In Praise of the Shoulder Seasons

High summer has its admirers, but Herzegovina keeps its best self for the shoulders of the year. In late April the rivers are full and the hills still green; by late September the heat has softened and the vineyards are turning.

These are the weeks when the region feels handed back to itself. Mostar's bridge belongs to the divers and the swifts again, the wine roads are empty, and a table by the water needs no reserving days ahead.

If you can choose your dates, choose these. Bring a layer for the evenings, leave room in the day for nothing in particular, and let the season set the pace.