The mouth of the Neretva River, the Baćina Lakes, and the Adriatic Sea – three natural wonders that have nothing to fear, as their beauty rivals even the most famous destinations. When you add a touch of rocky terrain inland, a field called Jezero, and the Matica River, you get an incredible diversity packed into a small area – a landscape unlike anything you’ve seen before…
Ploče, a town often visually compared to the famous Monte Carlo, with surroundings that put many far more hyped destinations to shame.
Just as we were preparing to scout this route last year, a news story popped up claiming that Ploče had been declared the 3rd ugliest coastal town in Europe. Many travelers passing through on their way to Croatia’s deep south, or those briefly stopping to wait for the ferry to Pelješac, might have agreed with that verdict.
But we don’t. And neither do the 8,000+ residents of this peaceful and surprisingly interesting port town with an unexpectedly stunning natural backdrop. Interestingly, architects wouldn’t agree either, as many of them describe Ploče as a functional and very intriguing urban unit, to paraphrase just a few.
And if we briefly return to that list of “ugliest towns in Europe,” the winner of that very same ranking was – Monte Carlo. Not a bad crowd to be in.
Between river, lakes, and sea, at any given moment you’re surrounded by water.
While debates around the town’s beauty may continue, one thing is obvious: those critics never explored the surroundings of Ploče. And that debate ends right there. The Neretva River delta, the Baćina Lakes, and the Adriatic Sea – three natural wonders that have no reason to fear comparison with any glamorous destination. Add in a bit of rocky inland terrain, a fertile field literally called “Jezero” (The Lake), and the Matica River, and on a surprisingly small area, you get so much diversity that it’s hard to compare with anything we’ve seen so far.
So much diversity squeezed into a space small enough to fit one different, refreshing Epic Ride.
Welcome to EPIC RIDES Ploče / Neretva.
