The Nevesinjsko polje is a broad, flat-floored basin high in the karst of eastern Herzegovina, ringed by bare limestone hills, and at Krekovi, near its edge, a group of stećci known as Kalufi stands in the grass. These medieval tombstones, carved between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, belong to the transnational World Heritage Site inscribed in 2016. At Krekovi you find slabs, chests and gabled forms, some decorated with crosses, rosettes and borders, set in rows facing roughly east to west in the old tradition.
Nevesinje, nine kilometres away, has a famous place in Balkan history. In 1875 the Christian peasants of the area rose against Ottoman rule, an uprising remembered as the Nevesinje rifle, which spread across Herzegovina and Bosnia and set off a chain of events leading to the great Eastern crisis, wars between Russia and the Ottoman Empire and, in 1878, the Congress of Berlin. Few visitors realise that such a quiet place helped redraw the map of Europe.
The polje itself is a typical karst feature: water disappears into sinkholes, and the basin floods in wet winters, becoming a lake for weeks or months. In summer it is a sea of grass and fields, with herds of sheep and cattle and the occasional horse. The surrounding hills are covered with scrub, juniper and stunted oaks, and the light is harsh and bright at midday, soft and golden in the evening.
The main road from Mostar to Nevesinje climbs out of the Neretva valley in a series of curves, past Blagaj, where a dervish monastery stands beneath a cliff at the source of the Buna river, one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Beyond Nevesinje, roads lead across the high plateaus to Gacko and towards Montenegro, with long straights and wide views. The asphalt is mostly fair, but potholes and livestock are common hazards.
Nevesinje has fuel stations, a bakery or two and plenty of cafés. Mostar, with its famous bridge and old town, is about an hour away. As elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, landmines from the war of the 1990s remain in some areas, so stay on roads and well-used paths. Grilled lamb, cheeses from the high pastures and strong coffee are the local staples.