Rašćane: Stone Houses, Churches and a Hiking Route

Rašćane combines cultural heritage with a specific hiking option on Biokovo. In Veliki Godinj, preserved stone architecture and the layout of a rural complex shape the landscape; churches and medieval burial sites offer another glimpse into the area’s history. The marked route from Veliki Godinj via Goli brig to Manastirine adds a distinct active focus. This gives trip planning two different priorities: built heritage and hiking.

Stone Architecture and Hiking on Biokovo

Veliki Godinj lies in a karst landscape on the northwestern slopes of Biokovo. Its defining features include preserved stone houses, paved stone lanes and drainage channels. The areas for living, stabling animals and threshing are also separate. This layout makes the different functions within the rural complex easy to understand. Since 2008, the complex has been protected as Croatian cultural heritage.

For those who want to focus on hiking, there is a marked route of moderate difficulty. It starts in Veliki Godinj, passes via Goli brig to Manastirine, and is listed as taking three hours to ascend. For your planning, it is important to note that the time refers to the ascent. The route, difficulty level and ascent time provide clear details to help you fit the hike into your own travel plans.

Churches and Medieval Burial Sites

The old parish church of St. Michael in Rašćane was built in the late 16th century. Stećci and a stone cross around the church point to a medieval cemetery and also suggest that an earlier church may have stood here. Most of the stećci are decorated with geometric motifs or depictions of crosses, swords, and bows and arrows. The construction history of the church thus sits alongside older traces at the same site, while the existence of an earlier church remains a likely interpretation.

The single-nave Church of St. Stephen in Donje Rašćane dates from the late 17th or early 18th century. Three chest-shaped tombstones to the west of the church attest to a medieval cemetery that predates the church. Another 16 undecorated chest-shaped tombstones are built into the church façade; one bears an engraved inscription. The location of the stones makes a difference: three stand west of the church, while the others are part of its façade.

Grebine adds another dimension to this picture with its own medieval cemetery dating from the 15th century. The protected cemetery lies north of Pejkovići on a road that runs through the fields of Rašćane. Six stećci, three slabs and three gabled tombstones standing on plinths show the variety of burial forms at the site. For those interested in cultural history, Grebine broadens the picture to include another form of medieval burial culture.

For 2026, the one-day event “Dan tradicije i kulturne baštine,” celebrating traditional customs, was scheduled to take place in Veliki Godinj in Rašćane on the first or second Saturday in August.

Discover more destinations: Umčani, Duge Njive, Dusina, Veliki Prolog, Zavojane, Vrgorac, Dragljane.

For the broader travel overview: Općina Vrgorac.