Welcome to Bileca
On the very south of Herzegovina, 30km away from Trebinje and 90km from Mostar, where continental and mediterranean climates meet, lies Bileca, a town that has always been a crossroads between Montenegro and Croatia.
The town center was built during the Austro-Hungarian rule and has a truly beautiful architecture.
Bileca is probably the only town that has a park dedicated to King’s Army in the Homeland on one side of the main street, and park of Partisan heroes on the other. They both attract their own tourists and visitors.
Culture
Monastery Dobricevo (15th century) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery, located in the village of Orah. It is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The monastery has been burned down 3 times through its history.
Stecak necropolis (medieval tombs) in Bileca is the largest collection of these tombstones in the Balkan peninsula. It was assembled in 1967 when tombs were moved to one place as a prevention from being submerged by what was later going to become the Bileca lake.
The fortress of Drakuljica is near the Bileca lake, brought up by the Austro-Hungarian authorities as one of 8 fortifications overlooking Bileca. They were all connected with cobblestone roads. The remains of these roads can be seen today.
Nature
River Vrijeka (Vrioka) is 2,5km long and disappears beneath the ground, thus flooding the field it flows through during the rainy season.
Its most distinctive feature is the abundant population of fish called gaovica (ray-finned fish). This small fish is considered a delicacy. It emerges from underwater caves especially during spring and autumn. The scientists have so far identified only 6 sorts of gaovica in the whole world, half of them hailing from the East Herzegovina area.
Adventure
Cycling lovers can take tours around Bileca lake or even enter an event on two wheels called “Lake Tour”, which an interesting way to experience the lake. The lake also offers all sorts of fishing. In the summer, one of the oldest competitive events “Somovijada” (catfish fishing) is held on the lake.
Gastro
Gastronomic offer of Bileca is most famous for dairy products. One of the largest dairy producers in the country “Padjeni” is located in the Bileca municipality.
Besides dairy, honey products are highly esteemed here.
Tourist organization of Bileca
Bileca lake
Bileca lake on the Trebisnjica river is the largest artificial water accumulation in the Balkans. Its surface area is around 33km2, depending on the water level. On the bottom of the lake there is an abandoned village, evacuated during the construction of the dam. The biggest depth of the lake is 104m, and its elevation is around 400m.
Stecak stones
Stecak necropolis Bileca is the biggest artificial necropolis of these medieval tombs in the Balkans. It was made in 1967 near the then Heritage Museum of Bileca during the action of saving and dislocating a certain number of tombs that were discovered after previously conducted archaeological research on the spring of Trebisnjica (two slabs), near Miruse – Kolanjevic (six slabs) and Panik (75 tombs).
Monastery Dobricevo
Monastery Dobricevo is located on the left side of the Bileca-Trebinje road, 12km south of Bileca near the Bileca lake, in the village of Orah. It was first located by the river Trebisnjica itself in Dobricevo village. The monastery was constructed on the foundations of an early Christian basilica in 1232, according to the monastery seal. In 1967 during a for that period very expensive and complicated process of conservation, it was moved to today’s location. The conservation was conducted in the project of preserving works of culture and art from the submerged part of the area by the joint endeavor of workers from our institutions and Standford University from Los Angeles. Because of its picturesque architecture, monastery Dobricevo is considered one of the most important Serbian medieval monasteries.
Drakuljica / Austrian-Hungarian fortress
Fortress Drakuljica, which used to be a military watch tower, is located above the Bileca lake. It was constructed after Austro-Hungarian occupation was established as one of the 8 forts on the hills overlooking Bileca. The used-to-be fort Drakuljica is located on the crossroads between the old Bileca-Trebinje road (now submerged) and today’s Bileca-Trebinje road, which follows the very lake coast and leads further to Herceg Novi and Dubrovnik.
This old watch tower can be seen from the other side of the lake as well, more precisely from the road to Montenegro. Its top offers a magnificent view on the Bileca lake.
