Bosnia and Herzegovina -

Mostar surroundings – an idea for a day trip

Gosia — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 11:58:52 +0000

Mostar is one of the most popular places in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially thanks to the pictures of the famous Old Bridge. However, it’s worth visiting nearby tourist attractions, which in my opinion can even compete with Mostar itself. The most interesting thing is that these places usually haven’t been discovered by mass tourism yet, and until recently they weren’t even described in well-known guidebooks. They are slowly gaining popularity, yet they still retain their wild character. Just seven kilometres from Mostar, there’s an interesting military area, forged in rock and hidden in the lush nearby forests. It’s a huge hangar where fighter aircrafts were stationed during Tito’s regime. Unfortunately, now you’ll see there only a long, dark tunnel where’s nothing but garbage. This place hasn’t been visited by mass tourism, which is why it’s so unique. Those who like to explore abandoned places and interesting history, will certainly enjoy this interesting place. Blagaj In a hot day, take a trip to the village of Blagaj, with a beautifully located monastery monastery (called Tekke or Tekija). It was built in the 15th century in the Ottoman style, but it look in no way resembles the most famous temple of the dancing order of Dervishes, located in Turkey in Konya. However, the advantage of the monastery in Blagaj is its location. The road to the monastery runs next to orchards abundant with figs, apricots, peaches and grenades and restaurants serving Bosnian food including excellent Börek prepared in special stove called sač. Furthermore, the monastery is surrounded by high rocks and a cave from which the Buna river flows. The speed of water from the source is 43 litres per second, so you can imagine its speed. An additional advantage is a constant water temperature reaching 10 Celcius degrees, when standing on the shore you can feel a pleasant chill. You can finish your sightsseing with a bout trip to the cave or climb up the hill where the old fortress is located. Počitelj About 30 km south of Mostar, there’s a picturesque, intimate town of Počitelj. The city and the surrounding area are one of the most interesting tourist attractions in BiH. However I was surprised that during the 2-hour tour I have seen practically no people not to mention locals. Počitelj is the perfect place to have a rest after visiting crowdy Mostar. The most interesting historical monuments include the ruins of the former Turkish fortress on the foundations of the ancient Roman castle. The fortress was seriously destroyed during the civil war in Bosnia, initially by Serbian forces and then Croatian. The entrance to the fortress is free, and a steep road leads to its peak. A beautiful view of the Neretva river and the Počitelj you can admire from the defensive tower. Entrance there is on your own responsibility, because the narrow, steep, high stairs can be dangerous for those who suffer the fear of height. The high Clock Tower (Sahat Kula) and the Hadži-Alija Mosque are the most distinctive in the landscape of the city. The current structure is the reconstruction of the original mosque that was demolished during the civil war. Medjugorie The popular place of pilgrimage is Revelation Hill in a small town of Medjugorie. The rocky path to the top of the hill does not discourage many pilgrims, some of whom go there even barefoot. Revelation places are signed by crosses, while the statue of Our Lady of God is also on top. Kravica waterfalls An intense day of exploring is best to end with swimming in Kravica Waterfalls. You’ll find there a group of several waterfalls reaching more than 20 metres high, hidden in alush tropical vegetation. Until recently, waterfalls weren’t described in guidebooks and were an attraction mainly for the local population, who came here to bathe in crystal, clear water. At present you can see more tourist there. There’s a parking lot on site and admission to the park, price list you will find here. After swimming you can rest in a restaurant and two bars, and on the way out of the parking lot, you can purchase local rakija. Like this post? Check out anothe one!

Artykuł Mostar surroundings – an idea for a day trip pochodzi z serwisu .

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Mostar, the city of hatred?

