roomraider
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As many of you know I love to travel and when the opportunity came up for me to spend a week away I jumped at the chance to go somewhere new, I originally thought about visiting one of the few European parks that are open in the winter but after a while decided to go for something a friend had recommended to me a couple of years ago.
The planned trip involved flying into Dubrovnik in Croatia before heading north to Mostar in Bosnia and finally Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia.
Now this is not a trip many I expect many of you would undertake right now, but i hope this report will change your mind or at least question your preconceptions of a country that really deserves more attention than it gets.
I asked my oldest friend James if he fancied joining me on the trip and last week we headed into the unknown for what turned out to be one of the most amazing weeks of my life.
We landed at the town of Dubrovnik in Croatia, a popular holiday town (although not in Feb) and one of the most stunning towns on the Adriatic. The Old town is a sight to behold and i highly recommend it.
We were here for 2 days and on the 2nd day thunder storms lit up the bay and gave a dazzling light show. We made a trek down to the water front to take some pictures... We were stood on the steps overlooking the stormy seas when James said "wow that wave is huge" this photo was taken about 1 second before we found out how huge it was. What happened after was like being in on tidal wave at Thorpe Park in the winter.
I don't want to linger on Dubrovnik too long though as it's a popular town and there are gorgeous pictures all over the web. On day 3 we caught a Eurolines bus to Mostar in Bosnia. (a 3 hour trip which cost around £10)
Mostar is famous for it's bridge and rightly so. They have a ritual here where to become a Man you jump into the waters below. The bridge is a stunning piece of architecture and the old town around it is stunning. Little alleys ways and quaint bars litter the area.
Mostar however has a dark past. As many will remember there was a war here following the turbulent breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. This is a war that actually happened during many of our life times and there are signs everywhere in the city. This building just down the road from our hostel is riddled with bullet holes from the conflict.
The Bosnian government isn't rich so although the town is slowly regenerating there are still signs of the war everywhere. This used to be a bank until the Serbs destroyed it in 1993.
This is a photo taken of my friend James from the top of that building. The building is not blocked off at all and you can climb the concrete steps to the top. The view shows why it was such a good sniper point and the floor is littered with glass and sniper bullet casings.
The Old town hall still sits derelict after the shelling of the east side of Mostar and serves as a stark reminder of what happened here. The rough story is that when the serbs attacked they drove the Bosnians over the river to the West side where they fought side by side with the Croatians, The Croatians then made a deal with the Serbs to divide Bosnia between them and the Bosnians found themselves fighting a war on two fronts.
The thing that hit home with me was when our tour guide pointed to a window and said that is where my father was shot dead by a sniper on this intersection.
I don't want to give the wrong impression though. Mostar is still a beautiful town and is slowly being rebuilt. The areas tourism is slowly getting back on its feet and its a vibrant and bustling town. The bridge was actually destroyed during the war by the Croats but has been rebuilt with help from the Hungarians.
The town really is gorgeous and I'd love to visit in the summer when crowds of people line the streets and the many cafes.
The food in Bosnia is also amazing. this whole meal for 3 cost about £15 and consisted of steaks, pork, veal, spicy sausages, cheese stuffed chicken, cheese filled burgers, chips, rice and veg. Bosnia is not for Vegis. In fact there is one Vegi restraunt in Sarajevo and it was shut when we were there. (the bloke in the picture is another brit who was staying in our hostel)
After a day in Mostar we got a bus (2.5 hours and £9) to the capital Sarajevo. Because it's Feb it was pretty cold so the mountain passes were snow covered but unlike the UK they know how to deal with snow here. The route was stunning and will go down as one of the most amazing drives of my life. Perfectly flat lakes reflecting huge vertical peaks and gorges spanned by huge railway bridges the Swiss would be proud of.
The landscape was awesome and the little towns along the way all had a bustling and quaint atmosphere despite the cold.
As we entered Sarajevo the signs of the war started to show again. This building was by the side of the M17 highway into the city and is a stark reminder of the 4 year siege that happened here less than 20 years ago.
These buildings were built for the 1984 Winter Olympics and housed Athletes for the games. The holes in the side were caused by Serb Artillery from the surrounding mountains as they encircled the city.
Sarajevo itself is a city steeped in history though and is beautiful in its own right. The surrounding mountains mean the city is set in a huge valley surrounded by snow capped peaks which themselves provide stunning vistas over the city. The bridge in the picture is famous for being the bridge where Franz Ferdinand was shot, The shooting was the catalyst for World War One. (he was actually shot on the corner opposite but its not quite as good a land mark)
The thing that impressed me most about Sarajevo was just how multi cultural it is, Mosques sit next to Catholic Churches and Synagogue. Often over the road from each other. This city should be a beacon for other cultures around the world when it comes to religious multiculturalism.
OK there is friction between the serb, croat and bosnian population of the city but considering the going ons just 17 years ago that is to be expected really. But what religion you are here really didn't seem to matter and that is more commendable than anything else I can say about this city.
