{"id":1970,"date":"2022-11-18T10:53:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T09:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ciro-trail.com\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2025-09-12T09:33:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T07:33:36","slug":"cirinom-prugom-zavala-trebinje","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ciro-trail.com\/en\/cirinom-prugom-zavala-trebinje\/","title":{"rendered":"CIRO TRAIL: ZAVALA-TREBINJE"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NAVIGATION PACK<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

INFORMATION ABOUT CIRO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The historic narrow-gauge railway with a steam locomotive runs from Mostar along the Neretva River, through \u010capljina, Popovo polje, Ravno, and near Ivanica, crossing the border with Croatia all the way to Dubrovnik. Construction of the railway began in 1898 and ended in 1901. During its existence, \u0106iro connected places in Herzegovina and brought them life, and today the railway has been reconstructed into a bicycle path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Austro-Hungarian monarchy, which ruled the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, built a network of narrow-gauge railways (track width 0.76 m). The railways were built primarily as strategic military facilities and they connected the southern Adriatic ports with cities in the hinterland and with Central Europe. The railways in Herzegovina were built as part of the Southern Railway, and the first section of that railway from Metkovi\u0107 to Mostar, with a length of 42.4 km , was put into circulation on June 13, 1885. year, while the line from Gabela to Zelenika in Boka Kotorska (Montenegro) is 155.5 km long, with branches from Hum to Trebinje (16.7 km) and Uskoplje to Gru\u017e in Dubrovnik in the Republic of Croatia (16.5 km). , put into operation in 1901. The narrow-gauge railway served people, connecting countries, regions, peoples and cultures. For the peoples from these areas, they were lifelines, they enabled them to have a better life and all kinds of progress, and they left a trace of civilization in the places through which \u0106iro drove, roared, beat, whistled and let off steam for decades. he called the trains pulled by a steam locomotive gemi\u0161teri (mixed trains), \u0161nelczug (fast trains) and personal (passenger trains). The nickname \u0106iro was imposed before the very abolition of the narrow-gauge railways, but it remains recognizable among the people even today.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The narrow-gauge railway or narrow-gauge railway Gabel - Zelenika was discontinued in 1976. During its existence, the narrow-gauge railway changed five state regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHORT INFO DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAIL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The excursion starts in Zavala, more precisely at the Zavala Inn, where you can taste the local cuisine or maybe you have already spent the night and enjoyed the charms, beauty and calm of waking up in Popovo polje. This is followed by a visit to the Vjetrenica Cave, the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the most diverse cave in the world. It is part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range, which is known for its karst and speleological features. After the abundant Vjetrenica, there is an easy bike ride along Popovo polje, which offers beautiful landscapes. While cycling we will visit several \u0106ira stations, namely: \u0106ira station in Zavala, \u0106ira station Grmljani, \u0106iro station Poljice, \u0106iro station Jasenica Lug, \u0106ira station Hum, \u0106ira station Uskopje, and finally \u0106ira station in Trebinje where we also have a live copy of the \u0106iro train .
While cycling, we definitely recommend that you take a break and have a picnic at the \u0106iro hum station, because it is located in the middle of the journey and is worth a visit. On this section, expect 45 km of easy cycling from Zavala to Trebinje, with beautiful scenery and a view of Popovo polje. It is important to mention that after \u0106iro station Hum you have a separation for Dubrovnik (right) and Trebinje (left), and this time you stick to Trebinje and drive on the left side. For the last 5 km before entering Trebinje, drive on the main highway, which is not heavily trafficked, so you will not have any problems while cycling, and you will still be able to be relaxed. You will notice that the local population is quite friendly and will warmly welcome you, and most of them speak English, so foreigners will not have any major problems with communication.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Foto: HerzegovinnaBike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRAIL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The town of Zavala is seven kilometers from Ravni and not far from the town is the famous Vjetrenica cave, which has been a protected natural monument since 1952. Also, in this place there is the monastery church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary and the Church of St. Peter (remains of the Catholic church). There was a railway station in Zavala. The reception building and track area was built on a high wall with a culvert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the sub-wall was being built, the emperor was told in Vienna that it could not be built. He answered with the question \"Can a kilo of stone, a kilo of gold? It can. And it was built. All local, passenger and high-speed trains stopped in Zavala for the \"scaffolding\" from the train to the sea in Slano, Croatia. It is interesting to mention that until the railroad was abolished in 1975, there was one tourist train every day in the afternoon from Dubrovnik to Zavala in the summer season.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Foto: HerzegovinaBike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

After Zavala, the cycling route leads along the perimeter of Popovo polje through Grmljane, Poljice, Dikli\u0107e, Goj\u0161ina, Jasenica\u2013Lug, \u0110edi\u0107e, and reaches the former main railway junction on that part of the route, the Hum station, with a large number of station buildings built from Herzegovinian hand-hewn stone. From Hum, the railway branched off to Trebinje and further to Bile\u0107a, to Nik\u0161i\u0107 and Podgorica in Montenegro, and to Dubrovnik in Croatia and Herceg Novi in \u200b\u200bMontenegro. The station area of \u200b\u200bHum station was built on Bjelina Dol, a place where caravan routes crossed from antiquity to the Middle Ages. The cycling route also forks here, in one direction towards Trebinje, 17 kilometers away, and in the other direction towards Dubrovnik, which is about 20 kilometers from Hum. In the direction of Trebinje, there is still a wonderful view of Popovo polje, the Trebinje Forest, and numerous surrounding hills and mountains, of which Bjela\u0161nica (Popovska) and Ostrog are dominant. Nearby, on the rocks, four kilometers from Trebinje, is Tvrdo\u0161, one of the most important monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the seat of the bishop and metropolitan of Herzegovina. The railway station in Trebinje was one of the most important on the route and was located along the Trebi\u0161njica river. It had six tracks and blind 7th and 8th for goods and military magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He owned up to 25 steam locomotives, and since 1970 also diesel-hydraulic locomotives of the 740 series. One steam locomotive of the 83 series remains as a museum exhibit. By the way, Trebinje is a city with a rich cultural history. Numerous monuments from the period of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, as well as religious buildings, can be found today in the area of the city and its surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Foto: HerzegovinaBike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

WHAT TO VISIT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n