Gosia — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 21:13:36 +0000

It’s 11.00 am, delighted with views on the way from Sarajevo, I look forward to getting out of the bus and seeing marvelous Mostar. The door of the bus opens and I feel like I’m going straight to hell. The temperature is 35 Celsius degrees, and it’s not a noon yet. I take my backpack and I move towards the hostel, expecting to see this picturesque city with a famous bridge. But what I see along the way in no way doesn’t look like images from a catalogue which I’d seen before. In addition to the beautiful panorama of the city from the Musal bridge, you can see the ruins of the luxurious Neretva Hotel, also known as Tito’s Palace, which was the favorite Josip Tito’s accomodation. Now it’s a complete mess. Right behind the bridge there’s a high building of the former bank, which during the war was called the Sniper Tower, as its location gave perfect view to the front line. That’s where the snipers were shooting at the civilian population who wanted to get across the river. Now the Sniper Tower is an abandoned building inhabited by homeless people. Here you can see a number of interesting murals and great view of the city. Mostar is a picturesque town located in the valley of the river Neretva. Its name comes from the word mostari, which means the guardians of the bridge, who in the old days were guarding the Old Bridge. The Old Bridge is currently the main tourist attraction in Mostar. Unfortunately Mostar is also called: “the divided city”, “the city of hatred” and “the city with no reconciliation”. It may be hard to believe it right now, but in Mostar took place the most severe battles during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Initially, Bosnian Muslims and Croats fought against the Serbs. However, in May 1993 Croats attacked the eastern part of the city where Bosnian Muslims lived. During more than one-year occupation, they did a lot of damage in this part of the town. In November 1993 the Croats completely destroyed the Old Bridge, a valuable monument since Ottoman times, which was build more than 400 years ago. The Bridge was rebuilt in 2004 using the same technique. At the highest point, it is more than 20 meters high and the main tourist attraction is to watch the brave jumpers who dive from it to the Neretva river. In the old days, it was a sign of courage but now it’s being performed mainly for gaining money. Despite the reconstruction, the bridge still separates Croats from Bosnian Muslims. As a matter of fact, Mostar currently consists of two cities. Divisions are visible to this day, both in the city’s architecture and in the organisation of public institutions. The right side of the Neretva river, inhabited the Croatian population, has a more modern character than part where Bosnian Muslims live. There are no signs of war here and the architecture look more like European with new buildings and churches. The left part of the Mostar is very diverse. The Old Town has a typical oriental Turkish character. On Kujundziluk street you’ll find bazaar which remids the Turkish ones. There you can purchase products from craftsmen, goldsmiths and have a cup of coffee brewed in Turkish way or smoke a shisha. This part of the city is also dominated by numerous mosques, the most popular of which is the Koskin Mehmed-Pasha Mosque, which offers a panoramic view of Mostar, while the largest is Karadoz – Bega Mosque. Next to the Koskin Mehmed-Pasha Mosque, there’s a small bazaar where you can stock up on brandy, local honey and delicious fresh figs, cut straight from the tree. Some rest from the crowdy Old Town can be found near the Crooked Bridge. Crooked Bridge is the oldest monument in Mostar. It looks the same as the Old Bridge, only in a slightly smaller scale. The resemblance is not coincidental, since it was built as an experiment to verify the strength of the structure, before building the right bridge. That part of Mostar I like the most. The atmosphere of this place is more intimate than the surroundings of the Old Bridge. There are many cosy restaurants from which you can enjoy an interesting view of the surrounding area, sip delicious coffee and eat Bosnian delicacies. Although it has been more than 20 years since the end of the war and despite the enormous financial assistance of the European Union and UNESCO, Mostar hasn’t been completely rebuilt yet. There are signs of fratricidal fighting on the eastern side. During 4 years of war (from 1992 to 1995 ), this part of the city was practically razed. All you have to do is walk a few meters from the bridge to see the destruction of the war. There are traces of cannon bullets, holes of the bullets from machine gun, some of the buildings are torn down or burnt. Most buildings are abandoned in this part, because people who wre driven out of them during the war have never come back. City space is “diverisfied” by cemeteries, where dates on tombstones are the same… Bulevar Revolucije – the former front line during the battle between Bosnian Muslims and Croats, still divides the people of Mostar. Urban institutions are duplicated, separate for Croats and Bosnians. There are two separate post offices, two fire brigade stations, two hospitals, two schools. Electricity and telephone communications are provided separately by different operators to each part of the city. Some Mostar residents have never even crossed the bridge. There may also be a problem with ordering pizza, as it is often not delivered to the other part. In the course of numerous talks, the people of Mostar themselves, didn’t hide disappointment with current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. City’s budget is spent for duplicated public institutions, which prevents Mostar reconstruction and further development. Finally, a big surprise is the statue of Bruce Lee located in Zrinjski City Park near the Sniper Tower. It was built on the initiative of the group called Mostar Urban Movement and was to act as a symbol linking Bosnian Muslims and Croats. Is there anyone who doesn’t like Bruce Lee? Unfortunately, it turned out that there’re some people, because the statue was demolished right after the unveiling. However, Mostar Urban Movement didn’t give up, renewed a monument, which now stands in the park intact. Where to eat? I’ve written recently about Bosnian delicious food and places where it’s worth trying local dishes. The post you can find here. Where to sleep? In Mostar you’ll find numerous hotels and hostels. I chose the cheapest option – single room in Hostel Beg, where for 2 nights I paid 15 €.