During the almost 4 year siege of Sarajevo the Bosnians dug a 960m tunnel under the UN controlled airport. The tunnel was the ONLY way in and out of the city for the local Bosnians and was the only way to get food into the city from Bosnian controlled territory. This photo was taken of my friend James in the 20 or so meters left today. The Tunnel is hard to get to (£20 taxi ride there and back (the taxi will wait for you)) but is well worth seeing. Especially the video showing what it was like during the war with soldiers trudging through the half flooded tunnel with sacks of rice and potatoes for the starving city itself.
Again I feel I am painting a bad picture of a city I truly loved. The city now is starting to become an exciting Eastern European city like Budapest and Praque. Sure it has a way to go yet but it will get there eventually I am sure.
On the Friday we decided to go skiing. Now neither me or James had ever been before but for £25 we got a full days tuition, a lift pass and all our equipment. Find me somewhere in Europe that can beat that and I shall tip my hat to you. I can't comment on the big runs themselves but they were used in the 1984 Winter Olympics and I am told by the Aussie girl we hung out with there that they were excellent.
I have a good story here about Bosnian friendliness too. We had a ski instructor all day who helped both of us and a few other guys from our hostel all day. We all had never skied before and he was excellent. However on the way down the mountain back to our hostel he asked the 4 of us if we wanted to meet up for a drink that evening. We agreed and met up around 8:30 outside our hostel.
He turned up in his rather excellent Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf (which was older than me) and asked if we wanted to go and see the city from the mountains. We agreed and he drove us through Sarajevo giving us a tour of the olympic village and the stadiums before heading up into the old town to a bar which overlooks the entire city. The view was incredible and you could see the entirety of Sarajevo laid out below us. He then drove us back into town to a Pool bar and gave us a few games before he headed home.
Now I need to stress this was all done on his own time. We never asked him for any of this, he was genuinely proud of his city and was clearly passionate about the history. He grew up in a world where he was constantly running for cover from shells and mortar fire and he was genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever met and I honestly hope life treats him better in the future.
I shall leave you with this last picture. this is one of the newest bridges over the river and a lovely piece of design. The guys in the picture are James and the Aussie girl Sallie that we met and spent our entire time with in Sarajevo.
To summarise. Bosnia is an incredible place with a deep history and a recent past that will make even the most hardened traveller stop and think. It is one of the friendliest places I have ever been and has food and sights which will make you stop and take notice. If this TR makes just one person stop and consider heading to Bosnia I will be a happy man because it really deserves peoples attention.
The planned trip involved flying into Dubrovnik in Croatia before heading north to Mostar in Bosnia and finally Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia.
Now this is not a trip many I expect many of you would undertake right now, but i hope this report will change your mind or at least question your preconceptions of a country that really deserves more attention than it gets.
I asked my oldest friend James if he fancied joining me on the trip and last week we headed into the unknown for what turned out to be one of the most amazing weeks of my life.
We landed at the town of Dubrovnik in Croatia, a popular holiday town (although not in Feb) and one of the most stunning towns on the Adriatic. The Old town is a sight to behold and i highly recommend it.
We were here for 2 days and on the 2nd day thunder storms lit up the bay and gave a dazzling light show. We made a trek down to the water front to take some pictures... We were stood on the steps overlooking the stormy seas when James said "wow that wave is huge" this photo was taken about 1 second before we found out how huge it was. What happened after was like being in on tidal wave at Thorpe Park in the winter.
I don't want to linger on Dubrovnik too long though as it's a popular town and there are gorgeous pictures all over the web. On day 3 we caught a Eurolines bus to Mostar in Bosnia. (a 3 hour trip which cost around £10)
Mostar is famous for it's bridge and rightly so. They have a ritual here where to become a Man you jump into the waters below. The bridge is a stunning piece of architecture and the old town around it is stunning. Little alleys ways and quaint bars litter the area.
Mostar however has a dark past. As many will remember there was a war here following the turbulent breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. This is a war that actually happened during many of our life times and there are signs everywhere in the city. This building just down the road from our hostel is riddled with bullet holes from the conflict.
The Bosnian government isn't rich so although the town is slowly regenerating there are still signs of the war everywhere. This used to be a bank until the Serbs destroyed it in 1993.
This is a photo taken of my friend James from the top of that building. The building is not blocked off at all and you can climb the concrete steps to the top. The view shows why it was such a good sniper point and the floor is littered with glass and sniper bullet casings.
The Old town hall still sits derelict after the shelling of the east side of Mostar and serves as a stark reminder of what happened here. The rough story is that when the serbs attacked they drove the Bosnians over the river to the West side where they fought side by side with the Croatians, The Croatians then made a deal with the Serbs to divide Bosnia between them and the Bosnians found themselves fighting a war on two fronts.
