Livno sits on the edge of a huge karst plain, the Livanjsko polje, the largest of its kind in the Dinaric mountains, ringed by bare limestone ridges. In winter the plain floods and becomes a shallow lake, in spring it turns green, and in summer it is a patchwork of hay meadows with the dark mass of Cincar mountain rising behind. The town is about twelve thousand people and has an unhurried, provincial air, with a small old quarter, a mosque and Catholic and Orthodox churches standing within a short walk of each other.
Livno is famous for cheese. Livanjski sir, a hard, sheep-and-cow cheese cured for months and rich in flavour, is one of the best in Bosnia, and every household has a favourite supplier. Wild horses roam free on the slopes of Cincar and on the plain, descendants of animals abandoned long ago, and you may see herds from the road, which makes night riding a hazard because the horses are not always easy to see.
From a rider's point of view, Livno is a stopping point on a route between the Adriatic and the interior. The road over the pass from Split climbs through the Dinara mountains in sweeping bends and drops onto the plain, where long straights and distant peaks make for easy, open riding. To the north-east, the road crosses the Kupres plateau, a high, treeless landscape that can be bleak in winter and glorious in summer. Surfaces are generally acceptable but patchy in places, and winter ice and fog can make the high passes treacherous.
Fuel is easy in Livno, which has several stations, and it is a sensible place to top up before crossing the mountains. Try a plate of the local cheese with smoked ham and fresh bread, and a glass of homemade rakija if you are not riding on. The best months are May to September, with warm days and cool evenings. Remember that you will need a Green Card for insurance in Bosnia, and keep documents handy at the border.