Mills on the Pliva

These fairy-tale watermills on the Pliva River represent one of the most recognizable motifs of tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a unique complex of around twenty wooden watermills that, like small stilt houses, have been standing against time for four centuries. Built from long-lasting oak wood on the very travertine barrier separating the Great and Small Pliva Lakes, these mills bear witness to a former way of life when local farmers would bring wheat and corn on horseback for grinding. Although only six mills are still operational today, the rest have been carefully restored, making this site an inseparable part of the cultural landscape protected as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What makes these mills an architectural marvel is their simplicity and functionality; instead of one large water wheel, a system of multiple small mills was placed above the rapids, maximizing the power of the water without disturbing the fragile travertine formation. Today, the mills are a popular walking area and a must-visit location for photographers, and when illuminated at night, they create a scene that looks as if it has come straight out of the most beautiful folk tales.