Artykuł Bosnia and Herzegovina – Mostar, the city of hatred? pochodzi z serwisu .

Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine – what to eat and where?

Gosia — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:22:17 +0000

Each country’s cuisine is characterised by specific local products, ingredients and methods of cooking. Then how could I describe in a few words the cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)? Meat, meat and meat again! Certainly, BiH is not a country for vegetarians. Vegetables in Bosnian cusine are rather a decoration for dishes. Even a typical Shopska salad, known to me earlier from Bulgaria, in Bosnia looks much more modestly than its Bulgarian counterpart. It is known that tradition is inextricably linked to history, and it is worth adding that BiH has been under the rule of Ottoman for over 400 years. Turkish influence is visible at every step in the architecture, but more importantly also in the cusine. Typical traditional Turkish dishes like burek, dolma, pilav or ajvar are also very popular here. Burek is definitely the basis of food in BiH. It’s a pastry stuffed with meat. However, there is also a pastry stuffed with cheese which is called Sirnice or Zeljanice – with spinach. Sometimes they’re served with cream, in a word dietician’s true nightmare 😉 The best burek in BiH can be tried at a little restaurant called Buregdzinica Sac in Sarajevo. Another National Food is undeniably ćevapi – grilled minced meat, in a taste-like kebab, served with onions in the pita bread, here called Somun (Bosnian flatbread). Of course you can also try the popular shish kebab with minced beef. A very popular dish is pljeskavica – grilled minced meat served in the form of a hamburger with a variety of ingredients and pileci ražnjići – grilled chicken skewers. All of these dishes can be tried in the perfect traditional restaurant Tima-Irma, located in Mostar old town. Bosnian dishes are sometimes served with cheese, most commonly with so called kajmak. This type of cheese is also known in Turkey. It doesn’t have the consistency of typical cheese, it is more creamy and salty in taste. In Sarajevo, it is worth visiting the market – GradskaTtržnica, where you can find numerous stalls with delicious, local cheese and meat. This market was the place of two bombings during the civil war, here’s the post about it. A typical side dish to meat is ajvar – paste with aubergines, peppers, garlic and vinegar. In Bosnia, it is also necessary to try local sweets, which are similar to those in Turkey, especially in the level of sweetness. The most popular is the famous baklava. The best can be try in cosy Baclava Shop in Sarajevo. The second popular dessert is hurmasice for short hurme, a kind of very sweet cookie, soaked with syrup. Bosnian desserts taste the best with traditional coffee. Bosnian coffee or more exactly Bosanska Kafa is nothing other than well known Turkish coffee, It’s very strong and served in traditional chezve (dzezva). In addition to chezve, you will receive a cup, a glass of water, sugar cubes and a rachatlokum – a small, fruit jelly popular in Turkey, know there as Turkish delight. Coffee is poured from chezve to a small cup, then we soak a sugar cube in the infusion, take a bite of it and drink coffee. Best coffee in BiH, I drank in Mostar in Café de Alma – a small cafe located right next to the Old Bridge. Coffee is ground here on the spot at prepared according to a special recipe. The second interesting place is a charming, climatic café in Sarajevo – Miris Dunja, where, in addition to traditional coffee, you can drink excellent, dense hot chocolate. By the way in Sarajevo you can find numerous cosy places to drink good coffee nad try local desserts. Those who like stronger beverages I recommend popular beer: Sarajevsko or Mostarsko. Craft beer can be tasted is Zaltna Ribnica in Sarajevo. It is worth visiting this place not only in view of good beer but also to see a unique interior. Hard stuff can be found in local markets. It’s called Rakija and it’s a kind of Bosnian moonshine There’re diffirent falvours of Rakija. For instance in Mostar local market you can buy fig, cherry, peach or pomegranate. How much does it cost? BiH currency is convertible mark (KM). Below prices are from lat year 2017 when 1 KM cost 0,5 €. Dinner in Tima Irma – 7 -12 KM Burek -10 – 14 KM for kilogram Shopska salad – 3 KM Beer- 2,5 – 3 KM coffee – 2 KM Cola – 2 KM ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Artykuł Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine – what to eat and where? pochodzi z serwisu .

