Travel Guide Bileća

Bileća/Билећа (pronounced "bilecha") has a population of about 8,000, 98% of which are Bosnian-Serbs. It is the capital of the municipality of Bileća (population 10,000), within the Bosnian Serb Republic. The town is 8 km west of the Vraćenovići border crossing with Montenegro (often long waiting time), 31 km north of Trebinje and 44 km south of Gacko. Bus connections: 10/day with Trebinje and Gacko, 8/day with Nikšić (Montenegro) and 7/day with Foča.Consisting of suburban areas and modern churches clustered around the road between Trebinje and Gacko, Bileća is worth a stop for its surroundings. Surrounded by hills, by the large artificial lake of Bileća, to the south, and by Mount Velika Kita (1,240 m above sea level), in Montenegro, to the east, the area has some accommodations (including the Dijamant Hotel, in the industrial area, to the east), hiking trails and some interesting sites of visit. For despite its recent appearance, Bileća is a town steeped in history. The region was a commercial crossroads since the Illyrian period and, later, a Serbian stronghold that the Ottomans never really managed to control. The Ottomans suffered two bitter defeats here in 1286 and 1876. During the last war, the violence against Bosnians was much less than in most cities of the Bosnian Serb Republic. And for good reason, the Bosnian-Serbs were already in the majority (80% of the population in 1991).