Discover Zavala – Holiday Apartment and Vjetrenica

Zavala leads from a cave landscape to archaeological and ecclesiastical-historical traces and onward along a former railway line. Underground water, sacred architecture, historic tombstones and paths through the landscape give the place a range of different facets.

Nature

The entrance to Vjetrenica Cave is located 300 metres east of the centre of Zavala. Vjetrenica is a hydrologically active cave system with four watercourses, numerous smaller periodic watercourses and underground lakes. The interior of the cave therefore extends far beyond the idea of a dry cavity and reveals a landscape shaped by water.

Vjetrenica is considered one of the world’s most significant and species-rich biodiversity hotspots for animals living underground. The cave thus represents not only geological formations, but also a unique subterranean animal world.

Culture

The archaeological site of Crkvina contains the remains of a pre-Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Peter. The site also includes a necropolis with 28 Stećak tombstones. Crkvina has the status of a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Vjetrenica Cave, together with the architectural ensemble of the village of Zavala, was included in the UNESCO Tentative List of Natural Heritage on 11 December 2007. Another striking connection between architecture and landscape is shown by the church of Zavala Monastery: it is built against a rock that also forms the foundation of its northern wall. The oldest written reference to Zavala Monastery dates from 1514.

Zavala also addresses the subterranean animal world as a theme. The first exhibition of the Biospeleological Museum presented topics related to karst, the Dinarides, Popovo Polje and Vjetrenica Cave, as well as preserved specimens representing part of the subterranean animal world.

Cycling

The historic Ćiro narrow-gauge railway has been revived as a cycling trail through tunnels, across bridges and along former railway stations; Zavala is a starting point for the route. In this way, the railway line’s former function remains recognisable in its present-day use as a trail, without losing its historical context.

A guided 10-kilometre cycling tour along the Ćiro railway line and the paths of Popovo Polje starts and ends directly at the Vjetrenica Cave car park. The circular route thus links the historic railway alignment with the paths through Popovo Polje.

Geographical Context

The nearby area around Zavala includes Mount Orlovica, Mount Zečija Glava and Mount Završje. The Church of Sveti Mitar is also located nearby. The area around Zavala also includes Mount Opaljenik and the churches of Sveti Jakov and Sveti Ilija. The ruins of Hadžibegov Grad lie in the wider regional surroundings of Zavala.

More location pages:Prozor, Lakševine, Čapljina, Ivanica, Višići, Međugorje, Neum, Stolac

To the higher-level travel overview: Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.