- Ottoman rule over the town
- 1471 to 1878
- South of Mostar, about 30 minutes by car
- About 25 to 30 km
- War years in which the village was damaged
- 1992 to 1995
A village stacked on a hill
Počitelj is a walled village that climbs a steep hillside on the left bank of the Neretva. Stone houses, a mosque and a fortress overlook the road. It is a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is described by Wikipedia as a historic fortified village and open-air museum. In practice that means you walk up cobbled lanes between old houses and enjoy the view from the top.
It lies about 25 to 30 km south of Mostar, roughly 30 minutes by car. Euro City Guide gives 25 km and Wikipedia about 30, so treat it as a range.
A short history
The town was probably first built by King Tvrtko I around 1383, though Wikipedia calls this uncertain. It was fortified again between 1463 and 1471 by Vladislav Hercegović. The Ottomans took it in 1471 and held it until 1878. Most of what you see reflects that Ottoman period.
The village was damaged in the war of 1992 to 1995. Wikipedia notes that sixteenth-century works of Islamic architecture were destroyed. What stands today has been rebuilt and repaired, so some of the stonework is newer than it looks.
What to see
The mosque. The domed mosque is called the Šišman Ibrahim Pasha Mosque, or the Hajji Alija Mosque. Wikipedia says it was built in 1563 by Hajji Alija, son of Musa, and repaired in the seventeenth century by Šišman Ibrahim Pasha, after whom locals named it. It is a single-room domed mosque known for its acoustics. It was restored in the 1970s, badly damaged in 1993 and restored again in 2002. Friends of Počitelj, a heritage group, says the 1993 damage destroyed the dome and minaret.
The citadel. The fortress was probably first built by King Tvrtko I in 1383, though Wikipedia says the exact date cannot be pinned down. Its tower overlooks the village from a cliff above the Neretva. The Ottomans extended the fortifications a great deal. The main tower is called the Gavran-captain tower, and we found no construction date for it.
The clock tower. The Sahat Kula, a clock tower, stands near the river towards the southern walls. We found no date or builder for it.
Gavrankapetanović House. Wikipedia says this was built at the end of the sixteenth century as a home for the town’s captains. It is the only house in the village with separate rooms for men and women. It hosted an artists’ colony from 1961 to 1975, was set on fire in the war and was restored in 2003. Other sources give slightly different dates for the colony.
Other buildings. Wikipedia lists a madrasa (Islamic school), a hammam (bath) and a han (caravanserai, an inn for travellers), now a multimedia centre, among the Ottoman buildings. It gives no dates or builders for them.
Wear shoes with good grip, and bring water in warm months, as Mostar’s July and August highs average about 33 C. The lanes are steep, and the fortress on the ridge is the place for views back over the Neretva and the red roofs.
Protection and recognition
The walled town is a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, designated on 21 January 2003 according to Wikipedia. It is on UNESCO’s Tentative List but not yet inscribed. The World Monuments Watch named it one of the world’s 100 most endangered heritage sites in 1996, and the Federation government started a permanent protection programme in 2000. Wikipedia gives the population as 799 in 2013.
Combining it with other stops
Počitelj sits between Mostar and Kravice Waterfalls, so many visitors stop here on the way. Together with Blagaj it forms the usual loop. The Mostar day tour that covers all three lasts about 8 hours (checked October 2026). A Dubrovnik tour that adds Počitelj to Mostar and Kravice runs about 12 hours, and the Mostar from Dubrovnik page compares the options.
Getting there
By car, take the road south from Mostar along the Neretva. UK drivers need a 1968 International Driving Permit to use a vehicle in Bosnia. See getting there for more. The day trips overview shows how it fits with the others.
