TOP PLACES
in Metkovič that you shouldn't miss.
Narona Archaeological Museum
The Metković area has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by Illyrian mounds, but the most important site is the archaeological site of ancient Narona in Vid. The Narona Archaeological Museum is the first in situ museum in Croatia, which means that it was built on the site itself. It was built on the remains of the Augusteum temple, which was dedicated to the divine emperor Augustus and was built in 10 BC. The museum's display consists of a perfectly preserved group of sculptures representing the Julio-Claudian imperial dynasty, but also a multitude of other artifacts such as remains of ceramics, glass, money, jewelry, etc. that will introduce you to the meaning and wealth of ancient Narona, the second largest and most important Roman city on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, dating from the end of the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD. Not only the museum but also the entire settlement attracts attention with the multitude of remains built into the village stone houses, taverns, stables, etc. The Narona Archaeological Museum actively participates in the actions of the Croatian Museum Society Museum Night as well as in the actions of the Section for Museum Education and Cultural Action of the Croatian Museum Society and in the celebration of International Museum Day. In the summer months, the cultural event Roman Night in Narona was launched, a one-day ancient festival that seeks to evoke the spirit of Narona and the life of the ancient Romans. Also in the Vid area you can see the monumental sculpture of Prince Domagoj and his archers next to the parish church of Our Lady of the Snows, the remains of the city walls from the 3rd/4th century BC and the church of St. Vitus, which is located in the middle of a field at the very entrance to Vid.
Natural History Museum Metković
Metković, like the entire Neretva Valley, is an area rich in various plant and animal species. Despite the land reclamation that has turned the swamp into fertile soil, the wealth of animal life has been preserved in the ornithological reserves Pod gredom, Prud and Orepak, and on the hill above Metković is the significant Predolac–Šibanica landscape. The Metković Natural History Museum, which developed from the Ornithological Collection in Metković, perfectly conveys the rich diversity of flora and fauna of the Neretva Valley. Thanks to Dr. Dragutin Rucner, an ornithologist from Zagreb, the Ornithological Collection was opened to the public in 1952. It contained more than 340 specimens, including specimens of 218 bird species out of 310 species recorded in the Neretva so far. The museum exhibits herbarium collections, collections of insects, butterflies, shells and an ichthyological collection. The specimens are arranged in habitats and provide a clear insight into the former exuberance of life in swamps, swampy groves, thickets, reed beds and rocky areas, as well as on reclaimed and cultivated areas. The museum is located in the very center of the city and was opened on July 17, 2015.
Prud Ornithological Reserve
The Prud Ornithological Reserve is located east of the settlement and town of the same name Vid and the Norin River that springs there and flows through it, north of Glibuša, a dead branch of the Neretva River. The reserve encompasses the remainder of the Neretva delta wetland area of about 320 hectares and is one of the rarely preserved Mediterranean reedbeds. It has had the status of a Special Ornithological Reserve since 1965, and in 1993 it was included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance and is part of the European network of protected areas Natura 2000. Its main feature is dense marsh vegetation consisting of reedbeds and other marsh flora, making it an ideal area for nesting and wintering grounds for various bird species, among which the most significant populations are the bittern (Botaurus stellaris), the little egret (Ixobrychus minutus), the marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) and the auk (Aythya nyroca).
Ornithological reserve Pod Gredom
From the top of the hill, in addition to the Church of Our Lady of the Snow and the city walls, you can see the Pod Gredom and Prud ornithological reserves. The Pod Gredom ornithological reserve is located east of the Matica River and north of the Norin River, next to the uninhabited hamlet of Pod Gredom, which is located at the foot of the now uninhabited villages of Ograđe and Dragovija, and Vreštica. The reserve encompasses the remainder of the Neretva delta wetland area, covering an area of about 560 hectares, and is one of the rare preserved Mediterranean reedbeds. It has had the status of a Special Ornithological Reserve since 1965, and in 1993 it was included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance and is part of the European network of protected areas Natura 2000. Its main feature is dense marsh vegetation consisting of reedbeds and other marsh flora, making it an ideal area for nesting and wintering grounds for various bird species. Interestingly, this is one of the Neretva nesting grounds, which is the only coastal nesting ground for the whiskered warbler (Panurus biarmicus).
