We spent a week in a small village on the banks of the Pliva River and it ended up being one of our favourite experiences in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Surrounded by forests, crystal-clear water and fresh mountain air, Pliva was exactly what we needed after weeks of travelling. It was a place to slow down, clear our heads, catch up on some work and simply enjoy being somewhere peaceful for a while.
Staying by the River
We stayed at the Vacation Home Pliva, Brđani, a simple but beautiful riverside house with everything we needed. The family owning the property immediately made us feel welcome and treated us more like family than customers. The family dog tended to come out with us on walks around the countryside, which was lovely. They also took us with them when they went mushroom picking in the forest.
Life in Pliva
Life moves slowly here. There are a few small local shops selling basic groceries like eggs, milk, butter and of course beer if you need it. Do any bigger shopping before arriving here. The local restaurant charges about double what you’d expect to pay in the city, but the food is well prepared any very tasty.
Instead, you come for the river, the nature and the peace and quiet.
Fly Fishing on the Pliva River
The Pliva River is famous for fly fishing. Groups coming from all over the world to spend time wading up and down the river perfecting their cast. It’s common to see fishing tourists relaxing in the local “bar” (a kiosk with some tables outside) telling their stories of ‘the one that got away’.
During our stay we met Paul Arden from sexyloops.com (world renowned fly fisherman) who was great fun to chat with, not only about Fly fishing, but also about life in general.
Walk to the Source of the River
One of our favourite walks was following the river upstream to its source. In fact, there are two sources, where the water emerges from caves and beneath the rocks. Seeing such a beautiful river begin as a small trickle of water was surprisingly fascinating.
Along the way we stumbled across a group of locals making homemade rakija. Before we knew it, we had been invited over to see what they were doing and were handed a glass to try. Politely declining wasn’t really an option. As a woman, Livia managed to get away with a single shot. Sam wasn’t so lucky and had to drink three before they were willing to let us continue our walk.
After a chat, a few laughs and a rather strong taste of homemade rakija, we continued on towards the source of the river, only to discover it was about five minutes away. The problem, of course, was that we also had to walk back the same way. Sure enough, we were spotted immediately and invited over for another round. By the time we finally escaped, Sam was relying on a walking stick for balance during the hour-long walk back along the river.
Moments like this ended up becoming some of our favourite memories from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How to Get to Pliva
We took a taxi from Banja Luka directly to Pliva which cost us €38 (October 2018). You can also catch a bus to the nearest town of Šipovo and take a short 10 minute taxi ride for about €7,50 (October 2018).
Update May 2026: Transport prices have likely changed since our visit in 2018.
Final Thoughts
Pliva isn’t somewhere most tourists visit, and that’s exactly why we loved it.
If you’re looking for a few days of nature, fresh air and slow travel in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we’d happily recommend spending some time by the Pliva River.