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo

Gosia — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:27:41 +0000

There are places that may not stand out in particular way, but they are like a magnet and evoke imagination. Sometimes, it’s an inspirational photo or an article, and sometimes it’s just their name that causes strange, poignant chills. Sarajevo and I were connected by all these things together. For the first time, I heard about this city at the elementary school in History classes. I must admit, the moment I bought the tickets to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), I felt a certain excitement that I would be at the places, let’s say where modern history began. The Latin Bridge – the place of the assasination of Austrian Archduke – Franz Ferdinand, the direct cause of the outbreak of world war. I had imagined that it would be as a monumental building as it played in history. Meanwhile, reality turned out to be a little different… Taking into account famous phrase “Balkan cauldron”, I think that Sarajevo can be regarded as its centre. There’s an amazing blend of cultures in the city. There are mosques, Orthodox churches, Catholic churches and synagogues. The places of this type are very interesting, but as history has shown, it can also be very dangerous. Sarajevo has been under the rule of Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years and the relations with Turkish culture in my view prevail. Starting with the cuisine, where we can find a number of dishes typical of Turkey, and ending with the architecture. The main point of the city is Bascarsija. When I arrived after a long trip to Sarajevo, and got off tram no. 1, linking bus station with the centre, I felt if I was in another reality. The historic fountain – Sebilij, narrow, paved streets, mosques, antique shops with craft and oriental souvenirs, baclava, halva, cosy cafeterias where you can dring Bosnian coffee, which is actually Turkish coffee, served in traditional cezwe. All of this, and additionally the typical turmoil of Arab bazaars, threw me back to Turkey. Still Europe, but closer to the Middle East. A little further from Sebilij, there is so-called. Begova Dzamija – Bey’s mosque. It is worth visiting during Friday’s prayers, when it is beautifully lit and then you can see the every-day life of the people of Sarajevo. Right next to the mosque, there’s an interesting clock tower that can be a little bit confusing because it shows the lunar time. In past times when people didn’t have watches, it was used to indicate the hours of prayer, and time of sunset during Ramadan, as well. Just a few steps farher, there’s another Ottoman gem, bazaar – Bezistan, built in the 16th century. Inside, you can find a number of stalls, mainly with jewellery, watches and bags. The remnants of the Austro-Hungarian era is beautiful, representative City Hall – Vijecnica. From the outside, maybe it doesn’t stand out from the other buildings in Sarajevo, but its interior makes an amazing impression. In the vaults of the City Hall you can also see an exhibition on the history of Sarajevo, including the prewar photos. The photos, especially these presenting bombarded – Vijecnica, impressed me greatly. The restoration of Vijecnica took 15 years. Next to the city hall, on the other side of the river Mijacka, there’s an interesting building, called Inat Kuća (the House of Spite). According to the legend, the town hall was built in the place where another building had been before. He belonged to a certain Bosnian who didn’t want to move it. After all, after long negotiations, he agreed to move, but on condition that it would be transferred brick by brick. However, in Sarajevo there’re places that resemble modern history and cruelty of war. Here, you can feel this story, you can almost touch it. You can see it on buildings marked with bullets holes, you can hear the locals stories. Walking the streets of Sarajevo, watching all the beautiful sights, looking at the city from several points of vantage, it is hard not to feel that the memory of this tragedy is still alive. My personal feeling was like something heavy was over this city. In order to better understand the history of the civil war in BiH and its consequences like concentration camps and mass murders, with the most famous in Srebrenica, it’s necessary to visit two places. The first – Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide 1992-1995, which in a comprehensive manner presents all the facts related to the genocide during the war. The second place is Gallery 11/07/95. The black and white, powerful photos was something like a ton of bricks for me. In the vicinity of both museums, there’s the Markale Marketplace (Gradska Tržnica). It’s the place of the two tragic bombardments in 1994 and 1995, during which a lot of people were killed. At present, you can purchase here excellent Georgian cheeses and so-called suche meso – dry meat, local delicacy. In Sarajevo, the signs of war can be seen everywhere. What is more interesting, even the local brewery – Sarajevska Pivara, played a very important role during the siege of the city, as there was a source of drinking water. I heard that this beer is considered the best in the country, but in my opinion it’s an average lager. In Sarajevo, you can see also a weird statue of preserve. The Serbian siege of Sarajevo lasted almost 3 years, from 3 July 1993 Until 9 January 1996. The city was completely cut off from regular food and drug supplies. The monument appears to commemorate humanitarian aid to the capital, but in reality it is a symbol of shortcomings and deficiencies in this aid. Unfortunately, in many cases, it was the food remembering the times of Vietnam war, and in addition it was often pork which Muslims do not eat. An important place that saved the lives of many inhabitants of the beleaguered city, is a Tunnel of Hope, also called the Tunnel of Life. It was digged to combine two separate districts of Sarajevo – Batumir and Dobrinja. It enabled the city a contact with the outside world and served as a way of transport food, fuel and weapons to the city. Late afternoon, at sunset, it is worth to go to two vantage points, located right next to each other – White and Yellow Fortress. Beautifully situated city, lit in yellow – red colors, slightly dimmed, in a word, a perfect picture for a romantic date. Meanwhile, below there’s a forest of Muslim’s gravestones of the Kovači cemetery. All the tombstones look the same, and even the dates on them are the same 1992 – 1995… ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Artykuł Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo pochodzi z serwisu .

