The coldest river in the world flows through Croatia

The coldest river in the world

One little known, and surprising fact, is that the coldest river in the world actually flows through Croatia.

The river is the Neretva, which is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin and originates and flows through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Its source, known as the Upper Neretva, is the coldest part of the river, and even in summer, the water temperature rarely exceeds seven degrees Celsius.

Experts from Science Blurtit explain this unusual coldness of the Neretva at the beginning of its course beneath Mount Jabuka, part of the Zelengora mountain range, situated at an altitude of 1,227 meters.

Additionally, the source is surrounded by several lakes. Besides its coldness, the Neretva is also known for its turquoise colour, which gives it a distinctive and beautiful appearance.

Neretva estuary in Croatia

Despite its colour, the Neretva’s water is drinkable. The river is also used for electricity production; near the source of the Neretva, there are four hydroelectric power plants and dams.

Mostly Flowing Through Bosnia and Herzegovina

This makes the Neretva extremely important for the inhabitants of the countries through which it flows. The Neretva stretches for 230 kilometers, with the majority of its course running through Bosnia and Herzegovina (208 km), while a smaller part flows through Croatia (22 km) before it empties into the Adriatic Sea.

The Neretva is the longest river flowing towards the Adriatic Sea from its eastern shore.

The name Neretva dates back to ancient times, when the Greek colony Narenta, located upstream from today’s Metković, was named after this river. The ancient names for the Neretva were Nera or Narenta. In ancient times, the Neretva was known as Narenta, and near present-day Jablanica lived the Illyrian tribe of the Narensi.

Neretva

The Neretva Delta is one of the few fertile areas in Dalmatia. In medieval Bosnia, near today’s Počitelj, there was a shipyard on the Neretva.

The Neretva is navigable up to Metković, and with smaller vessels up to Čapljina, although this possibility has never been tested. Additionally, it is the only karst river that has managed to overcome a sinkhole.