| Herzegovina | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|---|---|
| Capital | Mostar |
| Surface | 11,000 km2 |
Herzegovina is a region of the Balkans whose territory is part of the federated state Bosnia and Herzegovina.
To know
Herzegovina is a region located at the south-eastern end of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the only one to overlook the Adriatic Sea, even if for a very short stretch.
Geographical notes
The terrain of Herzegovina is mainly hilly, karst except in the central valley of the Narenta River. The boundaries between the Bosnia and Herzegovina are unclear and often the cause of disputes.
Background
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, the territory of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided into many more or less independent small states. Then the westernmost part of Herzegovina became part of the kingdom of Croatia, while the rest was incorporated by the Byzantine Empire. After 1320, all these lands became part of the Bosnian kingdom. In a document sent to Frederick III on January 20, 1448, the Bosnian Duke Stjepan Vukčić Kosača called himself Herzog (from herizogo: Duke of Army in Old High German) of San Sava, so the lands he controlled became (later) the Herzegovina.
In 1482 the Herzog was defeated by the Ottoman Turks. In the Ottoman Empire, Herzegovina was organized as a province (sanjak) in the state (pashaluk) of Bosnia. The name of the state changed to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1853, as a result of a series of political events. After the Second Balkan War (1914) theAustria-Hungary occupied it taking advantage of the decline of the Turkey.
In 1995, it was the subject of contention between Croatia and Yugoslavia, and eventually a UN force intervened to restore peace in the region, which did much damage, including the destruction of the Starimost of Mostar, one of the most famous monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Due to some political events of the 19th century, it was decided that the region of Herzegovina in Bosnia should be mentioned in the official name, changing it from Bosnia to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Spoken languages
The official language is the Bosnian, Slavic language extremely related to Serbo-Croatian. These languages are also spoken in their respective ethnic enclaves.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
- Mostar - The main urban center of Herzegovina and the capital de facto.
- Grude - Grude was capital de facto of the Croatian secessionists of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia.
- Konjic - It is in a mountainous area and very rich in woods.
- Medjugorje - Place of pilgrimage. The locality of Međugorje gained worldwide visibility starting from 24 June 1981, when some young people residing there (Vicka Ivanković, Mirijana Dragičević, Marija Pavlović, Ivan Dragičević, Ivanka Ivanković and Jakov Čolo, aged between 10 and 16 at the time) they began to claim to have cyclically appearances of the Virgin Mary in the locality of Podbrdo, who would present herself to them with the title of "Queen of Peace" (Kraljica Mira), trusting various messages and prescriptions. Over the decades Medjugorje has thus become a popular destination for religious pilgrimages.
- Neum - It is the only outlet to the sea in the Balkan state. The city and its hinterland at the same time separate Croatian southern Dalmatia from the rest of Croatia.
- Trebinje - It is a municipality located on the border with Croatia, not far from Ragusa
- Čapljina - It is located on the border with the Croatia and is 20 km from the Adriatic Sea.
- Široki Brijeg - It is famous for being the scene of a massacre of 30 Franciscan friars, carried out on 7 February 1945 by communist partisans during the Second World War.
How to get
By plane
The main airports in Herzegovina are illustrated below:
- [link not working]Mostar International Airport (IATA: OMO). is an airport that serves the city of Mostar and the religious site Medjugorje, located in the village of Ortiješ, 7.4 km southeast of the Bosnian city railway station. National and international flights.
On the train
For now (2018), there are no international connections. The railway line is managed by two companies operating in the area, the Željeznice Bosne i Hercegovine (operating in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Željeznice Republice Srpske (operating in the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Consult the respective web portals for information according to timetables and rates (in Bosnian Mark).
By bus
There are numerous international connections from the Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Albania, Kosovo is North Macedonia.
How to get around
By car
The conditions of the road surface are poor. Encourage freeway movement. Pay attention to the Highway Code, using common sense. Alcoholism is severely punishable by current legislation, both in Serbian-Bosnian, Croatian-Bosnian territory and elsewhere.
On the train
The most popular tourist route is the Sarajevo-Mostar (Željeznice Bosne i Hercegovine).
What see
What to do
At the table
Herzegovinian cuisine has undergone numerous Central European (Austro-Hungarian Empire), Greek and Turkish influences. It has many similarities with the rest of the Balkans.
Among the dishes:
- Trahana, homemade pasta soup;
- Cevap, skinless sausage accompanied by spices and vegetables;
- Burek, savory pie filled with meat (not pork), vegetables and spices;
- baklava, puff pastry accompanied by honey.
Safety
The situation does not appear completely normalized, given the presence of ethnic tensions and episodes of more or less violent crime. It is recommended to avoid gatherings and demonstrations, especially of a political nature. The muggings are frequent, especially in summer in tourist areas. Therefore it is advisable to keep any documents in safe places. The ascertained presence of unexploded mines scattered over the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a constant danger that requires particular vigilance, particularly with reference to outdoor activities in sparsely populated areas. Visitors are therefore advised to constantly pay the utmost attention in transfers outside built-up areas, avoiding going into unfamiliar, little-frequented and unpaved areas.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Herzegovina
Commons contains images or other files on Herzegovina