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Beware sniper!

Gosia — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 20:27:43 +0000

The journey to Bosnia and Herzegovina has made an enormous impression on me. I’m sure a great influence on my reception of this country had the fact that I went there alone. Travelling alone has a lot of advantages, but I think the most important is that it’s a time to stop and think, especially when we don’t have time for this in the daily race. So far, I’ve only known BiH from the history class: as the hot spot, which led to World War I and the scene of the tragic events of the civil war, along with the famous song U2 “Miss Sarajevo”. When I got off the bus at the Bus Station in Sarajevo, I felt this trip would be one of THESE special trips. Bus station is located right next to the main city street – Zmaja od Bosne. During the Serbian siege of the city, which was the longest in the history of the modern warfare and lasted from 1992 to 1996, the street was full of plates, warning Pazite, Snajper! (“Beware, Sniper!”). Here were the tallest buildings in Sarajevo, used by snipers to assassinate civilian population. For this reason, the street was called Sniper Avenue. So far, there’re a lot of bullet holes in the buildings. Anyone who was near this street, was under the threat of death. Well, you’d think that, in that case, why would anyone think to be there? Unfortunately, the situation of the people of Sarajevo was very complicated. The UN embargo on arms supplies, led to a significant advantage of the Serbian forces receiving permanent supplies from Serbia. In addition, the city, surrounded by the Serbs, was totally cut off from food and drug supplies. People risked their life to get something to eat or drink. Humanitarian aid organised by the United Nations, often failed, in many cases it went to the Serbian side, and in addition, some of the food parties date back the Vietnam war, very often it was also canned pork which cannot be eaten by Muslims. As a reminder of these events, just next to the Historical Museum in Sarajevo, you can see a monument of this can. The lack of food supplies and weapons forced Sarajevo residents to dig a tunnel. It was located just under the airport controlled by the Serbs and connected two districts of Butmir and Dobrinja. The new transport way was nearly 1 kilometer long, and quickly received the name Tunnel of Hope or Tunnel of Life. In addition to the damaged by the bullets buildings that can be seen at every step in BiH, there are numerous cemeteries. They look like forests consisted of the same marble, narrow, towering gravestones. They are so identical that even the death dates are the same 1992 – 1995… It is estimated that the war in BiH has even claimed 200 thousand victims. A large part of the population was killed during the ethnic cleansing that was made by each side of the conflict. One of the most poingnat places in Sarajevo, is Srebrenica Gallery 11/07/95, dedicated to Srebrenica genocide. In July 1995 over 8 thousand Bosnian Muslims, mainly men and boys were killed here by the Serbs. What it worse, this tragedy could have been prevented. Srebrenica was one of the 6 so-called “safe”, demilitarized zones created in 1993 by the UN. Many people were looking for schelter here because, according to the resolution, maintaining security in the zones was guaranteed by NATO. At the time of the massacre, NATO did not react. However, the ruthlessness and cruelty of war were also manifested on a massive scale rapes, as well as in numerous concentration camps. While being in Sarajevo is worth visiting the Museum of the Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. During my stay in BiH, the most