Blogs from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Europe - page 7

“The Balkans produce more history than they can consume” Winston Churchill From the first moment in Bosnia I knew I will love being here. Crossing the border from Croatia you notice that things look a little bit unordered in a manner that is not quite “European”. Right after the border crossing (with a non-English speaking guard) the Bosnian flag is followed by a …Serbian looking flag. Strange. The houses are not decorated with flowers as we got used to in Slovenia and Croatia. The feeling is that you have arrived to someplace different and not “yet-another European country”. The first village you pass has a church that looks different than the ones we saw before (its orthodox). In the second village from the border you notice a mosque. Its minaret is made of wood! That ... read more

So, I had been debating back and forth whether to make a stop in Mostar on the way to Dubrovnik, as the train ride from Sarajevo to Mostar is touted to be one of the most scenic routes in Europe. However, stopping there would cut into my already limited time in Dubrovnik, and all I could gather about what Mostar itself had to offer was .... a bridge. Bringing up this dilemma with Adnan's cousin, he INSISTED that it was worth the trip. So, that was that. Besides, no trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina is complete without actually stopping in Herzegovina. And...am I glad I did! Even with the unexpected added connections, double bus break-downs on the subsequent leg to Dubrovnik, AND double-paying to get onto the bus to Dubrovnik.... the trip to Mostar ranks as ... read more

Last night, I took the overnight train from Zagreb to Sarajevo. Sarajevo has been on my hit-list of must-see destinations since I was a wee one... stemming from watching the war unfold in Bosnia on TV growing up in Germany. Now that the war is over, I wanted to see how the city has recovered from the rubble that I had always associated with it. More recently, I have also been intrigued by the unique history of this city as the cultural meeting ground between the Austrian-Hungarians and the Ottomans. Between the vicious mosquito attacks and the temperature fluctuations, there was little sleep to be had, but I was in good company in my compartment. Besides, even in the sleep-deprived state, seeing the Bosnian country-side emerge as the sun rose was simply spectacular. Amidst the beautiful ... read more

Crossing the border into Bosnia & Herzegovina, I observed that the flags flying were not Bosnian ones, but ones closely resembling the old flag of the former Yugoslavia. A read-up on the country revealed the true meaning of those flags. Bosnia & Herzegovina is still essentially, a country divided. And no, the two entities making up the country are not in fact Bosnia, and Herzegovina. At the end of the Bosnian War in 90s, it was agreed that Bosnia & Herzegovina would be split into two parts; the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina (the Muslims and Croat portion in the south and west including Sarajevo) and the Republika Srpska (the Serb portion in the north and the east). We were obviously passing through the Serb section. Despite the division, Bosnia & Herzegovina is still one country, ... read more

Took the 8am train ride up to Sarajevo. Only cost 5 euro, so cheap for a train. The scenery was amazing, reminded me of Switzerland. Except it was almost like I was in the past century. Saw tons of little cottages up in the hill, barns with thatched roofs and people herding sheep. Had a great time sticking my head out the window of the stuffy train letting the rain cool me off. The three hours flew by and soon I was checking into my hostel/guest house. Great little place run by a few locals who go out of their way to help you enjoy your time in Sarajevo. Feels more like staying in someones house than a hostel. Soon after getting organized I was out the door with a few British girls to check out ... read more