About four kilometres north of Nevesinje, Lake Alagovac lies at the foot of Mount Velež. In the town centre, historic buildings include the Cathedral Church of the Holy Ascension and the old clock tower. Cultural attractions and landscapes also offer distinct themes for a trip: the town’s history, events, karst or seasonal activities on the water.
Historic buildings in the town centre
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Ascension stands in the centre of Nevesinje. Construction lasted from 1879 until its completion in 1886; the church is listed as a national cultural monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also in the centre, in the old čaršija, stands the Sahat-kula clock tower. It was built before 1664 and is now considered the oldest structure of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At the western edge of the town, the Careva Mosque stands on a slightly elevated plateau. It is considered the oldest and largest Islamic place of worship built in Herzegovina during Ottoman rule. The site and the surviving remains of an architectural ensemble are listed as a national monument. The cathedral church, clock tower and mosque thus offer three different points of interest if you are interested in the town’s architectural history.
Culture and events
The Nevesinje City Gallery is housed in the former JNA hall on Blagoje Parović Square in the town centre. It officially opened in May 2013 with an exhibition by academic painter Radmila Lizdek. The “Nebojša Glogovac” Cultural Centre offers theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, workshops and educational programmes. This means that, alongside historic buildings, you can also include a range of cultural events in your itinerary.
The traditional sports, culture and tourism event Nevesinjska olimpijada takes place every August in Bratački lug, near Nevesinje. If you are planning your trip around the event, check the dates for the relevant year. Another historic site in the area is the Church of the Holy Trinity in Kifino Selo, considered the oldest medieval church in Nevesinje.
Karst, caves and mountain landscapes
Novakuša Cave is a natural monument below a stone amphitheatre, whose vertical walls reach up to 100 metres in places. The cave entrance is 70 metres wide and 20 metres high; beyond it is a large chamber with vertical and horizontal passages. The karst landscape is also evident on Mount Velež, where there are signs of glaciation, a glacial lake and numerous underground karst formations. A total of 62 different climbing routes have also been climbed on the mountain.
Provalija Cave lies about 500 metres from the main Nevesinje–Gacko road. Access is via the bed of the Surdup stream; as route conditions can vary, check them before your visit. Nevesinjsko polje is one of the largest karst fields in Bosnia and Herzegovina, covering 18,000 hectares. For much of its summer course, the Zalomka flows underground.
Morine, also known as the “Herzegovinian Tibet,” is the largest mountain plateau and grazing land in the municipality of Nevesinje, covering around 5,000 hectares. Working cattle-herding katuns can still be seen on Morine, where life continues much as it did several centuries ago. Mount Crvanj is particularly suited to hiking, gathering medicinal plants, hunting and excursion tourism.
The lake and nearby destinations
Depending on the season, visitors can camp, swim, row and fish at Lake Alagovac. Check local conditions for your planned activity. The seasonal opportunities at the lake differ from the Nevesinjska olimpijada, which takes place every August: you can plan your trip either around an activity on the water or the event dates.
Southeast of the present-day town, the medieval Vjenčac Fortress stands in the surrounding area; massive walls remain from the fortification. A wooden church dedicated to Saint George, with cascading platforms, water features and a viewpoint, is also located at Vjenčac. Near Nevesinje, a roughly 500-metre-long surviving Roman route leads directly to the Ovčiji brod Sheep Bridge. These destinations complement the historic buildings in the town centre with sites in the surrounding area, while the lake, caves and mountains offer further landscape highlights.
Discover more destinations: Dera, Vlasenica, Bijeljina, Teslić, Brdo, Ugljevik, Vrhovina, Jablanica.
For the broader travel overview: Republika Srpska.