moving were the stories of the residents. Most of the families were expelled from their homes, some of them were murdered and some of them were put into cars without knowing what would happen next. Many people died in concentration camps as a result of hard work and food shortages. According to the account of one person who I met, there was only one meal a day. It was threw on the floor and prisoners had only 30 seconds to eat it with the hands tied in their back. In addition, on the daily basis were beatings and the lack of possibility to meet their physiological needs. Mostar, my next destination. One of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. The beautiful, Ottoman architecture, narrow, paved streets, and the famous Old Bridge, which is already a symbol of BiH. Until now, I cannot believe that a little more than 20 years ago, a dramatic events took place here. Mostar, early afternoon, the bridge is full of tourists, some are elbowing through the crowd to see the famous jumpers, some are trying to keep a balance on a slippery stones, I’m sanding looking with interest how many of them can spot a stone with the inscription “don’t forget ‘93” The Battle of Bosnians and Croats against the Serbs began in May 1992, and a year later the Croats started a fight with Bosnians. For almost a year they occupied the eastern part of Mostar, and the effects of this occupation can be seen even today. All you have to do is literally walk a few steps from the Old Bridge to the main street Maršala Tita, to imagine the scale of the damages. The buildings are full of bullet holes, and many of them are completely destroyed. The whole city was razed to the ground and even the famous Old Bridge form 16th century, collapsed on 9th November 1993, as a result of the Croatian fire. On the other side of the Neretva river, there’s a so called Sniper Tower. At first it was the bank’s building, but during the war, this tallest edifice in Mostar was used by the Serbs and Croats to assassinate the Bosnian population. Muslims lived in constant fear in Mostar. It was said that if you could see the tower from where you were standing, the sniper could see you. You would think that the situation in BiH, after more than 20 years, is stable. However, the state is under the Dayton agreement of 1995, became a strange creation of the Republic of Serbia, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bracko district, which is under international control. The situation is even more complicated by a sick political system, in which the government consists of the presidium, representing the interests of Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats. Each member has the power for only 8 months. In Mostar itself, there’s still a division to the Eastern Bosnan part – and the West – Croatian, the border line is the street, Not only the street designates a breakdown, but also separate hospitals, police, post offices or schools, because, every nation has its own version of history. Tensions are visible here, even on the roads you can see erased Serbian names of the towns. Such a divided country cannot be managed effectively. Unemployment is around 40 %, and those who are able to find work earn around 400 BAM a month – about 200 €. The bad economic situation resulted in a series of protests called “Bosnian spring” in 2014. It is hard to say what will happen with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The marks of the war, painful memories of the conflict, mutual animosity and the complex governing system, raise a question, is it really worth to maintain the unity of this country? ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Artykuł Bosnia and Herzegovina – Beware sniper! pochodzi z serwisu .