Sightseeing stop in Radimlja: discover beautiful places in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Radimlja highlight

necropolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

We at Monterrasol Transfers specialize in private car transfers. Together with the transfer itself, we propose that you visit some beautiful places along the transfer route. We call such places optional sightseeing stops (short excursions).

One of the places we selected to propose as a sightseeing stop is a beautiful Radimlja in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sightseeing stops are a perfect easy opportunity to see new places during your transfer across Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially during long distance transfers. Take it as a great option to get in touch with local culture and history. It's good to combine transportation and sightseeing together!

Radimlja is a main UNESCO World Heritage Site where is possible to see so called Stecci, a monumental medieval tombstones. Radimlja necropolis located near town Stolac, and is one of the most valuable monuments of the medieval period in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Last reviewed: 26 May 2026

Radimlja description

Radimlja is a medieval necropolis situated near the historic town of Stolac in southern Bosnia-Herzegovina. It lies in Vidovo polje, approximately 3 kilometers west of Stolac, directly alongside the main road connecting Čapljina and Stolac. This convenient location, just a 40-minute drive south of Mostar, makes it one of the most accessible stećak sites in the country.

The name Radimlja is derived from the Radimlja River, a right tributary of the Bregava River that flows through the canyon near the site. The river itself rises in the southern corner of the Dabrica flatland in the Berkovići municipality. The canyon of the Radimlja is a natural monument with a unique ecosystem, abounding in unexplored caverns and cave formations.

Stećci (singular: stećak) are monumental medieval tombstones that lie scattered across Bosnia-Herzegovina and parts of Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Appearing in the mid-12th century, these carved stone monoliths reached their peak in the 14th and 15th centuries before disappearing during the Ottoman occupation in the early 16th century. They represent a unique artistic and cultural tradition of the medieval Bosnian Kingdom.

The Radimlja necropolis is widely regarded as the most beautiful and most famous stećak site in the Balkans. Today, the site contains 133 to 135 stećci, making it one of the largest collections of these medieval tombstones in existence. Almost half of the tombstones (63 of them) are decorated with bas-reliefs and engravings, making Radimlja one of the most ＂decorated＂ stećak necropolises in the region.

The majority of stećci at Radimlja date from the period 1380 to 1500 and are associated with the Vlach noble family Hrabren-Miloradović. This family lived in a settlement called Batnoge on the nearby hill of Ošanići, and the necropolis served as their family cemetery. The men of this family were voivodes (military leaders) who commanded the territory between Stolac and Mostar. According to an epitaph on one of the tombstones, Radoje Hrabren-Miloradović, one of these voivodes, was buried here. The founder of the family, Milorad, was a Vlach chieftain who lived in the second half of the 14th century. His descendants successfully integrated into the Ottoman political system, and some branches later migrated to Russia, where they became prominent nobility; the most famous is Mikhail Miloradovich, a Russian general during the Napoleonic Wars.

Contrary to popular belief that stećci are exclusively ＂Bogomil＂ tombstones, the use of these monuments was widespread among various components of late medieval Bosnian society. They were used by members of the Bosnian Church (sometimes associated with Bogomilism), Catholics, and Orthodox Slavic or Vlach communities alike. The Hrabren-Miloradović family, for example, were Orthodox Christians and belonged to the Aromanian (Vlach) ethnic group, an ancient Latin-speaking Balkan people who lived from trade and livestock herding.

The most famous and iconic motif at Radimlja is the ＂man with the raised right hand＂. This figure is depicted with an unnaturally large, open right hand raised as if in greeting or allegiance, while a bow and arrow are shown on the left side. This almost cartoonish figure appears only at Radimlja and is found on six tombstones within the necropolis. The gesture is generally interpreted as a sign of a knight's allegiance to his feudal lord, earning the motif the nickname ＂voivode＂. However, some historians propose an alternative theory: it could be a representation of Saint Vitus (Sveti Vid), the patron saint of the region's Orthodox population. Alongside Mostar's Old Bridge, this enigmatic figure has become one of the great icons of Bosnian tourism.

