Herzegovina Nature Ride

Introduction
Herzegovina Bosnia
Herzegovina’s breath-taking landscapes will make you want to stay with us forever!

This unique horseback riding adventure gives you the opportunity to discover the beautiful wilderness of Herzegovina, with your friends or loved ones. During your week with us, you will experience the joy of riding on beautiful trails surrounded by nature, all while discovering what the region has to offer. Amongst many other things, you will visit Lake Krenica, ride the old trade route of Herceg Stjepan, ride along River Matica and explore the Ravlića cave and necropolis of ancient Roman tombstones known as “Stećak”.

This adventure will leave you with life-long memories and lasting friendships thanks to our team of dedicated staff.

Accomodation

Accommodation
This is stationary ride so all nights are spent at the ranch.

Description
The ranch is located in a peaceful area of Herzegovina. The estate is surrounded by nature, far away from city noise and traffic jams. Spending time in this beautiful nature will give you spiritual peace and relaxation.



Guests will be accommodated in a guesthouse near the ranch. There are 3 double bedrooms with private facilities as well as a shared living room. There is Wi-Fi access at the guesthouse.
Guests are welcome to swim in the outdoor heated swimming pool.

Room Occupancy
If you are a solo traveler willing to share, there is no single supplement fee. However, if you request to have your own room, a single supplement will apply.



Meals
All meals are included from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on last day.

Meals will be a mix of traditional and international dishes, mainly made with local products.

Breakfast is usually taken guests usually taken at the guesthouse, where the fridge is regularly provisioned with food.
Lunch is either served at the ranch or taken picnic style in the countryside.
Dinner is always served at the ranch.

Dietary Restrictions
We are able to cater to special diets and allergies, as long as we are notified at the time of booking.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


Horses
Our horses are well-trained, very obedient, calm and each has its own wonderful character. We have horses for all riding levels. Most of our horses are Arabian horses that have been bred by us. This means that they are well adapted to the riding environment and easy to ride and control as they have been part of the family since they were born.
In order to ensure a safe and fun active vacation for our guests, the horses are regularly schooled and immunized, their health condition is analyzed so they could be as prepared for their work as possible.

Riding Level
This riding holiday caters to intermediate to advanced riders, who feel comfortable at al paces. Participants also need to be in good physical condition to take part in this ride.
Riders with les experience might be able to join with a slight modification of the program (please inquire).

Lessons
Besides trail riding, we also offer riding lessons in our outdoor arena (20x40 m) with one of our coaches. Lessons can be taken instead of a trail ride at no extra cost. It is also possible to request a lesson in addition to the usual riding program, but in that case, there will be an extra charge.

Staff
Your hosts and guides for the week are Melani and Marija, two sisters that have spent their childhood in the area where you will be riding. Both are accomplished riders who participated in many competitions in various disciplines. For instance, Melani won the National Championship in 2010 and Marija finished 2nd at the Junior National Championship in 2011. They also both finished on the podium (Melani 1st and Marija 3rd) at the Balkan Lique Endurance Race in 2012.
In addition, one of their horse, Mercedes, has been recognized as the most successful showjumping horse in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2018.

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival
Guests will have time to meet each other’s and set in the house. Before the dinner hosts will have a short introduction and briefing about rides, horses and other things important to know. Dinner will be served with homemade food specialties. Snack before dinner in case of early arrivals.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 2 (Sunday): Introduction
Each morning starts with cup of tea/coffee and breakfast at 7 am. After breakfast, guests will meet the horses and, after tacking up, we will go on an introductory ride. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know your riding companion and make sure you are comfortable with the tack. Then, we will enjoy a delicious lunch followed by some time to rest. In the afternoon, we will go on another ride and come back in time for dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 3 (Monday): Ride to Blaževići village & Krenica Lake
After breakfast, everyone helps grooming and getting the horses ready. The guide will be saddling and checking each horse. Any needed help will be provided by a volunteer and a final check will be provided by the guide. 
This morning, we ride uphill to Blaževići village, where we pass the local church of St. Luke, the patron saint of horses and animals. We go back to the ranch for lunch.
In the afternoon, we go on horseback to Lake Krenica. The lake is well known by locals thanks to a regional legend. Its deepest point reaches 47meters below water. During the summer months, we might ride bareback so that we can swim in the lake and create great memories. The route that leads to Krenica Lake goes though hay fields and offers amazing views of the surroundings. We might get lucky and see some local wildlife such as rabbits, wild ducks, pheasants or other kinds of birds. Dinner will be served at the ranch with traditional food and drinks.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 4 (Tuesday): Ride through Artemisia fields
After breakfast, we starting our ride from the ranch and cross some rivers in order to reach open fields of Artemisia. Cantering through this beautiful aromatic vegetation is a great experience! Lunch will be served in the middle of nature, so we can all enjoy a rest in the shade of the trees. During the afternoon, we make our way back to the ranch, riding along rivers and passing wine yards on our way. We might see a herd of sheep in the fields.  Once back at the ranch, everyone helps taking care of the horses.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 5 (Wednesday): Ride to Omerovac Valley
After breakfast, we hop in the saddle and start our ride passing through wine yards, orchards and fields of corn, potatoes and wheat (depending on the time of the year). We then make our way uphill, crossing over Svetigora hill. Today's destination is a peaceful valley called „Omerovac“ and surrounded by 4 hills (Svetigora, Krstina, Ograda & Orlov Kuk). We have a lot of fun riding uphill and downhill and stop for a lovely lunch break in the shade of oak trees. We take our lunch with a local family, owner of the land we just rode through. 
Before getting back on the horses, we can play a game of soccer or take part in other activities such as traditional Herzegovina games. On the ride back to the ranch, we will stop to visit a necropolis of ancient Roman tombstones. This is very interesting because some of stones still have carved symbols.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 6 (Thursday): Matica River Ride
In the morning, after breakfast, you will get ready for yet another trail. Today's trail goes along the Matica River. This is a very special riding day as the route we follow was used during Bosnia and Herzegovina's National Endurance Championship in 2010. The river goes through many villages before throwing itself in the Adriatic Sea. We take our lunch in a beautiful spot by the river and take some time to rest.
Dinner will be served back at the ranch, after making our way back home, on horseback.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 7 (Friday): Lake Nuga Ride
Today will be without doubt the highlight of your holiday. After breakfast, we get ready to go on a beautiful ride around Lake Nuga. We will be climbing the hill to get to the entrance of the famous cave called “Ravlića pećina”. After visiting the cave, we make our way to the spring of the Matica River. The area is reknowned for its old watermills that were used to flour grain for bread in the past centuries. Nowadays, some of them are open to visitors. Picnic lunch will be served by the river, and then we go for a short visit to the “Peć Mlini” Park. Finally, we will mount up and ride back to Nuga Lake. From there we will follow a different route that leads to the ranch.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Ranch

Day 8 (Saturday): Departure
Departure is scheduled after breakfast.
Meals included: Breakfast

Rates and Dates for Herzegovina Nature Ride

Dates Note: It might be possible to arrange a trip outside set dates - please inquire

Other Info
Meeting: Sovići
Airport: Mostar or Split
Transfer: Mostar or Split

Climate:
                                                    Blaževići area