'Neretva' is a river in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Croatia. The total length is 225 km, of which 203 km are in
Herzegovina, while the final 22 km are in the
Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia.
The upper stream of Neretva has water of Class A purity and is almost certainly the coldest river water in the world, often as low as 7-8 degrees Celsius in the summer months. Neretva also has some endemic and very delicate, fragile life forms that are near extinction.
Neretva originates deep in the
Dinaric Alps and flows through them creating a large gorge. It eventually expands into a wide valley which provides valuable agricultural land. There exists a large accumulation lake near
Jablanica, created on the Neretva and at least three
hydroelectric dams between Jablanica and
Mostar.
The Bosnian government has recently made serious plans to allow foreign investors to build several more dams in upper stream and destroy the canyon by flooding it. This is protested by environmentalists who wish for the canyon, considered at least as beautiful as the
Tara canyon in the nearby
Montenegro, to remain untouched as it has so far.

Road bridge over Neretva near Rogotin in Croatia.
The smaller rivers of
Rakitnica, Rama and
Trebižat flow into Neretva from the right, while
Buna and
Bregava flow into it from the left. The last 30 km of Neretva's stream form an
alluvial delta, before the river empties into the
Adriatic Sea.

The "Old Bridge" or "Stari most", the symbol of Mostar, rebuilt in 2004.
The biggest city on the Neretva is
Mostar. Other towns on the Neretva include
Konjic,
Metković,
Jablanica,
ÄŒapljina as well as the historical village of
PoÄitelj.
The 'Old Bridge' (also
Stari most), a major architectural monument over Neretva in
Mostar and a
World Heritage Site, was destroyed by
Croatian shelling during the
war in Bosnia and Herzegovina on
November 9 1993. The bridge was rebuilt and the grand opening was held on
July 23,
2004.
See also
★
Battle of Neretva
External links
★
Info Rogotin
★
Neretva foto safari