Travel to Medjugorje
Following is a Medjugorje travel guide that can help travelers when visiting this popular pilgrimage town for Catholics.
Located towards the west of Bosnia and Herzegovina , Medjugorje is also fairly close to Croatia ’s border. The town’s name literally translates to an area between mountains. Due to its location of about 200 meters above sea level, the town enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate. Medjugorje has quite a few historical and cultural sights to visit. But the town is more popularly known for its claims that six Croats have seen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary here. The claims first started in 1981 and since then millions of visitors from all over the world have come to this quiet town. Known as the Marian shrine, it’s the largest illicit Catholic shrine in the world as it hasn’t been recognized by the Catholic Church yet.
Getting into Medjugorje
The easiest way for tourists coming from other parts of the world to get to Medjugorje is to fly to Split in Croatia . From the Split bus terminal, tourists can take a bus to Medjugorje. There are 3 daily buses to the town from the terminal. The journey takes about 3.5 hours and tickets can be bought from the terminal or can be paid for on board. An additional fee is charged for luggage. Tourists can also fly to Dubrovnik in Croatia and take a bus from there to reach Medjugorje.
Accommodation
As Medjugorje is one of the biggest prayer centers and pilgrimage sites in the world, it is capable of accommodating thousands of people. There are a number of hotels that offer tourists affordable and comfortable accommodation. Tourists can choose from mid-range hotels to the more luxurious ones for accommodation that suits their preference. Some of the popular hotels in the town include Ruza Hotel, Globtour Inn, Hotel Broynjo and Hotel Annamaria. Tourists should make arrangements for accommodations well in advance if they are visiting during the Youth Festival as Medjugorje can get quite crowded around this time of the year.
Sights
The Marian shrine is one of the most popular attractions in Medjugorje. In addition to this, there are a few other places that tourists must visit in the town. This includes the White Cross Hill, also known as the Cross Mountain which is quite close to the town. The path up to the white cross erected at the peak is lined with the different stations of the cross. St. James Church and the Cenacolo are two other spots that tourists can visit when they are in Medjugorje.
