Description of Cycling holiday in Bosnia & Montenegro

This nine day cycling holiday of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro is a carefully crafted circuit traversing some of Europe’s most underrated and yet spectacular mountains. Actually starting in the magnificent town of Dubrovnik in Croatia, we leave the tourist crowds behind to hit the hills in BiH. Or the Dinaric Alps to be precise. With six full days of cycling, this moderate to strenuous holiday takes on not just the ascents and descents of the Dinarics, but also through the softer wine region, Popovo Polje, stopping at traditional mountain villages or dramatic limestone caves.

Our mountain efforts in BiH take us finally into the Orijen mountain range which dips down to the Adriatic shores of Montenegro, where we spend a night in the Bay of Kotor. Wih plenty of well earned swimming on the cards. We spend a day on the other side of the Bay, taking a boat to the Listica Peninsula where we have a change of scenery cycling through olive groves and small farming settlements, and spending a night in the Venetian style town of Perast, with waterfront churches and palaces.

More mountains await in Montenegro’s Lovcen National Park, one of the highlights of this holiday for many cyclists, albeit challenging, with its famous serpentine road boasting 29 switchbacks. This is also home to the mausoleum of the country’s beloved ruler, philosopher and poet, Njegos who died in 1851 and thought of as a national hero of peace and human rights. We stay in a mountain lodge on this night of the trip.

Descend from these heights down to one of Montenegro’s most precious regions in terms of natural heritage, Skadar National Park, named after the eponymous lake and where we stay in the traditional fishing village of Virpazar. One last cycling challenge awaits before heading to Dubrovnik for a final day of rest, shopping and enjoying hanging out by the shore. Popping back into BiH, we climb Mt Velez, which overlooks the stunning, medieval town of Mostar. Descending into Mostar we cycle past its famous old bridge over the Neretva River. A bridge that was built during the Ottoman Empire, was destroyed during the war but has now been rebuilt. It has also become the country’s symbol of Muslim, Croat and Serb reunification, peace and reconciliation. A fine way to finish our journey around this country where cyclists not only pedal in peace, but are always welcomed with open arms.