Stećci & Heritage
Radimlja Stećci Necropolis
Stolac · Herzegovina
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Stećci & Heritage
- COUNTRY
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- REGION
- Stolac · Herzegovina
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Radimlja is a major medieval necropolis of stećci — the distinctive carved tombstones of Bosnia and Herzegovina — set just outside Stolac on the road toward Mostar. It is one of the finest and most richly decorated stećci sites in the country, famed for the variety of its carved decoration: human figures, hunting scenes, crosses, ornaments and inscriptions, spread across the stones of a medieval cemetery. The necropolis is a component of the UNESCO-inscribed transnational serial property “Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards”, inscribed in 2016, which spans sites across Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. Radimlja is the most accessible of the stećci sites for a visitor to Stolac, and reading the carved stones is the way into the medieval layer of the region.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
The stećci of Radimlja date from the 15th and 16th centuries, the late medieval and early Ottoman period, and the necropolis preserves a dense collection of richly carved tombstones associated with the local medieval society of the Bregava valley. The carvings include figures, hunting scenes, crosses, ornaments and inscriptions, and some stones are associated with named stonemasons of the period. In 2016 Radimlja was inscribed as a component of the transnational serial property “Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards” on the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognising the stećci as a distinctive medieval funerary tradition of the region. The inscription covers the necropolis itself, not the whole of Stolac.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The carved stećci — the decorated tombstones with their figures, hunting scenes, crosses and ornaments.
The inscriptions — the medieval texts carved into a number of the stones.
The stonemasons’ marks — the signs associated with named carvers of the period.
The setting — the necropolis as a medieval cemetery on the road outside the town.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Radimlja is the finest stećci site near Stolac and the most direct record of the medieval society of the Bregava valley. For a visitor it is the way into the medieval layer of the region, and the one sight at Stolac that is part of an inscribed UNESCO World Heritage property.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Radimlja Stećci Necropolis
Radimlja Stećci Necropolis, Stolac, Herzegovina, Bosnia & Herzegovina
43.0921, 17.9238
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Stolac
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THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Simple Herzegovinian fare in the small cafés and konobas of the old town — grilled meat, pies and Bosnian coffee, where available locally
River fish — trout from the Bregava prepared simply, a specialty of the Herzegovinian rivers, where available locally
Bosnian coffee served the slow way, the natural pause on any walk through the old town
Mostar and Čapljina offer a wider choice of restaurants for a sit-down meal before or after a visit
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Stolac has limited local accommodation compared with Mostar or Čapljina; most visitors come on a day trip
A small number of guesthouses in and around Stolac may be available — check current options locally
Mostar, under an hour away, is the practical base for a visit, with the widest range of hotels and guesthouses
Čapljina and the Međugorje area offer additional accommodation and are convenient for combining Stolac with Počitelj and Kravica
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