Foča lies where the Čehotina river meets the Drina, in the south-eastern corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a valley that has always been a crossing point. Mountains close in from every side: Zelengora and Volujak to the south, Maglić beyond, and the whole country between here and the Montenegrin border is rough, forested and sparsely settled. For a rider this is the doorway to Sutjeska National Park, and the road south from town is one of the better ways to enter the Dinaric mountains from the east.
The town itself is a mixture of centuries. It was an Ottoman trading town, and the Aladža mosque, built in the sixteenth century and later destroyed during the war of the 1990s, has since been rebuilt, a story that tells you something about the weight of recent history in this part of the Balkans. Today Foča is a regional centre of around fifteen thousand people, with the practical things you need: fuel stations, bakeries, ćevapi grills, and a river that runs clear and green at the edge of town. The Drina below is popular for rafting in the warm months, though the larger rafting runs are on the Tara to the south.
On two wheels, the road out of Foča toward Tjentište climbs and falls through steep beech and fir forest, following the valley of the Sutjeska. It is a road of long, rolling curves with the occasional narrow section, where trucks and oncoming cars demand care. The surface varies, and patches of gravel and frost heave are normal after winter. In the park itself you pass Tjentište, where a great monument to the Battle of the Sutjeska of 1943 stands in the valley, a reminder that Yugoslav Partisans fought one of their most famous engagements in this very terrain. Beyond the monument the mountains rise sharply, with Maglić, the highest peak in Bosnia, near the Montenegrin frontier.
Time your visit between late spring and early autumn, because winter snow can close the higher roads and slow the valley. Mornings are cool even in July, and afternoon storms build quickly over the high ground. Top up your tank here before heading into the park, since the valley south has few settlements and Foča is the larger town. Take cash too, as small places do not always take cards.