Let's Dance the Balkans stages 9a from Blagaj to Mostar and 10 from Mostar to Gabela.
I am combining these 2 stages because the stretch from Blagaj to Mostar is only 12km. The town of Blagaj, despite being prey to mass and religious tourism, is a pearl that I believe should not be missed.
Under a limestone cliff of about 200m high flows a karst river of great flow. The place is so pleasant that it was the object of the construction of a Muslim monastery right under the wall, from which probably the whole town originates. The monastery can be visited and today it is still operating and a destination for religious tourism. In the area several hotels have sprung up that are somewhat distorting the mystique of the places due to the influx of mass tourism. Near the monastery, on the banks of the river stands another important monument, unfortunately closed (for restoration?) at the time of our visit: it is a medieval Ottoman complex called Velagic House, which was built right on the banks of the placid river, composed of original Ottoman houses with stone slab roofs, gardens and water gardens, a series of canals that lead water to several buildings once probably used as mills and carders. We hope they can open the area to the public again!
We decide to basically give ourselves a day off from cycling. I had made inquiries, and in the area there is a not difficult via ferrata. During the previous days I had managed to contact a local association (Blagaj climbing +387603281238), which offers guided tours in the area. We easily manage to rent via ferrata equipment through a young man we meet on site. In the morning before dawn and before the scorching sun vaporizes us we set off to tackle the via ferrata. The route ends right next to the Blagaj Fortress, a manor that stands on a site that has been inhabited since ancient times (perhaps since the time of the ancient Romans) and subsequently passed from hand to hand between Byzantines, Slavs and finally Ottomans, before arriving at the present day. The manor is well maintained and is worth a visit (free of charge), outside the hottest hours. The view extends over the entire Neretva Valley.