From the Stari Most, Mostar’s famous Ottoman bridge, an almost flat paved road follows the Neretva and then the Buna for about 12 km to Blagaj, where a dervish Tekija sits at the foot of a cliff, at the source of one of the most powerful karst springs in Europe.
The route between Mostar and Blagaj
Starting at the old bridge, the road follows the Neretva valley south before joining the Buna valley, on a lightly trafficked route of around 12 km one way. There’s essentially no climbing on the whole ride, which makes it accessible to inexperienced cyclists and to families with kids already confident riding on their own. Bike rental shops in Mostar offer hybrid bikes and e-bikes for this outing, with or without an organised return.
The Blagaj Tekija, a monastery at the foot of the cliff
At the end of the ride, the Buna bursts forcefully out of a cave carved into a cliff around 200 metres high. Right beside it, the Blagaj Tekija, a Sufi lodge built around 1520 in the early Ottoman period, once housed travelling dervishes of the Bektashi and later the Halveti orders. Built on the site of an earlier Bogomil sanctuary, it has been restored several times over the centuries and was declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004. The contrast between the tekke’s white stone, the raw rock of the cliff and the turquoise spring water makes it one of the most photographed sites in Herzegovina.
When to ride between Mostar and Blagaj
Spring, from April to June, and early autumn, in September and October, bring pleasant riding temperatures, averaging 18 to 28°C. In midsummer, days in the Neretva valley frequently top 35°C, so early morning or late afternoon rides are far more comfortable during that period.
Good to know
Mostar, with its old town rebuilt around the Stari Most, offers a wide choice of accommodation and makes an ideal base for this ride. In Blagaj, several restaurants set on stilts along the Buna, including former water mills converted for dining, are a good shaded stop before heading back the same way to Mostar.
