About the county

The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton covers an area of ​​approximately 4,500 square kilometers from Makljen to Ivan-sedlo in the north to Ivanjica above Dubrovnik in the south.

The canton is organized into eight cities and municipalities: Čapljina, Čitluk, Jablanica, Konjic, Mostar, Neum, Prozor-Rama, Ravno and Stolac, and has a population of approximately 270,000.

The uniqueness of the HNK area is that this Canton is simultaneously mountainous and lowland, coastal and continental. This diversity is connected by the unique beauty of the territory formed by picturesque glades and hills, the lowland area along the Neretva River with its tributaries (Rama, Trebižat, Krupa, Bregava), the coastal belt and the Adriatic Sea.

In the central part of the Canton is the city of Mostar, which covers an area of ​​1,227 square kilometers and represents the political, economic, scientific and cultural center of the entire region. It is located at the foot of the slopes of the Velež, Hum and Čabulja mountains, in the Neretva River valley, at an altitude of 60-80 meters above sea level.

Mostar has been at the crossroads of different civilizations for centuries, and each of them has woven a part of its own uniqueness into it. It is 60 km from the sea, and in it and its immediate vicinity there are famous cultural and historical monuments: the old part of the city where the Old Bridge is located, and numerous monuments of Mostar's turbulent past.

Mostar has a complete spatial infrastructure, road and rail traffic running from north to south, and a modern airport. Mostar is also the economic center of all of Herzegovina, and in recent history the most important economic entity in the Mostar region is the Aluminij company, which is systematically advancing in its production.

Since 1981, Međugorje has become a significant place of world religious tourism in the Catholic world. Following the interest of pilgrims from all over the world in coming to Međugorje, large tourist facilities have been built that meet the needs of modern man.

The northern part of the Canton, the municipalities of Prozor-Rama, Konjic and Jablanica, covers 1,948 square kilometers with an altitude of 200 to 1,500 meters. This area is rich in agricultural land (73,791 ha), of which 81% is covered by meadows and pastures.

Also, this area has two hydro-accumulations - Ramsko and Jablaničko Lakes, and numerous rivers: Rama Doljanka, Krupić and other small rivers, which represents a huge water capacity that is currently only partially used for fish farming.

The southern part of the Canton includes the municipalities of Čapljina, Čitluk, Stolac, Ravno and Neum, and covers an area of ​​1,648 square kilometers.

This part of the Canton is particularly suitable for growing healthy food, because its natural resources enable the development of this activity, which is now in great demand in the world.

The wine produced on the sparse fields of Mediterranean karst is especially well-known. According to ancient records, the first mention of Herzegovina wine was found in the Middle Ages in the Čitluk Charter of the Bosnian King Tvrtko, issued in 1354. French and Venetian travel writers of the 16th and 17th centuries also wrote about expensive but good wines from the Neretva River.

Today, there are 40 registered wineries in this area, which appear on the market mainly with three products: white wine - Žilavka, red wine - blatina and brandy - loza.

The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton has two nature parks - Hutovo Blato and Blidinje, famous for their beauty.

Hutovo Blato includes four lakes: Deransko, Jelinsko, Svitavsko and Škrkino, which are connected by the Krupa River. The Krupa is the only river in the world that flows in both directions. About 240 species of birds live in the untouched nature, as well as other large and small game.

In the northern part of the Canton, there is the Blidinje Nature Park, whose area is 600 square kilometers. It stretches over the territory of three cantons: Herzegovina-Neretva, West-Herzegovina and Herzegovina-Bosnia, and is known for its endemic species of forest trees and flowers.

Neum is Bosnia and Herzegovina's only access to the sea with 24 km of beautifully indented sea coast and is a tourist town with large capacities in hotel and private accommodation.