Nevesinjsko polje is one of the largest karst poljes in BiH, with about 18,000 ha of arable land. In summer the Zalomka flows underground for most of its course, and the Ovčiji brod bridge has been a national monument since 2018. The Pošćenje dam for the Dabar hydropower plant is being built on the polje, with the reservoir due to fill by the end of 2027, and Nevesinje potatoes and skin-matured cheese can be bought from producers on the platform.
In Nevesinje guests can see a large karst polje, a river that dries out in summer and a plateau where katuns are still in use. Contacts and a general list of attractions are in the article "Tourism in Nevesinje: attractions and the Tourist Organization contact". The facts about the polje and the river here come from the Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska and Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjici, and those about the mountains, the lake and the caves from the Tourist Organisation of Nevesinje.
In short
- Nevesinjsko polje is one of the largest karst poljes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with about 18,000 ha of fertile, arable land (TO RS, Nevesinjsko polje).
- In summer the Zalomka flows underground for most of its course (TO RS, Zalomka River).
- The Ovčiji brod bridge over the Zalomka in the village of Bratač has been a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2018, and only pedestrians may cross it (KONS decision, Official Gazette of BiH).
- Morine covers about 5,000 ha and is the largest mountain plateau and pasture in the municipality; the Tourist Organisation says katuns are still used in summer (TO Nevesinje, Morine).
- The Pošćenje dam for the Dabar hydropower plant is being built on Nevesinjsko polje, and filling of the reservoir is announced for the end of 2027 (see "What is changing").
The polje and the river
Our article on the karst of East Herzegovina explains what a karst polje is and how water disappears from it. The Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska sees Nevesinjsko polje as potential for healthy food production and eco-tourism (TO RS, Nevesinjsko polje).
According to the Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska, in summer the Zalomka flows as an underground river for most of its course (TO RS, Zalomka River). Surveys for the Trebišnjica hydropower system established that the waters of Nevesinjsko polje drain towards the Buna and Bunica and through them into the Neretva (Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjici). When the Zalomka is running, its bed looks nothing like the dry channel guests see later in the year, so tell them before they arrive what to expect.
The Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska records that flocks used to cross the Zalomka at Ovčiji brod ("sheep ford") on their way from Lower Herzegovina to Treskavica, Zelengora and Morine, returning the same way in autumn (TO RS, Zalomka River). The TO RS portal places the bridge about 13 km east of Nevesinje (visitsrpska.org, Nevesinje).
What is changing
According to the Trebišnjica hydropower company, the Pošćenje concrete dam, up to 40 m high, is being built on the lower part of Nevesinjsko polje. The reservoir behind it will have a water surface of about 904 ha and hold 61.8 million m³, and the water will be carried through a 12.25 km tunnel to the Dabar hydropower plant on Dabarsko polje (HE na Trebišnjici, HE Dabar). The tunnel was holed through in October 2025 (Trebinje Live, 24 October 2025), and filling of the reservoir is announced for the end of 2027 (Trebinje Danas, 2 November 2025). Ask the Tourist Organisation how the reservoir will change part of the polje and the course of the Zalomka before you plan riverside programmes for 2028.
Mountains and plateau
- Velež, highest peak Botin, 1,969 m. It runs for about 30 km, and its north-eastern rock wall is 13 km long and up to 420 m high (TO Nevesinje, Velež).
- Crvanj, highest peak Zimomor, 1,920 m. The Tourist Organisation recommends it for hiking, picking medicinal herbs and day trips (TO Nevesinje, Crvanj).
- Morine, about 5,000 ha of pasture with little forest. Winters bring heavy snow and blizzards, and in summer herders bring the flocks up and live in katuns. Snow has fallen on Morine even in June (TO Nevesinje, Morine), so even in summer, tell guests to bring warm clothes.
Lake Alagovac and the caves
Alagovac is an artificial lake about 4 km north of Nevesinje, created in 1968 by an earth dam. It covers 40 ha, holds 2,500,000 m³ and serves mainly as the town's water supply. The Tourist Organisation says fishing is managed by the sport fishing club "Alagovac" (TO Nevesinje, Alagovac); check with the Tourist Organisation who currently sells permits. The Tourist Organisation mentions swimming and camping "depending on the season"; before you offer either, ask who manages the shore, because the lake is a drinking-water source.
Provalija cave lies about 500 m from the Nevesinje to Gacko main road, and 4,100 m of passages have been surveyed so far (TO Nevesinje, Provalija). The entrance of Novakuša cave is 70 m wide and 20 m high (TO Nevesinje, Novakuša). Take guests inside caves only with experienced cavers; the Tourist Organisation can recommend some.
Building an offer
Half a day is enough for a walk along the Zalomka's bed to Ovčiji brod, followed by lunch on the farm. If the bed is dry, show it to guests and explain that the water is then flowing underground towards the ponor.
A day on Morine makes sense in summer: a drive up to the plateau, a visit to a katun arranged beforehand with the herders, and back for dinner. Keep a bad-weather alternative in the polje.
For local food, the TO RS portal names Nevesinje potatoes and cheese matured in a skin (sir iz mijeha) as the area's best-known products (visitsrpska.org, Nevesinje). "Nevesinjski krompir" has been a registered protected geographical indication since 4 June 2020 (Food Safety Agency of BiH). If you serve them, buy from a registered producer and see the compliance articles on the platform.
Where to taste and buy, among stakeholders on the platform:
- Potatoes and farm visits: Proizvodnja krompira Samardžić in Bratač, Proizvodnja krompira Marić and Proizvodač krompira Veso Radić.
- Cheese matured in a skin: Proizvodnja sira Glogovac in the village of Trtine, about 500 m from Ovčiji brod, and Mljekara Perfetto Plus, which has a shop in Nevesinje.
- Restaurants with local cooking: Restoran Drenovik, Restoran Bukvica, Restoran Bukovik, Restoran Bišina and Restaurant and Accommodation Pansion Stadion, which also has rooms.
Who to contact
- Turistička organizacija Nevesinje (Tourist Organisation of Nevesinje), Trg slobode bb, 88280 Nevesinje; +387 59 601 405; to.nevesinje@gmail.com (visitnevesinje.com).
Sources
- Commission to Preserve National Monuments: decision declaring the Ovčiji brod bridge in Bratač a national monument
- Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska: Nevesinjsko polje
- Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska: Zalomka River
- Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjici: basic concept of the Trebišnjica hydropower system
- Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjici: HE Dabar
- Trebinje Live, 24 October 2025: Nevesinje - Dabarsko polje tunnel holed through
- Trebinje Danas, 2 November 2025: HE Dabar timeline
- Food Safety Agency of BiH: geographical origin
- Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska: Nevesinje
- TO Nevesinje: Morine plateau
- TO Nevesinje: Velež
- TO Nevesinje: Crvanj
- TO Nevesinje: Lake Alagovac
- TO Nevesinje: Provalija cave
- TO Nevesinje: Novakuša cave
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