Given the ancient route that it follows through the Central Dinaric Alps, the Ciro Trail is a very modern adaptation of it, having only opened in 2017. That was Bosnia-Herzegovina’s 25th anniversary of independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and also the same anniversary of the year that war broke out in the region. So this cycling trail, which facilitates freedom of passage between two beautiful Balkan countries, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), was a significant cross-border achievement. At the time, even 25 years later, tourists were still hesitant to explore BiH, but times have changed thankfully, and BiH is one of many booming Balkan countries. Although many parts of the route feel like they’ve hardly changed at all.
What is the route of the Ciro Trail?
The Ciro Trail follows the route of a former narrow gauge railway that ran between Dubrovnik, the UNESCO-listed medieval walled town on the shores of the Adriatic and Mostar in BiH. The 140km route was originally created for trains because it was an easy connection between Bosnia-Herzegovina’s highlands and Croatia’s coast, following the Neretva River for a large part. Actually in its Austro-Hungarian heyday, the train route went as far north as Vienna.
Our Ciro Trail self-guided cycling holiday starts in Sarajevo, meaning that you also can take some time to explore the capital and mountains that envelop it before sliding onto the Ciro. Once you get to Mostar, you cycle along the Neretva River from Mostar to Čapljina, then on through Hutovo Blato Nature Park, a soothing landscape of protected wetlands. From here, the Ciro Trail finally descends through the Dinaric Alps over the border to the coast. The route is peppered with ancient monasteries, mountain villages and, as it’s a former railway route, it has superb railway architecture, including some impressive tunnels, along the way.
Highlights of the Ciro Trail
Sarajevo and its environs
Although it’s not on the Ciro Trail, we have added Sarajevo onto our itinerary so that you can experience this cool capital but also the mountains and lakes that surround it. Its dramatic location in the heart of the Dinaric Alps hits you instantly, with five peaks surrounding the city, the highest being Treskavica at 2,088m. As you spend a night in Sarajevo too, you have time to take in the ancient cobbled streets, museums, cafes and cool contemporary life. As you leave the city, you get to dive into the Dinarics a bit, heading through the Bjelašnica and Visočica mountains, following an ancient Ottoman trading route. There are some gorgeous glacial lakes en route too including Boračko where you spend the night.
Mostar
Mostar’s most celebrated spot is probably Stari Most Bridge over the Neretva River, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Decimated during the Yugoslav Wars, its restoration is considered a strong symbol of Muslim, Croat and Serb reconciliation. While you walk around the town itself, seek out the ‘Don’t forget stone’ which invites you to reflect on the tragedies of the Wars, as well visiting the Old Town shops, markets and Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque, with its superb view of Stari Most.
Blagaj Tekija Monastery
This is just one of many architectural and ecclesiastical gems that you spot along the Ciro Trail, but this, just outside Mostar, takes your breath away. It’s perched on a 200m cliff, and really worth a visit to learn about the dervish spiritual practices that started here in the 16th century, at the height of the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to its elevation, you also get some superb views of the river.
Hutovo Blato Nature Park
This wetland is part of the Neretva Basin and is made up of six interconnected lakes, where migratory and local birds dip from one to another, and endemic fish have a clear run to the Adriatic. Which is only about 15km away, as the crow flies, along with pygmy cormorant, many species of heron, eagle owl, crane and stork. There are wild horses claiming their sublime spots here too. For more information, see birdingplaces.eu.
Vjetrenica Cave
This is the biggest cave in Bosnia-Herzegovina, located near the village of Zavala, on the southern side of the Dinaric Mountains. You cycle there on day six of your eight day cycling holiday along the Ciro Trail. You also stay in Zavala that night, so you have plenty of time to explore its 600m of trail paths, stalactites and stalagmites, lakes and streams. Although the cave is just over 7km in length, so it feels vast. Its collection of endemic fauna, as well as its geological formations, means that it was welcomed onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in August 2024.
White water rafting on the Neretva River
This is an optional extra on our Ciro Trail cycling holiday, but it’s a superb way to get a very different perspective of the Neretva River. It takes place on day three of your holiday, when you stay at Boračko Lake, which is the starting point for the rafting excursion. It’s a four hour adventure, so many people book an extra day in order to do it, rather than adding it on to the end of a day of cycling. But it’s worth it, joining expert guides along a 23km white water course that takes in waterfalls, canyons and some nifty rapids.
Dubrovnik
It’s really the Ciro Trail of two cities, and this second one is nicknamed the pearl of the Adriatic. Dubrovnik’s Old Town is also a well deserved UNESCO site, a medieval walled city that protects and prettifies this already stunning coast. It can get crowded when the cruise ships come in, but early mornings and evenings are quieter. That’s when it’s best to wander its ancient walls, take a cable car up to Mount Srd, or sip a local Lasina wine in the Old Town.
How hard is it to cycle the Ciro Trail?
Most of the trail is on a gravel or dirt path, with some paved sections. The gravel can be loose in parts, making it a bit more challenging, especially for those not used to off-road cycling. So it’s good to get some training in before you go. As most of the Ciro Trail sections are on a former railway path, they can be quite flat, but the gradients can be more challenging on the days before you hit the trail, through the Bjelašnica and Visočica Mountains.
We do rent out top notch bikes of course, the price of which is included in the tour. You cycle around 60km per day, with an average daily elevation gain of 900m, so we categorise this as one of our moderate tours and, as with all our tours, we provide detailed road notes and maps, and you have access to 24/7 local assistance. One of the toughest aspects can be the heat, as temperatures can hit 35C in summer months, and so you need to be prepared to bring lots of water, and pack for your cycling tour appropriately.
“Get out of your comfort zone. Bring back the best memories ever. Toughest, most enjoyable vacation ever. Scenery, people = absolutely amazing! 35C average (45C max) the temperatures added challenge. Some areas secluded, water management a challenge. 11 tunnels, some with bats was a surprise!” – ValDav, Montreal, on our Ciro Trail cycling holiday.
What is the best time to cycle the Ciro Trail?
This trip is available between May and October, so you can avoid the summer crowds and heat quite easily. Although Bosnia-Herzegovina is cooler than Croatia, as it’s more mountainous. You’ll even notice this in Sarajevo which, being surrounded by mountains, can get four seasons in a day. In May, average temperatures range from 7-18C in Bosnia-Herzegovina so layer up, with temperatures gradually going up through the summer, dipping to between 4-15C in October. In between, you can melt on a summer’s day.
Accommodation on the Ciro Trail
You won’t get the Radisson or Hilton on this trail, but you will get sustainable and traditional mountain lodges and guesthouses, including one night at Vrela Mountain Hut, which is one of the official accommodations on the Via Dinarica walking trail. Located in the Visočica foothills, it’s a top spot for sunset after a day of cycling on the Ciro. Once you get to Dubrovnik, we endeavour to book you into a small, locally-owned hotel such as the Hotel Komodor.
What trips could I combine this with?
If you’d like to make the most of your trip to the Balkans, there are many other options to combine with a cycling holiday on the Ciro Trail. You could do a week of self-guided hiking on the Bosnia-Herzegovina section of the Via Dinarica, which ends in Sarajevo (we also offer a guided version of this holiday). Or you could dive into the Dalmatian Islands, on an island-hopping walking holiday that takes you to beauties like Mljet, Lopud, Sipan.
The Balkans are just bursting with adventurous energy, and there are many spots that are still not known so well internationally. We cover a lot of them in our blog, Bigging up the Balkans, but you can also read about the Via Dinarica and Peaks of the Balkans long-distance trails in more detail, as well as our Six best hikes in Bulgaria.
