Trebinje

Trebinje is a town in the Herzegovina region.

Understand
Trebinje is a small city in the Trebišnjica river valley in south eastern Herzegovina, about 30 km by road from Dubrovnik, Croatia, on the Adriatic coast. Despite its small size, there is plenty going on in this town in the way of live music, festivals, outdoor activities, and nightlife. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is called "the city of sun and platan trees". The city is the economic and cultural centre of the region of Eastern Herzegovina.

By plane
Dubrovnik airport in Croatia is 30 km away from Trebinje, and maintains flights to many European destinations throughout the year. A taxi to/from the Dubrovnik airport to Trebinje should cost about €25 when arranged in Trebinje (through a taxi driver or local accommodation) and normally takes around 30 minutes. If you get a taxi from Dubrovnik airport without arranging in advance, the standard price is €60.

Tivat Airport is about 60 km away. The following airlines operate to Tivat Airport: Air Serbia (Belgrade), Turkish (Istanbul). There are also charter flights from some European cities.

Podgorica Airport is 125 km away and provides access to budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air. When arranged in Trebinje, a taxi to/from the airport costs 100 KM and takes about 2 hours.

By bus
Trebinje is in close proximity to bigger, better known cities like Dubrovnik (in Croatia), Herceg Novi (in Montenegro), and Mostar, and has bus connections to these cities. There are also daily bus connections to other major cities in the region like Sarajevo, Podgorica, Kotor, Belgrade and Novi Sad. As of August 2016, the bus from Dubrovnik to Trebinje leaves M-Sa around 13:30-13:45, costs about €5, and takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to wait for the bus to show up, as it is not uncommon for the Dubrovnik bus station to claim that the bus isn't running when it actually is. If you're coming from Kotor, consider taking a bus to Herceg Novi first, and then catch a bus from Herceg Novi to Trebinje (the last bus leaves at 20:00, costs 10 KM, and lasts about 1 hour). This will save you at least 10 KM and several hours of transit time compared to the "direct" Kotor-Trebinje bus, which makes a detour through Podgorica.

Get around
Trebinje is a small city and is best experienced by foot. It is possible to rent bicycles from Adventure Trebinje or Hostel Polako. Contact Zoran from Adventure Trebinje at +38765545070. If you are visiting the city by bicycle, there is a bicycle repair shop called Sirena just across the river from Tropic Supermarket/Market 99 that is open from roughly 09:00-13:00 and 17:00-21:00.

Eat
For some affordable, local delicacy, try ćevapčići in Sarajevski Ćevap outside the Old Town's South Gate (Južna kapija) or in Ćevabdžinica Kastel Trebinje (kod Mura) inside the Old Town. Also, don't miss ice cream from Magistra just inside the West Gate (Zapadna kapija), though you might have to queue behind a lot of local children.

Drink
Hercegovina is well known for its wine, and Trebinje is the perfect place to sample the local varieties for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. Family-run wineries dot the outskirts of Trebinje, and a degustations are available starting from 10 KM per person (including food). Zilavka is the local white wine, and Vranac is the local variety of red wine. You can find both of these wines, often from Trebinje's best winieries, at almost every cafe and bar in town. Likewise, various types of rakija purchased in a local cafe will be homemade. Be sure to stop by the local market located in the market square (piazza) every morning to find various types of homemade rakija being sold, as well as homemade wine. The best variety is on the Saturday market, when farmers come in from the villages surrounding Trebinje to sell their produce and alcohol.

Go next
Mostar is a logical choice, or head to the coast to Dubrovnik.