- First reported apparitions
- 24 June 1981
- Holy See issues Nulla Osta for devotion
- 19 September 2024
- From Mostar, about 35 minutes by car (secondary source)
- About 28 km
What Međugorje is
Međugorje is a village about 28 km from Mostar, roughly 35 minutes by car according to Euro City Guide. It is one of the best-known places of Catholic pilgrimage in Europe. Wikipedia says it receives more than a million visitors a year. It is a place of worship before it is a tourist stop, and the best way to visit is to respect that.
The reported apparitions
From 24 June 1981, six local young people reported visions of the Virgin Mary on Crnica hill, in the hamlet of Bijakovići. The hill is now commonly called Apparition Hill, and Wikipedia also gives the name Podbrdo. The Yugoslav authorities opposed the gatherings. According to Wikipedia, pilgrims were barred, donations were seized and access to the hill was largely blocked. The parish priest, Jozo Zovko, was arrested and convicted of sedition.
The Church’s position
The Catholic Church has not declared the events supernatural. In 2019 the Vatican authorised organised pilgrimages, on the basis that the apparitions are not assumed to be supernatural. The first Vatican-sanctioned pilgrimage ran from 2 to 6 August 2019. On 19 September 2024 the Holy See issued a Nulla Osta, a formal “nothing stands in the way”. This endorses devotion to Our Lady, Queen of Peace, without declaring the apparitions authentic.
We take no view on whether the reported events happened. Visitors come for different reasons, and many come simply to see a place that matters to millions.
What to see
St James’s Church. The parish of St James was established in 1892. We could not confirm Mass times, so check the parish before you travel.
Apparition Hill. This is the hill where the visions were first reported. Wear sturdy shoes for any hill walk.
Cross Mountain. The twelve-metre crucifix on Križevac was completed in 1934, according to Wikipedia, and it completed the parish’s Stations of the Cross. It predates the reported apparitions by almost five decades, so many pilgrims climb it as part of the older parish devotion. It is a longer, steeper walk than Apparition Hill. We have not checked the route length or conditions, so ask at the parish.
A parish before a pilgrimage
The Catholic parish of St James was established in 1892 by Bishop Paškal Buconjić of Mostar, according to Wikipedia. That is almost ninety years before the reported apparitions, and it helps to see Međugorje as a working parish that later attracted pilgrims, not a place built for them. Wikipedia says the pilgrimages became a major feature of the village after 1981. Before the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, the state no longer hindered pilgrims’ travel.
The 2019 pilgrimage and what followed
The Vatican’s 2019 permission was for organised parish and diocesan pilgrimages, so it changed how groups travel without settling the question of the events themselves. The first Vatican-sanctioned pilgrimage ran for five days, from 2 to 6 August 2019. The 2024 Nulla Osta went a step further by approving devotion to Our Lady, Queen of Peace, as a form of worship, while still not judging the apparitions. We recommend reading the Holy See’s own statement if you want the precise wording.
Visiting respectfully
Dress modestly, keep your voice down near the church and the hills, and ask before photographing people at prayer. We have not verified any fees or opening times, so check locally.
Getting there
By car, Međugorje is about 28 km from Mostar. Our getting there page covers transport, including the International Driving Permit that UK drivers need to hire a car. The simplest route for many is a tour. A full-day tour from Dubrovnik covers Mostar, Počitelj and Međugorje in about 12 hours (checked October 2026), which the Mostar from Dubrovnik page explains.
Where it fits
Međugorje does not belong to the Blagaj, Počitelj and Kravice loop in spirit, though it can join a longer trip. The day trips overview explains the options, and Mostar Old Town and war history cover the city itself.
