How optimistic this year was for the necropolis of Radimlja stecak necropolis near Stolac is shown by the fact that this, one of the most valuable monuments of the medieval period in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), according to official data, was more visited in the first six months of this year than in the record 2019, by as much as 15 percent.
Positive trend
This was confirmed by Maja Lopin, director of the Public Institution “Radimlja”, emphasizing that in May this year, there was an increasing number of school excursions, and an increasing influx of individual arrivals, including a very large number of foreign guests.
”We ended May of 2019 and May this year with a difference of 1.000 guests. By opening the road Stolac – Neum, a road that, admittedly, is not fully completed, but has already served its purpose, which makes us more open not only to the south of our country but also to Croatia and Montenegro, we practically got a lot of visitors, and many guests were attracted by various events held in the past period,” Lopin said.
In Radimlja, which in the summer of 2016 was on the UNESCO list of protected areas, with 21 other necropolises from BiH and eight from Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia, they hope to continue a good tourist season.
They believe, Lopin says, that the situation with the war in Ukraine, fuel prices, and general price increases will not have a greater impact on the positive trend so far.
Art colony
Along with Radimlja, she says, tourists are very interested in the Boljuni necropolis. She emphasizes that the attractiveness of that necropolis, namely, the largest in BiH under the protection of UNESCO, was especially evident during the pandemic.
”As part of the “Ciro – World Heritage Trail” project, we have equipped Boljuni for the visit of cyclists, so we are really recording an increasing number of arrivals. For the following year we plan an art colony in Boljuni,” Lopin revealed.
Numerous investments
Currently, the existing toilets on Radimlja are being renovated and expanded, but they are also being built for people with mobility difficulties.
”First of all, we believe that a necropolis is an inclusive place for people who have difficulty moving, so in previous years, when there were parking lots, curbs, sidewalks, so the driveway itself, we also made sure that we have ramps. In addition, we are continuing with the arrangement of the children’s park, and in the future, we plan to illuminate the necropolis,” she adds.
Improved infrastructure
In the last two years, they have tried to improve the infrastructure in the Public Institution “Radimlja”.
”We were lucky to receive a lot of grants and to participate in some cross-border projects, and we also responded to all calls from federal ministries, so I can freely say that 100.000 BAM was invested in infrastructure in that area alone,” Lopin concluded, Avaz writes.
E.Dz.
