Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is imprinted on most people’s minds because of the vicious wars fought here in the 1990s. We naively thought that after 25 years the country would have recovered. We were mistaken. Signs of the war are everywhere – in the destroyed buildings and in the people.

Mostar was our first stop. It is best known for its iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), constructed in the 16th century. It was infamously destroyed in 1993 by Croatian forces besieging Mostar, and rebuilt after the war using the original stones retrieved from the river below. It’s been 24 years since the end of the war but Mostar is a long way from recovery. There are still many bombed-out and abandoned buildings. Practically every building has bullet and shell damage. Even our apartment building had shell damage.

The old town is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Much of the old town has been rebuilt, largely with foreign aid. Restaurants and small businesses are trying to make a go of it, but relatively few tourists (by European standards) have so far returned. Those who have are probably like us – awed by the beautiful architecture, but numbed by the still open wounds of a war that happened in our lifetimes.

For a break from the city we signed up for a one-day sightseeing tour. Our guide was highly-educated and opinionated. In addition to sightseeing we got an impassioned explanation of Balkan history and politics, albeit from a Herzegovian perspective. It made for a fascinating day.

Pocitelj is a 14th century castle and fortified town that is now a UNESCO protected site. It is basically an open air museum, one requiring a strenuous climb up to the castle ruins!

In the nearby small town of Blagaj we visited the Dervish Monastery built around 1520. It was one of the only religious edifices in Bosnia and Herzegovina not to be destroyed during the war. It was protected from artillery fire because it is built into the base of a cliff.

After a hot day in 30+ degrees we visited the cool waters of Kravice Waterfalls. The falls are not high but are very scenic. The area has been turned into more of a recreation area, with cafes and bars around the edge of the water. We swam in the frigid waters and relaxed with a cool beer before returning to Mostar.

Sarajevo was our second stop. We travelled by train from Mostar. For $12 CDN p.p. in first class we got to see the breathtaking views of the Aeron Ivan Pass and the Neretva valley.

For the most part Sarajevo is in better shape than Mostar. Many of the bombed-out buildings have been rebuilt, though evidence of the war is everywhere.

For people of our generation Sarajevo was first famous for being the city where Archduke Franz Ferinand was assassinated, triggering World War I. We visited the Latin Bridge where the assassination occurred. Sarajevo was next known for the 1984 Olympic Winter Games. The Olympic gondola was destroyed during the war. It just reopened after being rebuilt with donor funds. We took it up to see the former Olympic bobsleigh track. Sadly time has not been kind to it. It is starting to fall apart and is mainly covered with graffiti. The views looking down over Sarajevo were however spectacular. 

Sarajevo is now known for having suffered the longest siege of any European city in modern warfare – 1,425 days, from 1992 to 1996. We spent a lot of time wandering the old town, including the ancient Ottoman market area of Baščaršija. Most of the old city was levelled during the siege, but has been largely rebuilt. Reminders of the siege are everywhere, not in just in the decaying or shell-damaged buildings, but in the many memorials. The so-called “Sarajevo Roses” are especially poignant. Wherever bomb blasts killed three or more people, the blast marks have been painted red and the names of the victims engraved on a nearby wall. The one below, with 26 victims, was a few feet from where we sat having lunch one day.

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We walked along, and took trams down, so-called Sniper Alley, the main artery of Sarajevo. It was surreal to be part of the bustling crowds on the street, yet think about what happened there so recently. Finally we visited the war tunnel under Sarajevo airport, the only route through which supplies, other than limited humanitarian aid provided by the UN, could enter the city during siege.

Sarajevo is beginning to recover. It is a beautiful city, but was obviously a much more glorious city before the war. Hopefully time will heal the wounds.

Next stop: Dalmatian Coast

For more photos check out our photo album: