The Neretva ship is a vessel that has in history been the main means of transportation for residents of the lower Neretva area and the wide area of the delta of the Neretva. So the old original Neretva ships would not dissapear into oblivion and decay, an amateur race of these vessels was launched in 1998. in the Neretva valley. It is held annually on the second Saturday in August, along Neretva to the finish line in Ploče, 22.5 km away. In this race, although it is a matter of prestige to win it, more important is the heart and desire to uphold the tradition.
The ship marathon is also a tourist attraction that tens of thousands of spectators follow along the route, and certainly the most impressive is the attractive start in Metković when 330 rowers in 33 boats, with the rumbling drums start their journey towards the finish line. Crew boats account for 10 rowers, a drummer and a helmsman, and during the event the replacement of six rowers is allowed.
The Neretva boatsmen, around forty of them, did a great venture in June because they were a part of a project called "Paths of our ancestors" and for 37 hours rowed across the Adriatic Sea from Metković to Termoli in Italy. In the long 134 nautical miles adventure the boatsmen routinely rowed in four shifts, by the same route that their ancestors fled from the Turks and settled in the province of Molise five centuries ago.
The boatsmen have announced for next year a new venture with a humanitarian purpose, "By ship around the Big Apple for butterflies" and "By ship around Manhattan in New York."
In addition to the ship marathon, Metković offers various facilities, natural attractions of the valley of Neretva, photosafari of the Neretva river backwaters and lakes and some interesting indigenous gastronomic pleasures. The town and port at the bottom of the Neretva River, is located 20 km from the sea and in its vicinity is Hutovo blato, a famous hunting ground for birds. The ornithological collection in the city consists of three hundred species of different birds from Hutovo blato and the Neretva valley.
The Tourist Board of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County
www.visitdubrovnik.hr
The City of Metković
www.metkovic.hr
The Ship Marathon
www.maraton-ladja.hr
Delta of Neretva
www.neretva.info