The Neretva river tract, flowing downstream, widens considerably once it reaches Pocitelj and than the raging mountainous river empties into the most indented delta in Croatia. This is a wonderful landscape where the river meets the sea, of plains and karst, lakes and marshes. A pleasant Mediterranean climate is a characteristic of this region. The average yearly temperature hovers above 15 degrees Celsius and with more than 2700 hours of sunshine each year, this makes the Neretva delta the sunniest part of the Croatian seaboard. The most well-known characteristic of the lower Neretva landscape have long been the marshlands with their abundance of fish and swamp birds. Soil-conservation and land-reclamation practices in the last few decades have transformed considerably the regions agriculture, the most famous being the cultivation of citrus fruits. A wide variety of flora and fauna are protected with the establishment of three omithological and ichthyo-ornithological reserves. The lower Neretva strem is not just a local feature but a key region in the cycle of migration, hibernation and the nesting of birds as well as a hatching ground for numerous types of fish. Bacina lakes, not far from the traffic route in the Neretva River valley, is another place of beauty which must be visited. North-west of the Neretva estuary, only two kilometres from the port city of Ploce, a series of six picturesque lakes lie in a rocky valley. The bottom of Bacina lakes lies below sea-level, while the lakes surface lies above it. Trade brought the ancient Greeks to this area, and during the time of ancient Rome the area was a part of the province of Dalmatia. The city of Narona was then one of the largest economic end cultural centres on the Adriatic Coast. The migration of people here brought Croatians principalities. The Neretva principality had dominance over the sea and from the 11th Century was a part of the Croatian Kingdom. This region is most famous for its gastronomic specialities. Eels, black water hens and frogs legs, amongst others, are specialities of the Dalmatian kitchen and present an excellent reason to visit the area.
