Croatia & Bosnia: Ćiro Trail to Korčula

The Ćiro railway carried its last train in the 1970s. This tour rides what it left behind, off the busy coast at Dubrovnik and inland into the karst of Bosnia and Herzegovina, into country most riders who come here never see. It's a week that starts and ends on the Adriatic but spends its heart across the border.

The route first crosses Popovo Polje, a broad flat field where the Trebišnjica river sinks into the rock, riding to Stolac, scattered with medieval stećci tombstones beneath a hilltop fortress, then to Blagaj, where the Buna river bursts from the foot of a cliff below an old Dervish lodge, and on into Mostar and its Ottoman bridge over the Neretva. A gentler day runs down the green Neretva valley, with an optional canoe on the Trebižat.

The route then turns back to the sea: ferries carry riders to the Pelješac peninsula, stopping for lunch at a sheep farm among the vineyards, and across to Korčula, a walled town claiming to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, before a final transfer returns to Dubrovnik. Accommodation is a mix of hotels and family-run guesthouses, with one night in a former railway station on the line itself.

Highlights:

• Ride the old Ćiro railway bed across the karst fields of Popovo Polje
• Visit the medieval stećci tombstones at Stolac, a UNESCO World Heritage site
• See the Buna river burst from the cliff at Blagaj beneath an Ottoman Dervish lodge
• Cross the Stari Most, Mostar's rebuilt Ottoman bridge over the Neretva
• Island-hop by ferry via the Pelješac wine peninsula to walled Korčula
• Sleep in a former railway station on the historic Ćiro line

Surface and terrain:
Mostly quiet paved roads and rural backroads, with about 10km of well-graded gravel on the old Ćiro railway (Day 3) and short hard-packed gravel sections elsewhere. Terrain rolls throughout rather than sitting flat, averaging 547m of climbing per day (hardest day: 55km with 674m).

Weather:
Best window April–June and September–October for both countries. Summer (July–August) often exceeds 30–35°C inland, though mountain passes offer relief in Bosnia. The Adriatic coast can experience the Bura, a strong cool wind; a windproof layer is recommended for descents.

Suitable for:
Rated "Active" difficulty. Suited to riders with reasonable fitness comfortable riding several days in a row; days are short (34–55km) but consistently rolling. Best for riders drawn as much to towns, food and history as to the ride itself. Group size 4–14, minimum age 18.