Though the allure of Međugorje is based in mystery, this town – about 25 kilometers south and west of Mostar – is no secret to faithful Catholics the world over. The story of an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the hills between Međugorje and Bijakovići has made this once quiet village in Herzegovina the most-visited site in the country and the second-largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in the world. As the legend goes, Mother Mary appeared to six teenagers on 24 June 1981. Though skepticism followed their account, the Queen of Peace appeared again and again and soon made believers out of even the most vocal critics. Some 15 million have visited since.