Trebinje is a quiet town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). It’s close to Dubrovnik, Mostar, and Montenegro, which makes it easy to add to your trip to the Balkans.
I visited Trebinje after Kotor and Budva. It was a perfect place to relax and slow down after being in crowded, busy areas. Here are my favorite things I did when I was there.
1. Drink local wine at Vinarija Vukoje.
This upscale winery has a restaurant with a breathtaking view in the mountains. I did a wine tasting here and also got a cheese plate with bread. Everything was delicious. The waiters working when I was there were very friendly and spoke English.
This was the most expensive thing I did in Trebinje but it was worth it. I paid about €35 for 4 wine tastings and the food. I felt like this was much cheaper than what you’d pay for something similar in other countries.
2. Swim at Bazen Bregovi.
The only thing missing from most towns in BiH is a beach. Luckily Trebinje has an outdoor pool where you can swim and sunbathe. The pool is made from the Trebišnjica river. The river is very clean and crystal clear. It’s free to use the pool.
3. See Hercegovacka Gracanica.
Hercegovacka Gracanica is a Serbian Orthodox Monastery with stunning architecture. It’s on top of a hill, so it’s a bit of a hike to walk here. You can also drive. You’ll be rewarded with gorgeous 360 views of Trebinje.
4. See the Arslanagica Bridge.
This 16th century Ottoman bridge can be seen from the hill at Hercegovacka Gracanica. I also recommend getting a closer look. From the river bank you can see the bridge with mountains in the background.
5. Take a walk through Gradski Park.
Gradski Park is a small, shady park in the city center. There are fountains, a Trebinje sign, and a beautiful church. It’s very quiet. This is a great place to sit and read or have a picnic.
6. Eat burek.
You should eat burek in every Bosnian town you visit. Also called pite, this flaky pastry is filled with meat, cheese, or other fillings. It’s one of the cheapest meals you can find and usually costs 1-3 euros. In BiH, the vegetarian versions have their own names:
- Burek – with meat
- Sirnica – with cheese
- Zeljanica – with cheese, spinach, and other greens
- Krompirača – with potato (vegan)
- Tikvara – with pumpkin (seasonal)
7. Enjoy the mountain and river views.
Almost everywhere you walk through Trebinje will have beautiful views of the Trebišnjica river and mountains. This was one of my favorite towns to walk around aimlessly.
Other Things to Know About Trebinje
1. It’s part of Republika Srpska.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two entities – The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. Learn more and see a map here.
This is a Serbian area of BiH and uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Most signs will be written in both the Cyrillic and Roman alphabets.
2. Transportation in Trebinje.
Trebinje is very small and you can easily walk everywhere you need to go. To get to other nearby cities, you can take a bus.
It’s about 30 minutes from the Dubrovnik airport. I recommend visiting Trebinje toward the end of your trip and then going to Dubrovnik.
3. How long to stay in Trebinje.
You could see everything on this list in a day if you need to. But if you’re a digital nomad or taking a longer trip, you could stay for a couple weeks or more. It’s the perfect place to stay if you want to slow down and save money.