New Camino showcases the beauty of the Balkans

For all you Aussie pilgrims out there Europe’s newest Camino pilgrim trail is open for business!

The Camino Dubrovnik–Međugorje which opened in March is a 145km pilgrimage route completed over seven stages, linking two churches dedicated to St James.

Beginning at the Church of St James in Dubrovnik, the trail heads north-west through Croatia before crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina, finishing at the Church of St James in Međugorje, one of the Balkans’ most significant Catholic pilgrimage sites.

Following ancient pathways once travelled by merchants and pilgrims, the route retraces historic connections between the Adriatic coast and the rural Herzegovinian hinterland.

Along the way, walkers gain a deeper appreciation of the region’s cultural heritage, moving beyond Dubrovnik’s famous medieval walls to experience its lesser-known landscapes and traditional communities.

Dubrovnik flourished for centuries as an independent maritime republic whose prosperity depended on trade across the Adriatic and beyond. More recently, until the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina formed part of the same nation, giving the route additional historical resonance as it reconnects places once linked by shared borders and longstanding travel corridors.

According to Miroslav Drašković, Director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, pilgrims follow historic infrastructure including medieval water systems, traditional rural tracks, former railway corridors and landscapes with an enduring Christian pilgrimage tradition.

Around 61km of the trail lies within Croatia’s Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The full journey typically takes seven days, passing through Dubrovnik, the suburb of Mokošica, and the villages of Orašac, Slano, Ravno and Hutovo before reaching Međugorje.

The route encourages adventurous travellers to venture beyond Dubrovnik’s bustling Old Town and discover the rich history, culture and hospitality of the surrounding countryside.