The necropolis displays an impressive variety of stećak shapes, offering a visual summary of four centuries of evolution. Visitors can see the oldest ＂slab＂ forms (from the 12th century), ＂chests＂ that appeared in the mid-14th century, ＂gabled roof＂ structures used from the early 15th century, rare ＂anthropomorphic crosses＂, and ＂pillars＂ representing the final evolution at the end of the 15th century. Sixty-one of the stećci are placed on pedestals, and twenty exhibit a highly polished style, indicating the high rank of the deceased.

The richness of decoration at Radimlja is exceptional. Over sixty tombstones are adorned with bas-reliefs and engravings depicting a wide range of symbolic and figurative motifs. These include suns, stars, crescent moons, stylized crosses, shields, swords, bows and arrows, and intricate vegetal friezes. Figurative scenes show men and women engaged in dances (kolo), knights fighting or hunting, horses, wild animals, and processions. The quality and variety of these carvings testify to the skill of medieval stonecarvers.

While the necropolis is relatively poor in inscriptions compared to neighboring sites like Boljuni, five stećci contain epitaphs. These are short texts written in bosančica (medieval Bosnian Cyrillic alphabet) and refer to local lords and noble families, including the Vuković, Vlahović, and Napetović families. Remarkably, these five tombstones also bear the signatures of three master sculptors: Bolašin Bogačič, Miogost, and Ratko Brativonič (or Brativojevič). These artisans shared a common style that was perpetuated by their followers in other necropolises until the mid-16th century.

A unique and tragic aspect of Radimlja's history occurred in 1882, when Austro-Hungarian authorities decided to build a new road between Stolac and Čapljina. The road was constructed directly through the necropolis, cutting the site in two. Approximately twenty stećci were used as building material for the road, while eleven others were isolated to the north of the roadway. Today, the M6 road still runs through the site, but visitors can explore both sections. This destructive act has become part of the necropolis's story, adding a layer of modern history to its medieval origins.

Radimlja is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing ＂Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards＂, which was inscribed during the 40th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2016. The nomination was submitted under UNESCO criteria (iii) and (vi), recognizing the stećci as exceptional testimonies to the funerary traditions of the Balkans from the 12th to 16th centuries. The full UNESCO listing includes 30 necropolises across four countries (22 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2 in Croatia, 3 in Montenegro, and 3 in Serbia), with Radimlja designated as component site No. 1504-001. Prior to this, the site had been declared a National Monument of Bosnia-Herzegovina on November 6, 2002, as part of ＂The natural and architectural ensemble of Stolac＂.

Today, Radimlja is the most visited and most accessible stećak necropolis in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is the only medieval necropolis in the Balkans that charges a small entrance fee and is placed under surveillance for protection. At the entrance to the site, visitors will find the main office of the Stolac tourist office, which offers guided tours of both Radimlja and the nearby UNESCO-listed Boljuni necropolis. The site is clearly signposted, and the well-maintained paths make it easy to explore the tombstones up close.

The Stolac region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. July and August are the warmest months, with average high temperatures around 28-30°C (82-86°F), while January is the coldest, with average highs of approximately 9°C (48°F). The best time to visit Radimlja is during the late spring (May-June) and early autumn (September-October), when the weather is pleasantly warm and the surrounding landscape is lush and green. Summer visits are also possible but can be hot; bringing water and sun protection is strongly recommended as the site has limited shade.

Tourists are drawn to Radimlja because it offers a unique encounter with the mysterious and artistic heritage of medieval Bosnia-Herzegovina. Walking among these ancient carved stones, surrounded by the peaceful landscape of Vidovo polje, is an unforgettable experience. The site's accessibility, the richness of its decorations, and the enduring enigma of the ＂man with the raised hand＂ make it a must-see destination for anyone traveling to southern Bosnia-Herzegovina. Combined with the nearby historic town of Stolac, the ancient Illyrian site of Daorson, and the natural beauty of the Bregava River, Radimlja offers a full day of cultural and historical exploration.

We know good things to see in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We know the roads, well-known tourist attractions like UNESCO sites, and off-the-beaten-path places.

If you would like to learn more about Bosnia-Herzegovina and explore it by visiting different attractions, come with us for a private tour. We can travel all across Bosnia-Herzegovina and we will show you all the important tourist attractions together with the hidden gems of this beautiful country. Feel free to contact us!

We have developed numerous itineraries for private car tours in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as in neighboring countries, including tours passing through several countries as one journey. Solo private tours and tours for Seniors are available also.