Trebinje

Trebinje sits in the warm karst country of southern Herzegovina close to the Adriatic, and it has a Mediterranean feel that the rest of the country lacks: plane trees shading the square in the small walled old town, cafés under them, and a farmers' market on Saturdays selling figs, honey, olive oil and wine from the surrounding hills. The Trebišnjica runs through the middle, crossed downstream by the sixteenth-century Arslanagić bridge, an elegant Ottoman span with two large and two small arches that was dismantled and rebuilt upstream when a dam flooded its original site. Above the town, on a hill with a wide view, stands Hercegovačka Gračanica, a modern church built as a copy of a famous medieval one. The region's wines, from the local žilavka and vranac grapes, are the best in the country.

What you actually see

• The old town - the small walled quarter with its plane trees and cafés.
• The Arslanagić bridge - the sixteenth-century Ottoman span downstream.
• Hercegovačka Gračanica - the hilltop church with views over the valley.
• The wine cellars - žilavka and vranac from the surrounding karst hills.

When to go

April to October is warm and pleasant, though high summer is very hot in this karst basin; spring and autumn are ideal. The Saturday market is the best morning to be in town. It is a short drive from Dubrovnik, which makes it an easy day trip across the border.

Honest expectations

It is small and quiet, and half a day covers the old town, so it works best with a wine tour or a night's stay rather than a rushed visit. Summer heat here is intense. Crossing the border from Dubrovnik can involve queues in peak season, and hire-car agreements sometimes restrict taking vehicles across, so check.

Nearby

Dubrovnik is half an hour southwest across the border; Mostar and Blagaj are two hours north.