The tour from Mostar to Salakovac or possibly the settlement of Bučići (for those with road bikes) is definitely the busiest route in the hot summer days. Every day on this route you can meet a lot of recreational cyclists who ride for leisure, some of their private training or they just need an exhaust valve after a hard day’s work, and a bicycle is definitely the best means of rest and leisure. The tour is 33 km long and is mostly asphalt, 14 km (in one direction), while the macadam part is 3,700 km long (in one direction), ie. part from the settlement Bučići to the dam Salakovac (in my opinion the most beautiful part on that route). The route is easy and almost completely flat, at 34 km the altitude difference is 110 m. Definitely a route for recreationists and families who want to enjoy a cycling trip. Apart from the beautiful nature and the Neretva riverbed, there is also an artificial lake at the Mostar hydroelectric power plant, where you can bathe and cool off on hot summer days. Of course, there are also a large number of excursionists, swimmers, as well as fishermen, because the lake is rich in fish.
The only drawback is the traffic on the first part of this route, which is not overly dense, but every car in traffic poses a potential danger to the cyclist. BK Mostar has done a project of marking that route with traffic warning signs “Bicycle on the road”, and reducing the speed on that route. One sign has been put up, the city authorities are waiting to finish marking the route on that route. What we can only hope for is that the construction of the bridge at the top of the Avenue will further reduce car traffic on that route.
What I would like to take further account of are the illegal landfills that can be seen on that route. Unfortunately, there are many people for whom environmental awareness is not sufficiently developed.
Trail description
The tour starts at the Spanish Steps. From Spanish Steps you pass Ante Starčevića Street, near the Main Post Office, through Centar 2 (Ante Starčevića Street), you come to the top of the Avenue, and continue towards the settlement of Rudnik. When you arrive at the intersection (small roundabout), make a right turn, towards the village of Orlac. Do not turn the rest of the section anywhere from the main road, and you will come to the settlement of Vojno. In Vojno you have a right turn for Bijelo Polje, you drive straight towards the settlement Bučići. After 14 km you will reach the end of the asphalt road and the beginning of the macadam surface. Continue straight on that section and do not turn into side streets and in 3,700 km you should reach the Salakovac dam. You return on the same section of the road you came from.
