Ljubu\u0161ki, located along the Trebi\u017eat River, is one of Herzegovina\u2019s most beautiful natural gems. The river itself creates some of the most attractive waterfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly Kravica and Ko\u0107u\u0161a, which are must-visit spots for nature lovers and fans of active recreation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city stands out for its rich cultural and historical heritage, reflecting the continuity of life through nearly all periods of human history. From the remains of the Roman military camp Gra\u010dine, to the Humac Tablet\u2014one of the oldest written monuments of Croatian literacy\u2014to the medieval Old Town of Ljubu\u0161ki and numerous necropolises with ste\u0107ci (medieval tombstones), Ljubu\u0161ki is a place of strong identity and deep roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surrounded by fertile landscapes and known as a healthy gastronomic oasis, Ljubu\u0161ki today combines natural beauty, cultural heritage, and hospitality. As part of the Tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/strong>route, Ljubu\u0161ki offers a unique cycling experience through a landscape where sport naturally meets history and authentic Herzegovinian ambiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n History of Ljubu\u0161ki<\/strong> The Ljubu\u0161ki area, as evidenced by numerous historical remains, was a highly desirable place for settlement from ancient times. The first known inhabitants were the Illyrians\u2014Daorsoni\/Daorsi\u2014who settled in the Trebi\u017eat valley. They were later displaced by the warlike Ardijejci and Delmati, who briefly settled in western Ljubu\u0161ki. Numerous remains indicate a vibrant and active life during the Illyrian period. Stone mounds, of which there are over a thousand in Ljubu\u0161ki, primarily served as tombs for prominent members of Illyrian clans. The fall of the Illyrian tribes and the arrival of the Romans radically changed the ethnological, topographical, and economic landscape. Evidence of this includes two Roman-era settlements: Bigeste (in Radi\u0161i\u0107i and Humac) and Pagus Scunasticus (likely at Mostarska Vrata). Bigeste was initially a rest station, later a Roman military camp, with remains excavated at Gra\u010dine in Humac. Pagus Scunasticus was a veteran settlement for retired Roman soldiers, as evidenced by two inscribed stone plaques found at Zorbinovac. Numerous stone inscriptions, mostly tombstones related to military units, are preserved in the Franciscan Museum in Humac. After the Romans, Croats arrived in the 7th century. Due to scarce remains from this period, it appears that the Ljubu\u0161ki area experienced economic and cultural decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the few and most significant remnants is the famous Humac Tablet, an inscription in Old Croatian Cyrillic from the 12th century, which describes the construction of the Church of St. Michael for a parish of unknown name. The most numerous medieval monuments in Ljubu\u0161ki are the ste\u0107ci. Around 600 ste\u0107ci have been recorded at 45 sites in Ljubu\u0161ki, with archaeologist Radoslav Dodig noting 617 in total. Ljubu\u0161ki is also known for the medieval tower on Butorovice Hill above the city, declared a national cultural monument in 2004. Local legend attributes its construction to Duke Stjepan Vuk\u010di\u0107 Kosa\u010da, although it predates him. When the Ottomans conquered Ljubu\u0161ki in 1472, they expanded the fortifications, built accommodations for troops, and constructed a mosque in 1558.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Ottoman rule, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy came to power. By the Congress of Berlin, Austria received consent to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina. The army of Austrian General Jovanovi\u0107 entered Ljubu\u0161ki on August 2, 1878, from the direction of Vrgorac. Austrian administration (1878\u20131918) marked a period of revival for Ljubu\u0161ki in terms of infrastructure, agriculture, industry, culture, and administration.\n\nIn 1884, culturally conscious Franciscans, led by Fra An\u0111elo Nui\u0107, established a museum in Humac near Ljubu\u0161ki, modeled after many European museums. The Humac Museum is also the oldest museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A rich library was also established at the Humac monastery, today housing over 20,000 titles from the 16th to 19th centuries, covering almost all areas of natural and social sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During World War I (1914\u20131918), Ljubu\u0161ki faced famine, poverty, the Spanish flu, and other hardships. Similar conditions continued during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918\u20131941). From 1945 to 1990, under the communist and socialist system of the FNRJ\/SFRJ, many Croats emigrated. Nonetheless, Ljubu\u0161ki developed industrially and agriculturally, albeit at a slow pace.\n\nAfter the Dayton Peace Agreement, Ljubu\u0161ki became part of Canton 8 within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with Grude, Posu\u0161je, and \u0160iroki Brijeg.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ljubu\u0161ki, smje\u0161ten uz rijeku Trebi\u017eat, jedan je od najljep\u0161ih prirodnih bisera Hercegovine. Upravo ova rijeka stvara neke od najatraktivnijih slapova u Bosni i Hercegovini, me\u0111u kojima se posebno isti\u010du Kravica i Ko\u0107u\u0161a, nezaobilazne to\u010dke za ljubitelje prirode i aktivnog odmora. Grad se isti\u010de bogatom kulturnom i povijesnom ba\u0161tinom koja svjedo\u010di o kontinuitetu \u017eivota kroz gotovo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3430","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
According to local tradition, Duke Stjepan Vuk\u010di\u0107 Kosa\u010da began building the town of Ljubu\u0161ki in honor of his wife Ljubu\u0161a, after whom, legend says, the town was named. In written sources, the city is first mentioned in 1435 under the name \u201cLubussa.\u201d It was not until the second half of the 19th century that Ljubu\u0161ki appeared on maps with its current name. More recently, older documents discovered in the Dubrovnik archives mention a church and monastery in Ljubu\u0161ki on February 15, 1435.<\/p>\n\n\n\n