Počitelj

Počitelj is built into a natural rock amphitheatre above the Neretva, a stepped village of stone houses, walled gardens, a hammam, a medresa and the sixteenth-century Hajji Alija mosque, all climbing to the Gavrankapetanović tower on the ridge. It grew as a fortified settlement on the route inland from the Adriatic and kept its Ottoman character almost intact. The village was heavily damaged in the 1990s and has been substantially restored since, with an artists' colony that has run here for decades bringing painters back each summer. The climb to the tower is steep and stepped, and from the top the Neretva valley opens in both directions. Pomegranates and figs grow in the terraced gardens.

History

Počitelj is first recorded in charters of King Alfonso V and Frederick III between 1444 and 1448, though the fortified town was probably built by the Bosnian king Tvrtko I around 1383, as the centre of the župa of Dubrava. Between 1463 and 1471 it held a Hungarian garrison and was strengthened by Vladislav Hercegović, until the Ottomans took it after a short siege in 1471 and kept it until 1878; it was the seat of a military district from 1713 to 1835 and of a kadiluk from 1782 to 1879, and once it lost its strategic role under Austria-Hungary it declined, which kept its old townscape intact (Wikipedia, Počitelj).

The main sights

• Gavrankapetanović tower - the fortress tower at the top of the village.
• Hajji Alija mosque - the sixteenth-century mosque at the heart of the settlement.
• The stepped lanes - stone stairs and terraced gardens climbing the amphitheatre.
• The Neretva view - the valley in both directions from the ridge.

When to go

Spring and autumn are best; Herzegovina in July and August is extremely hot and the climb is punishing. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light on the pale stone. Coach parties stop here between Mostar and the coast in the middle of the day.

Good to know

The climb is genuinely steep, on uneven stone steps with no railing in places, and it is hard going in heat. Restoration is ongoing and some buildings remain damaged. It is a standard stop on Mostar day tours, so timing around the coaches makes a large difference to the experience.

Nearby

Blagaj's dervish house and Mostar lie north; Kravice waterfalls are nearby.

Key facts