While the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina may look landlocked, Neum is its only access to the sea. (Image: Getty)
When the former Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s, came to dominate the Adriatic Sea with almost 4,000 miles of coastline. Macedonia and , meanwhile, have no coastline at all.
also looks landlocked when you look at a map, however, if one is to look closely you find the beautiful coastline town of Neum, which cuts Croatia neatly in two.
At only 12 miles long, the entire coast can be walked in a single afternoon. By comparison, it would take about six days to walk the length of Croatia and not even by taking the coastal road.
It is the second-shortest coastline in the world, after with just 2.38 miles. Even the tiny islands of Nauru and Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean have more beaches than Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Dubrovnik was so afraid of a Venetian attack that it gave away the land to give itself a buffer against Venice. (Image: Google Maps)
Following the Great Turkish War of the late 17th-century and the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz, was so afraid of a Venetian attack that it gave away the small parcel of land to give itself a buffer against . Thus, Neum became a permanent part of the region’s Ottoman-rules provinces, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As such, for tourists travelling from Split to Dubrovnik, the city made famous thanks to , one must cross two international borders. In 2013, Croatia joined the , bringing in tighter border security and long traffic backups during the summer.
Therefore, it makes sense that this beautiful coastal town should be included in any itinerary of cruising along the Adriatic Coast.
For those seeking a budget-friendly holiday with a peaceful atmosphere and a destination steeped in history, Neum is the perfect place. The Neum Corridor, as it is also called, is home to just 4,700 people.
Sheltered in a closed bay, Neum is not affected by rough ocean currents and boasts a calm sea, making its ideal for families and children. Besides swimming and sunbathing, you can take Adriatic tours with rental boats, visit nearby islands, or engage in activities including diving, jet skiing and water skiing.
In the evening, one can enjoy an evening meal of fresh seafood against the backdrop of a stunning sunset.
Neum is a a budget-friendly holiday with a peaceful atmosphere and a destination steeped in history. (Image: Getty)
Neum is also home to a rich area behind its coastline. From the town, you can travel north for about an hour-and-half for a historical tour of . Built by an apprentice of the renowned architect Mimar Sinan in 1556, the bridge holds significant historical importance due to its witnessing of wars. You can observe the unique view of the reconstructed bridge, following its collapse in 1993 due to shelling during the Croat-Bosniak War, from the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque garden.
For a touch of nature, you can also visit the , which boasts a lake of 120 metres, formed by a cascading waterfall from the Trebizat River. Its height is about 25 metres.
In the summer, Neum boasts pleasant temperatures of around 24C, with average sea temperatures of 28C in July and August.
On , one visitor said: “This amazing coastline is a real pleasure to travel along. There seems to be endless coves and little islands with historic villages tucked away or clutching on to the hills. If we had time I think that we would have stopped at them all”.
Another said: “As coastlines go, the drive along the Neum Coast was uncongested and serene… a necessary pitstop on our return to Dubrovnik”.