The best cycling routes around Lake Birina

There are many small fruit vendors along the route, where the fruit and vegetables taste truly authentic, simply amazing. They also offer freshly made juice.

Part of the route is for the more adventurous bikers and sturdy bicycle tires 😁

Very nice section from Buna

Having picked up my bike for the umpteenth time, I return to see how Silvia is doing; during the journey however, with an ever-vigilant eye, I notice that in the Donje Struge area the Trebizat river (the one with the waterfalls) forms an island, partly natural and partly artificial, with old canals for mills. In a private area next to the road I “discover”, covered in vegetation, an old iron bridge of the railway line that there was no news of, I immediately take some photos. Since the railway also crossed other branches of the river, I am curious to dive into the search for other relics but alas I have to give up due to the private property and the tiredness that is starting to make itself felt.

Having picked up my bike and left most of my luggage at the hotel, I set off lightly, retracing my steps for a while. I then reach the village of Pocjteli, a beautiful fortified medieval village that stands on the bank of the Neretva clinging to a hill with steep paved streets (traveled on foot). The village is still partly inhabited in some elegant Ottoman houses dating back to the 19th century, after the ethnic cleansing perpetrated during the war. As is common in these places, a purely European origin (perhaps Italian), was followed by Ottoman domination until the second half of the 19th century and the architecture shows this overlapping of cultures. Part of the fortifications are in good condition and others have been partly restored. It is worth a visit if you pass through these parts. Having picked up my bike, I ride along the asphalt road until I reach the Kravice waterfalls. Along the way a light storm refreshes me from the scorching afternoon. The ticket to access the waterfalls costs about the equivalent of €10, the park is always open, night and day, and the ticket is always paid. Considering that Bosnia has very few outlets to the sea and here the flow of the river is abundant, this pleasant place has been transformed into a real "Adriatic" style beach. Loud music, 4 or 5 bathing establishments, the river basin has been partially closed to form a lake large enough for a few hundred people to swim in. You can also rent boats to take trips on the river. If you like crowds of loud people and beer, this is the place for you. I managed to take a few almost anonymous photos. If you come only for the photos and not for the bath, the entrance fee is excessive.

Let's dance the Balkans stage 10 from Mostar to Gabela. The next morning we leave Mostar, taking up the thread of the first stage: the route of the old Austro-Hungarian narrow-gauge railway that started in Sarajevo and crossed the mountains to the Adriatic. Here in Bosnia the route is signposted as Ciro Ruta (in the Croatian part it is still defined as Dalmatiner Bahn, with the original name given by the Austro-Hungarian empire). We initially cycle on the plain crossing the uninteresting industrial area of Mostar, as we move away from the city the charm of the former railway increases, even if in this stretch the old railway bed is asphalted and has been flanked over the years by various houses. The valley is very anthropized, a new railway runs alongside the old track and on the opposite bank of the river runs a road with heavy traffic. Every now and then some remains of artifacts remind us of times gone by. Silvia continues to feel ill and struggles to continue. Once in Capljina, Silvia is no longer in a condition to continue. It is starting to get hot, we take shelter in a bar to rest; fortunately this stage includes 2 detours that we remove from the route. I accompany Silvia to the hotel not far away, in the Gabela area, so that she can rest. Having picked up the bike and left most of the luggage at the hotel, I set off lightly, retracing my steps for a while. I then reach the village of Pocjteli, a beautiful fortified medieval village that stands on the bank of the Neretva clinging to a hill with steep paved streets (traveled on foot). The village is still partly inhabited in some elegant Ottoman houses dating back to the 19th century, after the ethnic cleansing perpetrated during the war. As is common in these places, a purely European origin (perhaps Italian), was followed by Ottoman domination until the second half of the 19th century and the architecture shows this overlapping of cultures. Some of the fortifications are in good condition and others have been partially restored. It is worth a visit if you pass through these parts.

Big parking, nice cofee

An old bridge on the Ciro Ruta. Maybe exploring the islet of Donje Struge will reveal something else. It will be up to the next person passing by. In the true spirit of Komoot 😁. The old station is a little further on, indicated by signs