Due to its status as a crossing point between coastal and inland trade routes, the delta was always a centre of civilization. The Roman city of Narona, now the village of Vid 6km north of Metković, is the site of an impressive modern museum that is one of Dubrovnik County’s most compelling historical attractions. In the middle ages the Neretva princes were a regional power to be reckoned with, harassing Venetian shipping with their manoever able boats and then disappearing back behind their swamps whenever the enemy threatened a counter-attack.

The swamplands have always provided a happy home for legions of eels and frogs, and it was these creatures that traditionally formed the delta’s staple diet. Frogs were eaten in any number of ways; eels were frequently salt-cured rather like pršut and stacked in large oak barrels, which were then exported throughout the Mediterranean as a delicacy. The 20th century decline of the swamp and the growing focus on fruit-growing has led to a shrinking of the habitat for frogs and eels, and a change in the local diet – nowadays the swamp creatures are considered delicacies rather than daily staples.