Čengića Bara is a high pasture on the plateau around Kalinovik, in the mountainous heart of eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is one of the most remote of the stećci sites listed by UNESCO in 2016. A group of medieval tombstones stands in the open grassland, carved with simple decorations, weathered by centuries of wind, snow and sun. Few visitors make it here, and that is part of the appeal. The stones seem to belong to the landscape itself, as much as the rocks and the grass around them.
The area between Kalinovik, Nevesinje, Gacko and Foča is a land of high plateaus, deep valleys and forested mountains, including Treskavica, Visočica and the wild ranges of Zelengora further east. Shepherds still bring their flocks up to the summer pastures, and the villages are small, scattered and often half empty, a legacy of war and emigration. The light is clear and the air is cool, even in summer, and the silence is broken only by the wind and the bells of the sheep.
Riding here needs preparation. The roads to Kalinovik from Sarajevo, Foča or Nevesinje are mostly paved, but they are narrow, winding and sometimes potholed, and the side roads to the pastures may be gravel or dirt. Distances are longer than they look on the map, and services are very limited. Snow can block the high roads from late autumn to spring, and storms can build quickly on summer afternoons.
There is also a serious practical point. Parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina still have areas contaminated by landmines from the war of the 1990s, especially in remote mountain regions. Stay on paved roads and well-used tracks, do not wander into abandoned fields or ruined buildings, and respect any warning signs, usually red with a skull. Local people can advise on safe routes.
The nearest towns with fuel and supplies are Nevesinje, Gacko and Foča, all around thirty kilometres away, so fill the tank before heading into the mountains. The reward is a landscape that few outsiders ever see, with wide horizons, wildflowers in early summer, and evenings of extraordinary stillness. A simple meal of local cheese, bread and grilled meat in a village kafana tastes better here than almost anywhere else.