Neretva

A photo safari through the Valley of Neretva. A trip through the backwaters and canals of the River Neretva is a true joy for your eyes and soul. It’s a beautiful valley near the city of Ploce, which is our base, and we spend a lot of our time there.

Let us take you back into the past, some 70 years back. At that time, the Neretva river delta was a partly dry wasteland and partly swamp. Not many things were going around. Neretva river has a source in neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina and it flows through Croatia only for 20 kilometers. But 20 kilometers were enough for the Neretva river to make one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in Croatia.

Discover the places where once the ancient Illyrians, Greeks, Romans sailed, and the pirates of Neretva planned their raids of enemy galleys. Discover the allure of one of the last swamps on the European continent, its flora and fauna, the diversity of wild birds and the traditional lifestyle of the Neretva people.

Neretva river delta is blooming with life. Starting with birdlife, the Neretva delta has more than 300 bird species living in its landscapes and ruling over its skies. All these bird species make it the second-largest ornithological landscape in Europe. There is a birdwatching point made for all the bird lovers.

Neretva valley is full of drainage canals and when observed from the air, these canals make a real labyrinth. These canals are like roads in Neretva valley since there are some parts of the land accessible only by boats. So you could say that the Neretva river delta is like a Croatian Venice.

Its delta has very fertile soil and all the cultures that are growing here were planned when the Neretva delta was being born  and it is was some 70 years ago. This valley is often called “Croatian California”. The most common fruit found in Neretva valley is tangerine.

Neretva river delta is famous for its gastronomy specialties too. The most famous local specialties include eels and frogs. Brodetto is another famous local dish and in the past, locals were boiling sea stones when making brodetto to make it saltier.