Martin Brod is a small village where the Una river, after rising in the Croatian karst, flows into Bosnia and begins a series of cascades, mills and green pools that continue for many kilometres. It is a quiet, remote place, with a handful of houses along the river and the old stone mills where grain was ground for centuries, and the sound of water over rocks is everywhere. The river here is wide and shallow, with clear water running over travertine steps.
The area is in the Una National Park, and the surroundings are a mix of forest, meadow and rock, with the wooded hills of the Dinaric mountains rising on either side. It was a battlefield in the 1990s, and parts of the region were mined, which is why you should follow marked paths and stay on roads. The people here are few, mostly farmers and herders, and hospitality is a matter of pride, so if you are offered a coffee or a glass of juice, accept with a smile.
On a bike, the roads here are quiet and sometimes rough, with narrow lanes, bends through forest and some patches that need attention, so go slowly and watch for gravel. There is little traffic, and this is a place where you are likely to meet more sheep than cars. Mobile signal can be patchy, so carry a map and tell someone your plan. The best time is late spring, when the river is high and the meadows are full of flowers, and early autumn, when the beech forests turn gold.
Services are scarce, and this is a place to arrive with fuel in the tank. Orašac to the north has the nearest shops, and Bihać is the sensible town for a proper fill, so plan carefully, and take food and water. A small guesthouse or two may offer a meal of trout or lamb. It is the kind of place where the quiet is the main attraction, and a morning walk along the water, with mist rising and the mills still, is a rare pleasure.