Discover Popovići: Churches, Stećak Tombstones and Coastal Trails

Popovići combines historic religious buildings with hikes through the landscape of the Konavle cliffs. When looking for a hotel for your trip, you can decide whether to focus mainly on exploring churches and traces of the past or to set aside more time for hiking. The sites and trails offer different starting points for doing so.

Churches, Stećak Tombstones and Historical Traces

On a hill above Popovići stands the single-nave church dedicated to Saint George. It has the appearance of an 18th-century building. Around it are about ten decorated medieval Stećak tombstones; traces of a former Late Antique fortress have also been preserved at the site. The church’s more recent appearance and evidence of older historical layers thus stand side by side in this place.

A preserved cistern cut into the natural rock is part of the church site. It is accessed through an opening on the west side; water can be drawn through an opening on the east side. The structure shows how the cistern is set into the rock and how its two openings serve different functions.

Another church in Popovići is the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a votive chapel for all the villages of Konavle and is generally dated to the 17th century. It also preserves a rare example of mural painting in Konavle’s religious architecture. Unlike the site of Saint George, with its tombstones, fortress traces and rock-cut cistern, the particular focus here is on the chapel’s votive role and its mural painting.

Educational Trail and Hikes

The Konavoske stijene educational trail begins in Popovići and stretches for four kilometres. It offers views of the open sea. The route thus combines a clearly identified starting point and a specific length with a scenic outlook. If you are comparing different hikes, this distance is a useful guide for planning.

Other hikes starting in Popovići can lead to secluded beaches, including Pasjača. Hiking adventures from Popovići can also include stops at households offering traditional local cuisine. This adds two more interests to the churches and views: trails leading to beaches and the opportunity to enjoy regional cuisine along the way.

The Wider Setting: Općina Konavle

Within the wider destination of Općina Konavle, a fertile valley extends up to 35 kilometres in length and up to twelve kilometres in width. On the mountain side, the landscape is bounded by the slopes of Snježnica, which rises to 1,234 metres, and Bjelotina. On the sea side, steep cliffs stretch from the harbour of Cavtat through Molunat to the Prevlaka peninsula and Cape Oštro. This broader landscape describes the municipality of Općina Konavle, not Popovići alone.

Other trails in Općina Konavle offer different lengths and destinations. The Cavtat–Močići–Čilipi trail runs for eight kilometres through the coastal landscape; side paths lead to swimming spots along the cliffs. By comparison, the Konavoske stijene educational trail that begins in Popovići is four kilometres long. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

Another hiking option within the wider destination of Općina Konavle is the Ronald Brown Trail. It starts in Gornji Obod and continues to the summit of Stražišće, at an elevation of 791 metres. From there, panoramic views extend over Cavtat, Konavle, Župa and Dubrovnik. Various endemic plant species and protected animal species can be found along the trail. The routes described therefore differ not only in length, but also in whether the focus is on coastal landscapes or a summit with wide-ranging views.

Discover more destinations: Mihanići, Lovorno, Stravča, Gruda, Vodovađa, Zvekovica, Komaji, Močići.

For the wider travel overview: Općina Konavle.