Autumn in Metković: mandarins, ancient Narona and gastronomy of Neretva
During autumn, Metković is most easily recognized by its color. The orange overflows over the orchards, the caches on the plantations, it runs through the city streets and remains on the fingers of those who have just returned from the harvest. It is the color of the Neretva mandarin, a fruit that has long since become much more than the citrus with which autumn begins. It is a symbol of the region, a reason to come to Metković and its surroundings, a taste that is remembered and one of the most beautiful invitations to experience and explore the Neretva Valley during autumn.
- The tangerine harvest is our greatest asset in the post-season, which, as you can see, is lively and attracts an increasing number of domestic and foreign tourists every year - says the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Metković, Magdalena Medar Ujdur, adding that it is on the tangerine plantations that you can best understand why the Neretva autumn is one of the most popular tourist products in southern Croatia. Behind each fruit are work, experience and generations that have learned to live with the river, its water level and fertile soil. That is why the tangerine harvest is often combined with a photo safari, which was conceived back in 1996 by Pavo Jerković, the owner of Vila Neretva. Boarding a traditional Neretva boat that leads through narrow canals and backwaters, among reeds, marsh vegetation and habitats of numerous birds makes the experience of picking tangerines unique. During the tangerine season, the journey often begins at the river backwaters and ends in rows of trees full of orange fruits.
The tangerines are then peeled, their scent wafts through the air, and the picked fruit can end up at the market, in a basket that we take home, or in the production of natural juices under the GUUC brand. The plant works intensively during the fruit harvest season, so the first fruit, freshly picked tangerines and pomegranates, end up in glass bottles that are served in hotels and restaurants throughout Croatia.
Metković is located along the lower reaches of the Neretva River, not far from its mouth into the sea, and when you enter its center, you will quickly realize that this city is not a stopover on the way to the sea, but a lively city with shops, schools, cultural institutions, sports life, cafes and restaurants. Everyday life here takes place at a recognizable urban rhythm, and nature and its beauties are so close that it only takes a few minutes to escape the city bustle. Lately, Metković has also attracted young families who want to combine the advantages of urban life with the space and peace provided by the heart of the city and the valley, a historical road, a source of economic life and a constant presence in the local identity - the Neretva River.
Anyone who wants to understand how rich the Neretva is should stop by the Metković Natural History Museum. It is located in the very center of the city, in the renovated building of the former tobacco station Vaga, and as a museum it preserves and presents the wealth of flora and fauna of the delta. A special place belongs to the birds, for which this area is famous among nature lovers. The exhibition takes you through different habitats, from swamps and reedbeds to canals, river courses and forest areas. If you are planning a photo safari, the museum is a natural continuation (or beginning) of the story.
Autumn in Metković also has its own urban rhythm, and part of it takes place at the table. The local gastronomic scene shows that the city does not live only on traditional Neretva dishes. In addition to local flavors, you can also find places here that follow modern catering habits, without giving up a good bite. At the Brewill brewery, lovers of craft beer, whose labels tell the story of this region (produced in the brewery of the same name), and burgers that have won the favor of guests with their juiciness and generosity, meet.
A different experience is offered by the Milano restaurant, where Italian cuisine is presented through traditional flavors and methods of preparation. When you are in this place, risotto and pizza are a gastronomic delight. For those who like to eat local and traditional, the rule is simple - when talking about Metković, gastronomy cannot be separated from the river. Eel, frogs, river fish, vegetables from fertile gardens and citrus fruits are part of the local culinary offer offered by the traditional restaurants Villa Neretva (eel and frog stew with polenta), Đuđa and Mate, as well as numerous others that do not close their doors all year round.
Just a few kilometers from the center of Metković is Vid, a place where the present and the ancient past meet at almost every turn. Narona once stood there, an important Roman city whose remains testify to life in this area more than two thousand years ago. Today, one of the pearls of Vid is certainly the Narona Archaeological Museum, unique in that it was built on the archaeological site itself, on the site of the former Augusteum, a temple dedicated to Emperor Augustus. This way of presenting heritage (in situ) allows you to experience the space in its entirety. Sculptures of the Roman imperial family, fragments of ceramics, glass, money and jewelry speak of a city that was once an important part of the Roman world on the eastern coast of the Adriatic.
In Vid, history is not confined within museum walls. Stone houses with built-in antique fragments, remains of old ramparts and traces. The historical buildings and the everyday life of the people create the impression of a place that carries its past in everyday life. That is why, when you are in Metković, take the time to explore Vid. After visiting the museum, head towards the highest point of this settlement - to the parish church of Our Lady of the Snows, in front of which there is a monumental monument to Prince Domagoj and his archers, a reminder of the Croatian maritime tradition of the early Middle Ages. For those who want to get to know the everyday life of former residents, the Ilić Ethno House brings a different kind of encounter with the past. Objects that were once used in the household and on the farm tell the story of work, family and the modest but skillful ways of life. The owner of the collection, Jure Ilić, is the largest collector of distaffs in Croatia - he owns almost 400 of them, and more than half of them are on display in this ethno house.
After history, it is naturally time for the table. The Đuđa i Mate restaurant in Vid has been nurturing the tradition at the table for decades. The restaurant is known for its Neretva specialties, and among the dishes worth seeking out, a special place belongs to the grilled eel. Its meat is full and characteristic, and the grilled preparation highlights the flavor of the food without unnecessary additives. Other dishes from the local cuisine can also be found on the table, including eel in a stew, various frog specialties, and bread baked daily in a bread oven.
In Metković and its surroundings, a souvenir does not have to be an item that will end up on the shelf. It can be a taste that opens at home, months after a trip, and brings back thoughts of autumn along the Neretva. Branka Pratežina, whose OPG project Dvi ribe, dva kumpira is dedicated to local ingredients and the creative processing of traditional flavors, creates exactly such products. Her arancini, or candied tangerine peels, are a good example of how a well-known ingredient can be transformed into a sweet snack with a clear local signature. If you want to see how they are made - enjoy the workshop that Branka organizes for tourists, and if you can't make it to this tourist experience - look for Neretva mandarins in your cities and enjoy their sweetness and freshness. Plantation owners pick them daily, and vans with the Neretva mandarin label cover the whole of Croatia.
Photo: Nikola Zoko
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