Follow the Tracks of History
Imagine a train journey through a world that has almost disappeared.
A steam whistle echoes between towering mountains. The emerald waters of the Neretva flow beside the railway line. The train rounds a bend, crosses an old bridge and disappears into a tunnel carved into the rock.
For generations, scenes like these were part of everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dalmatian hinterland.
Today, the trains are gone. But their story is far from over.
A hidden railway world
Long before modern highways connected the towns and valleys of the Balkans, narrow-gauge railways opened up remote landscapes and linked communities with larger cities, industrial centres and the Adriatic hinterland.
These remarkable lines were built across challenging terrain, through deep river valleys and over bridges that still inspire admiration. They carried passengers, workers, goods and travellers through some of the most beautiful scenery in southeastern Europe.
The famous Ćiro became an enduring symbol of this railway era — a name that still evokes nostalgia, adventure and the romance of steam.
But the Ćiro is only one part of a much larger story.
Along the Neretva — a railway through the mountains
One of the region’s most spectacular railway corridors followed the Neretva River from the Sarajevo region through Konjic, Jablanica and Mostar towards Čapljina and Metković.
Sarajevo → Alipašin Most → Stup → Ilidža → Blažuj → Binježevo → Hadžići → Zovik → Pazarić → Osenik → Tarčin → Raštelica → Bradina → Brđani → Podorašac → Konjic → Čelebići → Lisičići (under water) → Ostrožac (under water)→ Žuglići (under water) → Rama (under water) → Jablanica → Grabovica → Drežnica (under water) → Raška Gora → Vojno → Raštani → Mostar
Here, railway engineering and natural beauty came together in extraordinary fashion.
Steep limestone mountains, narrow gorges, tunnels and bridges made the journey unforgettable. The railway was more than a means of transport: it was a gateway into a dramatic landscape that many travellers had never experienced before.
Mostar <-> Jablanica
Imagine looking through the window of an old carriage as the river flashes below, the locomotive works its way through the mountains and small stations appear between the rocks.
What would it have felt like to make that journey a century ago?
Beyond Mostar — towards the Adriatic
The railway story continues southwards through Herzegovina and towards the Dalmatian hinterland.
Mostar → Čapljina → Gabela → Sjekose → Hrasno → Hutovo → Zelenikovac → Turkovići → Trnčina → Velja Međa → Dvrsnica → Ravno → Zavala → Grmljani → Police → Diklići → Jasenica-Lug → Hum →
1. Ljubovo–Duži → Volujac → Aleksina Međa → Trebinje. [152km]
2. Zavala → Uskoplje → Ivanica [134km] → Dubrovnik (Cro). [157km]
Historic narrow-gauge routes connected the railway junction at Gabela with Hum and other destinations, including lines towards the Dubrovnik region and the Bay of Kotor area.
These railways helped connect inland communities with the coast and formed part of a wider transport network that shaped life across the region.
Their routes tell a story of ambition, engineering and changing times — a story that is still waiting to be explored in greater depth.
The tracks have disappeared. The traces remain.
Many of these lines were closed decades ago. Rails were removed, stations lost their purpose, and journeys that once brought people together became memories.
Yet the landscape has not forgotten.
Old station buildings, tunnel entrances, bridges, embankments and abandoned railway formations may still be found along former routes. Some are easy to recognise; others are hidden in vegetation or absorbed into the modern landscape.
Every surviving trace raises new questions.
Where did the railway run? What did the station look like when the trains were still running? Who worked there, and who remembers travelling on the line?
Old photographs, railway maps, local memories and visits to the sites can help bring these forgotten journeys back to life.
Discover a different side of the Balkans
The forgotten railways offer the inspiration for a unique kind of journey — one that combines history, landscapes, exploration and local stories.
Follow the course of an old railway through a river valley. Discover a station that has stood silent for generations. Compare an archival photograph with the same view today. Stand at the entrance of a mountain tunnel and imagine the steam locomotive that once emerged from the darkness.
This is railway heritage beyond the museum walls: history written into the landscape itself.
For railway enthusiasts, photographers, walkers and curious travellers, these places offer a chance to discover a lesser-known side of Bosnia and Dalmatia.
The journey is not over
The trains may have disappeared, but the old routes still invite us to explore.
From the dramatic Neretva valley to the historic railway corridors of Herzegovina and the Dalmatian hinterland, a forgotten world waits to be rediscovered.
Cycling the old Ćiro railway south route from Mostar to Ivanica is a full-day journey through Herzegovina’s railway history, following abandoned tracks, historic stations, tunnels and bridges through spectacular karst landscapes. A unique mix of cycling, culture and adventure, ending near the border with Croatia and the Dubrovnik hinterland.
The tracks may be gone. The adventure is still there.
The Forgotten Railways of Bosnia & Dalmatia
Follow the Tracks of History.