearby Duvno, today's Tomislavgrad, and it later belonged to the Bosnian Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy (Wikipedia, Kupres).

Highlights

• The mowing competition - the scythe contest on the last Sunday of July.
• The ski areas - Cincar and Adriatic above the town.
• The plateau - the high karst grazing land and hay meadows.
• Highland villages - the stone-built settlements on the plateau.

When to go

December to March for skiing, with the most reliable snow in January and February. The last Sunday in July for the mowing competition. Summer on the plateau is cool and green.

Practical notes

The ski areas are small by Alpine standards with limited lift capacity. The mowing competition is a single day and the town is quiet otherwise. Accommodation is modest and books out at both peaks. The plateau is exposed and cold.

Nearby

Livno lies southwest; Blidinje is south.

Key facts