Biding Time in B&H
Every time we told someone we were going to Bosnia and Herzegovina, they proceeded to look up where Bosnia was on a map. Admittedly Bosnia only made it on our radar when we were looking for places outside of the Schengen Zone* (see below) where we could stay to buy ourselves more time in the rest of Europe. But, it was reinforced as a viable destination by multiple friends.
Bosnia is an eastern European country that was a part of the former Yugoslavia. The history of Bosnia, and Sarajevo in particular, is absolutely imperative to know before you visit** (see below). There are a lot of important moments in Bosnia’s history but the most relevant for current times is the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo, the longest siege of a major city in modern history.
To have the freedom and flexibility to move around the country we rented a car. It allowed us to cover ground more freely in a place that has a more underdeveloped train and bus system (compared to other European countries). We were a little nervous at first, when the rental car agent said “Good Luck!“ as we drove off… but driving in Europe was an absolute delight as everyone knows how to drive and does it well. No road rage, no people doing stupid shenanigans, no people not using their blinkers. It was fun trying to learn all the road signs though!
We visited three main areas in and around Bosnia & Herzegovina, which we each outline separately below.
Sarajevo, B&H
The moment we stepped off the plane in Sarajevo you could feel the city was a little bit different. Taken aback immediately by the imposing mountains that stretched upward on all sides (the city is in a deep valley), it was hard not to just stare in awe for a bit. We initially spent 2 days in Sarajevo before traveling to Mostar, but then spent another 5 days back in Sarajevo after Mostar. It was our first true taste of cold and it even snowed on multiple occasions.
Again, the history of the city and the mixing of cultures is unique and worth exploring and understanding to get the full picture. There is a famous landmark in Sarajevo called the Meeting of Cultures where they say the East meets West and the city really embodies this mixing of cultures across ethnic and religious lines.
Some quick highlights:
The city has a strong Muslim presence, and we were quickly re-acquainted with the five-times daily call to prayer and mosques on every corner. You can see the plethora of minarets in some of the panoramas below.
Also, all throughout the city you can see the scars of the Siege of Sarajevo alongside modern and updated buildings. The juxtaposition in the city is stark and important.
Sarajevo is also where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated which was the major domino that precipitated WWI, so there is no shortage of history through the city.
Sarajevo also played host to the 1984 Winter Olympics and there are many sights and remnants that make for good tourists stops as well. It was a major point of pride for the city especially during a tumultuous time. We were so sad to miss one of the best Olympic sites, the abandoned and graffitied bobsled track, but the weather didn’t permit a visit at the time.
I can’t say this enough, the history is important to understand the city. The people of Sarajevo have endured and overcome so much yet the tragedy doesn’t solely define them. It makes the city and people feel all the more resilient and special.
Mostar, B&H
Ryan found Mostar by happenstance (one good thing about Instagram) and with some additional confirmation, we decided to make this a major stop due to the affordability and proximity to a variety of day trip sights. A more “coastal” climate (though not actually on the coast) it was a bit warmer than the mountainous region where Sarajevo is. Mostar is situated on a river, with the centerpiece of the city being Stari Most (literal translation “Old Bridge”) and the massive and rushing Neretva River.
We would take daily walks along the river, sit on our patio enjoying the views, and visit some of the local restaurants. This was by far the most affordable place we visited in Europe (a whole multi-course meal with drinks and dessert ran us under $40 total). We also took some day trips to places like Blagaj Tekija Monastery and Kravica Waterfall as well as Dubrovnik which we outlined more below.
The Mostar weather was cool but not too cold. Cloudy but not too cloudy, with some intermittent rain. During the summer it gets hot and the entire city is a major Spring/Summer destination catered for seasonal tourism. Because we were on the off season (November) we avoided the crowds, but also missed out on some of the activities as they were closed or reduced for the season.
One funny lesson learned: Double check major holidays of countries and/or cities you are visiting. We were there during our Thanksgiving (November 24th) but knew nobody else would be celebrating so didn’t expect anything to be closed. We had NO idea that Bosnian Statehood Day was November 25th, and that everything would be closed for most of the weekend.
Our first clue was the crowd of school-aged children we passed on Friday, where several students were draped in Bosnian flags but we didn’t think anything of it. That afternoon we tried running to the bakery down the street that was normally open late only to see them closing up shop at 4:00pm leaving us with no bread for our dinner. Then, that evening as we were enjoying the sound of the river on the patio we heard a large round of cracks which we learned were fireworks…. (relevant in a country where there are still potentially hundreds of undetonated mortar shells). A quick google search filled us in on the celebration of Statehood Day.
Since then we try to research holidays in the places we travel so we are more prepared and understanding of such customs.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Our day trip to Dubrovnik had us absolutely wanting to return to Croatia for more. It wasn’t just the city itself, but the entire scenic drive between Bosnia and Dubrovnik that left us in awe.
Bosnia and Croatia are interestingly situated (look at a map), which made the possibility of a day trip from Mostar totally doable for a one-day trip. Since Croatia is part of the Schengen area we couldn’t stay long (this time) because it would have counted towards the 90 day limit that we were in Bosnia to avoid.
Croatia is well known in the region for its wine and there were countless wineries on our drive that we wished we could have visited. Virtually the entire drive was along the Dalmatian Coast along the Adriatic Sea.
Dubrovnik is famously where they filmed a number of scenes from Game of Thrones. The entire Old Town was used as the base for Kings Landing and scenes throughout the series showcase the city (with CGI additions of course). We visited a number of sites from the show including the famous Shame Stairs where Cersi does her shame walk, and the dock where Littlefinger tells Sansa he will try to get her out of Kings Landing.
We also walked through several random doors in the outer wall of the city and found among other things a lovely (albeit very cold) outdoor bar and terrace where we sat for several hours just enjoying the sea and the sunset.
We made the most of our one day in Croatia, but we will be back.
Additional Context
* The Schengen Zone is a collection of countries that make up a visa free travel area in Europe. Most (but not all) EU countries are a part of Schengen, and some non-EU countries are also apart of Schengen but not the EU. This was relevant and important for the planning of our entire European adventure because as U.S. Citizens we are only allowed 90 days within the Schengen Zone within a 180 day period. We wound up spending around 80 days in the Schengen zone so must now wait about 90 days until we can return to the Schengen zone for a new 90 day max. The places we visited that are not a part of Schengen are Bosnia, and the UK (London and Manchester).
** For some Sarajevo context we recommend reading the book Logavina Street: Life and Death in a Sarajevo Neighborhood, watching the lesser-known fictional movie The Hunting Party (with Terrance Howard and Richard Gere), and watching any documentary you can find on YouTube or other source. There is way more to the history of Sarajevo than the Siege, but given the very recent proximity to that event, the Siege looms large.