Spiritual Roman Catholic Medjugorje Pilgrimage
Medjugorje, a small town located in Herzegovina, about 25 km from Mostar, has been the site of a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary – Our Lady of Medjugorje, since 1981.
The name of the town means “between mountains” and the town consists of mainly Croat population of just over 2,300 inhabitants. On June 24, 1981, six local children said they had seen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The children, now adults, have continued having the visions to this day. Since the apparition, Medjugorje became the site of Roman Catholic pilgrimage with 40 million visitors from all over the world and around 1 million visitors annually. Most tourists are from Italy, Spain, France and Ireland. It is now the third most important Catholic pilgrimage site in Europe.
The messages attributed to the apparition have a strong following among Catholics. A Vatican commission to study the Medjugorje question was set up by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and report was completed in 2014. The pilgrimage to Medjugorje was authorized by the Vatican in 2019.
Medjugorje can be best reached by flying into Mostar, some 25 km northeast of Medjugorje. Mostar International Airport is currently open for seasonal charter flights and does not offer any regular flights. Alternatively, Sarajevo International Airport is the best option, 2.5 hours and 155 km away, offering a variety of international flight options.
Medjugorje has been visited by over 40 million pilgrims since 1981.