The Neretva is the largest river of the eastern Adriatic basin and the defining waterway of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It runs 230 km in total — 208 km through Bosnia and Herzegovina, the rest through Croatia — before emptying into the Adriatic Sea. The watershed covers 10,380 km².
The river's course
The Neretva rises deep in the Dinaric Alps at the foot of Zelengora and Lebršnik mountains, at around 1,227 m elevation. Its course divides naturally into three sections.
The upper section runs from the source to Konjic, flowing south to north-northwest through steep limestone terrain. The headwaters carry Class I purity water — exceptionally cold, often just 7–8°C in summer — and cut gorges 600–800 metres deep. Just below Konjic, the river briefly widens into a fertile valley before the artificial Jablaničko Lake, formed by a dam near Jablanica.
The middle section begins at the confluence with the Rama River, where the Neretva abruptly turns south. It then cuts through the largest canyons of its course, carving between the mountains of Prenj, Čvrsnica and Čabulja — walls reaching 800–1,200 m. Three more hydroelectric dams were built along this stretch between Jablanica and Mostar.
The lower section begins as the river breaks out of the canyons and spreads into the fertile valley sometimes nicknamed "the California of Bosnia and Herzegovina." The final 30 km form an alluvial delta before the river reaches the sea.
Wildlife and ecology
The Neretva delta and the Hutovo Blato wetland — 7,411 hectares of it in Bosnia and Herzegovina — together form a single Ramsar-listed site recognised since 1992. The wetland hosts over 200 bird species in winter and supports a remarkable diversity of freshwater fish. The Dinaric karst river systems carry 25% of all European freshwater fish species; the Neretva alone has more threatened freshwater fish species than almost anywhere else in the Mediterranean basin, with over 30 indigenous species and a high degree of endemism.
Hutovo Blato Nature Park (established 1995) protects the core of this habitat and is open to visitors for birdwatching, fishing, cycling, and boat trips.
History
In classical antiquity the river was called Narenta or Naro, and was home to the Illyrian Ardiaei tribe, who became skilled shipbuilders and seafarers. Illyrian shipwrecks have been found at Hutovo Blato.
The most famous landmark on the river is the Stari Most (Old Bridge) at Mostar, commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and completed in 1566–67. At the time of its construction it was the widest man-made arch in the world. The bridge was destroyed by artillery in November 1993 and rebuilt using original stone and techniques; it reopened in July 2004 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is a long-standing tradition for the young men of Mostar to dive from the bridge — 24 metres above the river — into the cold water below. Only the most experienced divers attempt it.