Church of Our Lady of the Snows
On the site of the present-day parish church of Our Lady of the Snow in Vid, until the beginning of the 20th century, there was a small church dedicated to St. Mary, which probably dates back to the late Middle Ages. The construction of the present-day church began in 1935 according to the design of the distinguished Danish architect and conservator Eynar Dyggve. The design was changed several times until the 1960s, when the construction was completed, but the church still retained most of its original appearance, such as the pronounced influence of early Croatian pre-Romanesque sacral architecture, especially the division of the outer walls and apse with lesinami and the division of the interior into three naves, and the bell tower was built according to the design of Đena Hamzić. On the facade of the church there is a stone rosette that probably dates back to an earlier church, and a niche in which there is a bronze statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the work of the famous Croatian contemporary sculptor Marija Ujević Galetović. From the top of the hill, in addition to the Church of Our Lady of the Snow and the city walls, you can see the ornithological reserves of Pod Gredom and Prud.
Narona
Narona was one of the most important administrative and economic centers of the Roman province of Dalmatia. This is evidenced by the very well-preserved remains of the city walls, which, descending from the top of the hill towards the valley, enclose a space in the shape of a fan. They consist of a northern and southern wall, against which are leaning towers with a square ground plan, and a city gate on the northern wall. They were built in several phases, from the Hellenistic period and the 4th or 3rd century BC, during the 2nd century BC to the last phase from the 2nd century and the time of barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire. Thus, in the initial phase, two towers with a circular ground plan were built on the top of the hill, and in later phases they were changed and walls were built and renovated as needed. The defensive wall has been preserved in some places to a height of several meters and as such represents the best-preserved city walls from ancient times in Dalmatia. Next to one of the Roman-era towers on the southern rampart, the local parish priest, Don Bariša Ereš, built a house in the 19th century, popularly known as the Ereš Tower. It is significant as a kind of first open-air museum, i.e. a lapidary of Roman stone monuments from Narona, because numerous stone inscriptions, fragments of stone architecture and sculpture were built into its walls and thus remained preserved and visible. Interestingly, some replicas of ancient monuments that had left Vid were also built into it.
Brudet
However, what the region is widely known for gastronomically is the completely indigenous Neretva brodetto, in which the main ingredients are eel and frog. Other top-quality fish are often found in it, such as flounder, known for living only in absolutely clean waters. Preparing brodetto, or “brujeta”, is seemingly simple, but that is only a deception because every Neretva town, every restaurant, every house has its own special method, a secret that makes its brodetto different, specific and that leads you into an insoluble dilemma about which one is truly better. Eel can be grilled on a spit, and it is very tasty and dried. In addition to eel, frogs and quality fish, Neretva cuisine, especially in autumn and winter, delights gourmets with excellent dishes prepared from waterfowl, especially coots. The proximity of the sea ensures that local fishermen always have fresh sea fish caught in the Neretva Channel. The Neretva culinary tradition also includes dishes baked under a baking sheet (sačura).
Mandarin Harvest
The Neretva Valley is rich in fertile soil and has a mild Mediterranean climate, which is why it is also called the Golden Valley or Croatian California. Going to pick tangerines in the vast plantations of the Neretva Valley is a unique tourist offer of this region, and the season begins at the end of September and lasts until the beginning of January. The organizers of the excursion will allow you to visit the tangerine plantations, from where you will be able to take home the fragrant fruits picked with your own hands and enjoy their taste and aroma.
Photo safari
A ride through the narrow canals and backwaters of the Neretva Valley in a traditional Neretva boat offers you a unique experience and an opportunity to peek into the untouched nature of the wetlands of this region. The Neretva boat meant life, and today it is a source of pride and an indelible trace of tradition that delights every visitor to the Neretva Valley again and again. In order to best illustrate the life of the Neretva people in this unique wetland, a friendly host will take you in a traditional Neretva boat through the labyrinth of the Neretva canals and provide you with an unforgettable photo safari adventure, a traditional atmosphere and the opportunity to get to know the rich flora and fauna of this region.