Central Bosnia is a country of green hills folded one behind another, and Maculje sits in the middle of it, a few kilometres from Novi Travnik in the Lašva valley. If you have not heard of it, you are in good company, because what draws people here is quiet and very old. Maculje is a necropolis of stećci, the massive carved limestone tombstones that medieval Bosnians, Croatians and Serbs raised between roughly the twelfth and the sixteenth centuries. They stand in the grass in rows, slabs shaped like chests and gabled roofs, with weathered carvings of crescent moons, spirals, hunters and dancers.
Nobody can say with full confidence what every motif meant, and that is part of the charm. The people who made them belonged to the medieval Bosnian realm, and the stones were left to the weather and the sheep for centuries, which is partly why so many survive. Several necropolises across the region are now on the UNESCO World Heritage list as a group. Standing in a field with the stones around you and a church bell somewhere in the valley below is a good way to feel how deep the history goes here.
The riding on the way is the real bonus. Coming from Banja Luka, the day takes you through the Vrbas gorge country and over the pass toward Gornji Vakuf, on roads that curl through beech woods and small farming villages, with the surface varying from smooth tarmac to patched and potholed stretches. Take it easy on blind bends, as tractors, livestock and the odd overtaking truck are part of the scene. Spring and early autumn give the best colour, and the afternoon light on the slopes is gentle.
Novi Travnik, with about 10,000 people just 13 km off, is the sensible place for fuel, a meal and a bed, and Gornji Vakuf is another option on the same road. Bosnian coffee, served in a small copper pot with a lump of sugar and a glass of water, is the right way to pause, and a plate of ćevapi in a bread pocket with raw onion is the unavoidable lunch. Carry some cash in convertible marks, as card acceptance in small places is not guaranteed, and keep an eye on local advice about off-road tracks, since parts of Bosnia still have unmarked mine areas away from main routes. Stick to paved or clearly used roads and you will have no trouble.