Race for Sirac Sira

Trebinje is the southernmost city of Republika Srpska and BiH. It is located in the Trebišnjica river valley, on the tri-border of BiH, Montenegro and Croatia. The altitude of the urban part of the city is about 275 meters above sea level. The geographical position is 42° 42′ N and 18° 20′ E. The town is located at a significant crossroads, 27 km from Dubrovnik, 115 km from Mostar, 360 km from Banja Luka, 70 km from Nikšić, 120 km from Podgorica, 38 km from Herceg Novi, Sarajevo – 230, Belgrade – 480 km.

The territory of the city occupies an area of 904 km². According to the latest estimates, Trebinje has about 30,000 inhabitants, of which more than 75 percent live in the urban part of the city. There are also three border crossings on the territory of the city: two with Montenegro (towards Nikšić and Herceg Novi) and one with Croatia (towards Dubrovnik).

The area of the city is very rich in natural potentials (moderate climate, water, sun, wind, medicinal plants, etc.) which are still not sufficiently used. The economy of Trebinje relies mostly on the electrical energy sector and partly on the processing sector. However, lately, priority has been given to the development of agricultural and food production, tourist offer and entrepreneurship in tourism, since in these spheres Trebinje has significant comparative advantages compared to other places, and insufficiently used potentials.

The rich cultural and historical heritage, climate and favorable geographical location have significantly influenced that in the projection of the future development of Trebinje, tourism occupies a special strategic place. The Jovan Dučić park and the specific botanical and catering complex of sixteen hundred-year-old plane trees - the summer garden - attract the special attention of many tourists, in addition to the old city center built in the Mediterranean style. There is also a military fortification from the beginning of the 18th century, the Old Town or Kastel, with its narrow streets, vaults, gates and stone buildings, Osman Pasha's and Sultan Ahmed's mosques, the Museum of Herzegovina, numerous cafes, restaurants and boutiques.

The Trebišnjica River, the longest sinkhole in Europe, divides Trebinje into two parts. According to numerous citizens and visitors, Trebišnjica is a river of unusual beauty and purity. On its right bank in Police, next to the Perović (Arslanagić) bridge, there is a small church next to which the prefect of Trebinje, Grd., is buried. Vlastelin Grd lies under the oldest known stećak in the entire Republika Srpska and BiH. The city banks of Trebišnjica are connected by three bridges.

Trebinje and its surroundings are home to some of the most famous medieval monasteries. These are: the monastery of Saints Peter and Paul in Petrovo polje, Zavala on the edge of Popovo polje, Tvrdoš in the place of the same name near Trebinje, as well as the Duži monastery, which was previously the seat of the diocese, and in the 19th century the seat of the insurgent headquarters of Luka Vukalović and Mić Ljubibratić.

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord is located in the "Jovan Dučić" city park. There is a significant cultural and historical monument in Mostaći - the Church of Saint Kliment. In the very heart of the city is the Roman Catholic cathedral church dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built at the beginning of the 20th century. In the immediate vicinity of the Peter and Paul Monastery, there is Paul's Cave, a sort of gathering place for pilgrims and the place where, according to tradition, St. Paul, on his way to Rome, once preached.

On the Crkvina above Trebinje is Hercegovačka Gračanica - the endowment of Branko Tupanjac, the founder and executor of Dučić's will. In this church, according to Dučić's wishes, the poet's mortal remains rest. In Popovo polje, in Mrkonjići, not far from Trebinje, on the foundations of the birthplace of the saint and miracle worker Saint Vasilij Ostroški and Tvrdoški, the Spiritual Center - metoch of the Peter and Paul Monastery was built.

In Police, in Brankovina, there is one of the best-preserved medieval towers in Herzegovina - the Branković Tower, that is, the fortress of Vuk Branković's grandfather or father.

On the way to Bileća is the Dobrićevo monastery, a valuable cultural monument with frescoes that are most likely the work of the last great Byzantine painter, Georgi Mitrofanović, or one of his best students.

The tourist offer of the city is completed by excursion sites near Trebinje - Jazina, Ubla, Lastva, Studenac, and numerous restaurants with summer gardens, hotels, motels and other accommodation facilities. A significant role in the promotion of Trebinje as a tourist center is played by the Tourist Organization of the city of Trebinje, which has so far implemented a number of projects important for building the tourist identity of the city.

The historical retrospective of Trebinje testifies that the city has always been considered a cultural center in the region of today's eastern Herzegovina. A rich cultural heritage, numerous cultural and historical monuments, a long tradition and contemporary cultural tendencies come together in the unique ambience of the city.

Today, Trebinje is a modern cultural community, with numerous cultural preferences such as folk tradition, music, theater, film, literature and other artistic creativity. Cultural affinities are based on the synthesis of traditional and contemporary artistic expressions, where the cultural flows that we have inherited are respected and appreciated, as well as the new ones that we strive for through the increasingly frequent layering of monocultural traditions and the appreciation of the multicultural heritage entrusted to us in the past.

As part of efforts to preserve and improve cultural life, numerous events and ceremonies are held in Trebinje. For a long time, Trebinje has been an environment where culture represents a spiritual need, and recently it has also been the driving force behind the development of tourism.

"Trebinje - the city of culture", conceived in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean cultural tradition, is a kind of legacy of Jovan Dučić, one of the most important Serbian poets. The concept of Trebinje as a city of culture is built on the basis of cultural manifestations that, as a meeting place of eminent artists, go beyond the regional and national character. First of all, it is the already traditional Trebinje Cultural Summer - an event that has been attracting many art lovers for several years, from April to October, with its various contents.

In addition to the above, Trebinje is also the economic, health, educational and sports center of eastern Herzegovina. There are numerous educational institutions, schools, colleges, museums, legacies, galleries, art colonies, amateur theaters, cultural-artistic and sports societies. There are three higher education institutions in Trebinje: the Academy of Fine Arts, the Faculty of Production and Management, and the College of Tourism and Hospitality.

Source: Official website of the City of Trebinje (link)