Two hills, two different stories
Most visitors to Međugorje end up on one or both of two hills. They are close to the village, but they mean different things, and it helps to know which is which before you set out.
Apparition Hill is where the story of Međugorje starts. From 24 June 1981, six local young people reported visions of the Virgin Mary on Crnica hill, in the hamlet of Bijakovići. Wikipedia also gives the name Podbrdo for the place, and most visitors now call it Apparition Hill. A blue cross stands on the slope, as the photograph above shows.
Cross Mountain, in Croatian Križevac, is a separate climb with a different history. A twelve-metre concrete crucifix stands on top. Wikipedia says it was completed in 1934, to complete the parish’s Stations of the Cross. That is almost five decades before the reported apparitions, so many pilgrims treat the climb as part of the older parish devotion.
The Church’s position, briefly
The Catholic Church has not declared the reported events supernatural. In 2019 the Vatican authorised organised pilgrimages without declaring the apparitions authentic. On 19 September 2024 the Holy See issued a Nulla Osta, a formal “nothing stands in the way”, which endorses devotion to Our Lady, Queen of Peace, without ruling on the apparitions themselves.
We take no view on whether the reported events happened. Our job here is to tell you what the two hills are and how to visit them well. The wider background is on the main Međugorje page.
Apparition Hill (Podbrdo)
Apparition Hill is the shorter and easier of the two outings, though easier is relative. The slope is rocky, so the path can be uneven and loose underfoot. We have not checked how long the walk takes from the village, and no source we trust gives a reliable figure, so we give none. Ask at your accommodation or at the parish.
Under the Yugoslav authorities the hill was a contested place. According to Wikipedia, the authorities opposed the gatherings, pilgrims were barred and access to the hill was largely blocked. Today it is open to walkers, and many people visit quietly, alone or in small groups, sometimes to pray and sometimes simply to see the place.
The parish holds a rosary on Apparition Hill on Sundays. The official prayer programme gives a winter time of 2pm and a summer time of 4pm. If you want to join, arrive a little early and treat it as a religious service, not a photo stop.
Cross Mountain (Križevac)
Križevac is the longer, steeper outing. The cross at the top is hard to miss from the village. We have not verified the height of the hill above the village, the length of the climb or the condition of the path, so plan for a proper hill walk and ask locally about conditions on the day, especially after rain.
The path up is also the Stations of the Cross, which is why so many people walk it slowly and stop along the way. If you go at a walking pace without joining a service, step aside for those who are praying.
The parish holds the Stations of the Cross on Križevac on Fridays. The official programme gives a winter time of 2pm and a summer time of 4pm. If you want the path to yourself, a different day may suit you better.
The parish timetable
Both services above come from the parish’s official prayer programme, which we read in a browser on 25 October 2026. The page also lists the evening prayer programme, adoration, veneration of the Cross and Masses in many languages. It changes, and the winter and summer switch-over dates are not the same for every service, so use it as a guide and check the programme at medjugorje.hr before you plan a day around a service.
The parish site also has a page of instructions for pilgrims. When we checked, that page did not load in a plain web fetch, so we have not relied on it. If you want the parish’s own guidance on climbing or dress, read it there.
What to wear and bring
We do not have an official dress code to quote, so this is general advice for any pilgrimage place on a hill.
- Shoes. Wear sturdy shoes with a good grip, not sandals. The ground is rocky.
- Clothes. Dress modestly. Covered shoulders and knees are a sensible default at a place of worship.
- Water. Carry more than you think you need, especially from late spring to early autumn.
- Sun protection. A hat and sun cream help, as there is little shade on open rock.
- Light layers. The weather can differ between the village and the top of a hill.
- A bag, not a rucksack full of kit. You will carry everything up yourself, so keep it light.
Going early in summer
Summer in Herzegovina is hot. The practical point for the hills is simple: go early. Setting off in the morning keeps you out of the hottest part of the day, and the open rock gives little shade. The parish’s own summer times for the Stations and the rosary are in the afternoon, so if you join a service, take plenty of water and allow time for the heat.
In cooler months the same walks are more comfortable, but wet rock is slippery, so the shoe advice matters more, not less.
Respect on the hills
Both hills are places of prayer first. Keep your voice low, do not play music, and ask before you photograph anyone at prayer. Take your rubbish with you. If a group is praying on the path, wait or step aside until they have finished, then carry on.
Fitting the hills into a visit
The two hills and the village centre can be done in a day if you are fit and start early, but a single day does not leave much time for anything else. If you are coming from the coast, a day trip works best as part of a longer organised tour, which is covered on our getting to Međugorje page. If you plan to stay overnight, see where to stay in Međugorje. Another easy half-day from Mostar is the Kravice waterfalls, and Počitelj sits on the same road as Međugorje on many routes.