The thing that hit home with me was when our tour guide pointed to a window and said that is where my father was shot dead by a sniper on this intersection.
I don't want to give the wrong impression though. Mostar is still a beautiful town and is slowly being rebuilt. The areas tourism is slowly getting back on its feet and its a vibrant and bustling town. The bridge was actually destroyed during the war by the Croats but has been rebuilt with help from the Hungarians.
The town really is gorgeous and I'd love to visit in the summer when crowds of people line the streets and the many cafes.
The food in Bosnia is also amazing. this whole meal for 3 cost about £15 and consisted of steaks, pork, veal, spicy sausages, cheese stuffed chicken, cheese filled burgers, chips, rice and veg. Bosnia is not for Vegis. In fact there is one Vegi restraunt in Sarajevo and it was shut when we were there. (the bloke in the picture is another brit who was staying in our hostel)
After a day in Mostar we got a bus (2.5 hours and £9) to the capital Sarajevo. Because it's Feb it was pretty cold so the mountain passes were snow covered but unlike the UK they know how to deal with snow here. The route was stunning and will go down as one of the most amazing drives of my life. Perfectly flat lakes reflecting huge vertical peaks and gorges spanned by huge railway bridges the Swiss would be proud of.
The landscape was awesome and the little towns along the way all had a bustling and quaint atmosphere despite the cold.
As we entered Sarajevo the signs of the war started to show again. This building was by the side of the M17 highway into the city and is a stark reminder of the 4 year siege that happened here less than 20 years ago.
These buildings were built for the 1984 Winter Olympics and housed Athletes for the games. The holes in the side were caused by Serb Artillery from the surrounding mountains as they encircled the city.
Sarajevo itself is a city steeped in history though and is beautiful in its own right. The surrounding mountains mean the city is set in a huge valley surrounded by snow capped peaks which themselves provide stunning vistas over the city. The bridge in the picture is famous for being the bridge where Franz Ferdinand was shot, The shooting was the catalyst for World War One. (he was actually shot on the corner opposite but its not quite as good a land mark)
The thing that impressed me most about Sarajevo was just how multi cultural it is, Mosques sit next to Catholic Churches and Synagogue. Often over the road from each other. This city should be a beacon for other cultures around the world when it comes to religious multiculturalism.
OK there is friction between the serb, croat and bosnian population of the city but considering the going ons just 17 years ago that is to be expected really. But what religion you are here really didn't seem to matter and that is more commendable than anything else I can say about this city.
During the almost 4 year siege of Sarajevo the Bosnians dug a 960m tunnel under the UN controlled airport. The tunnel was the ONLY way in and out of the city for the local Bosnians and was the only way to get food into the city from Bosnian controlled territory. This photo was taken of my friend James in the 20 or so meters left today. The Tunnel is hard to get to (£20 taxi ride there and back (the taxi will wait for you)) but is well worth seeing. Especially the video showing what it was like during the war with soldiers trudging through the half flooded tunnel with sacks of rice and potatoes for the starving city itself.
Again I feel I am painting a bad picture of a city I truly loved. The city now is starting to become an exciting Eastern European city like Budapest and Praque. Sure it has a way to go yet but it will get there eventually I am sure.
On the Friday we decided to go skiing. Now neither me or James had ever been before but for £25 we got a full days tuition, a lift pass and all our equipment. Find me somewhere in Europe that can beat that and I shall tip my hat to you. I can't comment on the big runs themselves but they were used in the 1984 Winter Olympics and I am told by the Aussie girl we hung out with there that they were excellent.
I have a good story here about Bosnian friendliness too. We had a ski instructor all day who helped both of us and a few other guys from our hostel all day. We all had never skied before and he was excellent. However on the way down the mountain back to our hostel he asked the 4 of us if we wanted to meet up for a drink that evening. We agreed and met up around 8:30 outside our hostel.
He turned up in his rather excellent Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf (which was older than me) and asked if we wanted to go and see the city from the mountains. We agreed and he drove us through Sarajevo giving us a tour of the olympic village and the stadiums before heading up into the old town to a bar which overlooks the entire city. The view was incredible and you could see the entirety of Sarajevo laid out below us. He then drove us back into town to a Pool bar and gave us a few games before he headed home.
Now I need to stress this was all done on his own time. We never asked him for any of this, he was genuinely proud of his city and was clearly passionate about the history. He grew up in a world where he was constantly running for cover from shells and mortar fire and he was genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever met and I honestly hope life treats him better in the future.
I shall leave you with this last picture. this is one of the newest bridges over the river and a lovely piece of design. The guys in the picture are James and the Aussie girl Sallie that we met and spent our entire time with in Sarajevo.
To summarise. Bosnia is an incredible place with a deep history and a recent past that will make even the most hardened traveller stop and think. It is one of the friendliest places I have ever been and has food and sights which will make you stop and take notice. If this TR makes just one person stop and consider heading to Bosnia I will be a happy man because it really deserves peoples attention.
