Radimlja Necropolis

The Radimlja Necropolis lies on a hillside by the road between Stolac and Čapljina, in the Herzegovina part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It contains more than 100 stećci, large carved limestone tombstones erected between the 14th and 15th centuries by medieval Bosnian communities, many of them associated with the Vlach and local Christian families of the region. Stećci take the forms of chests, slabs and gabled blocks, and Radimlja is particularly known for the quality and variety of its carved reliefs. The decoration includes crescents, spirals, vines, crosses, hands, shields and swords, as well as hunting scenes, knights, riders and the kolo, a ring dance of figures. These images offer rare insights into the social life, beliefs and customs of medieval Bosnia, and some stones carry short inscriptions in Bosnian Cyrillic. The necropolis is set in an open meadow and remains in situ, which gives a strong sense of the original funerary landscape. The area was recognised as a national monument and, in 2016, Radimlja was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the serial property Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards, which includes sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. Preservation work has included cleaning, fencing and information panels, though weathering, lichen and vegetation remain ongoing concerns. Visitors typically spend a short time walking between the stones and reading the carvings, and combine it with the old town of Stolac, the Vidoški tombs and the Počitelj and Blagaj sites in the same day. A small visitor point and parking are located by the road.