The world is bigger than we could ever possibly imagine, and it’s scary to think we will never even scratch the surface in this lifetime. Even if we do travel to the same places, we see the world through different eyes, creating a unique experience. As I dive head first into travel, I am inspired by each of your adventures and am starting Sonderlust Secrets as a series showcasing this. Interested in being featured?
I am honoured to have one of my good friends I’ve made in Australia. Meet Ariana!
Bosnia & Herzegovina, the heart shaped country tucked away in South Eastern Europe is highly underrated as a travel destination. From its lush green landscapes to rocky mountain cliffs, beautiful clean rivers, and amazing traditional food, Bosnia should definitely be next on every travellers list.
But…Where is Bosnia? It is one of the many questions i always get asked . Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in Southeastern Europe, in the western Balkans and it borders Croatia, Montenegro & Serbia.
The country has thousands of visitors from all around the globe each year, and its estimated by the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world between 1995 and 2020. Not bad for a country, who suffered and lost so much just 20 years ago.
Brief History:
Bosnia has been inhabited at least since the Neolitic times.The earliest known inhabitants were tribes knowns as the Illyrians, an ethnic group that settled in in Balkan peninsula . As the land was rich and well positioned, many wanted it for themselves. In 168BC, the land of the Illyrians became the Roman province of Illyricum, then the Slav invasions of the 6th and 7th century established and defined the culture and language. Ottoman Emipre took control in the late 1400’s which again changed the county’s cutlure, language, traditions and religion. The Austrio-Hungarians ruled for a short time in the late 1800’s until it became a state in Yugoslavia, under communist rule of Josip Tito. After his death in 1980, the government was weakened and left unable to cope with economic and political challenges, which lead to the breakup of Yugoslavia.
With most of the Yugoslavian countries wanting independence, Bosnia passed a referendum for independence February 1992. But the Bosnian Serbs rejected this idea of independent countries. They mobilized their forces inside the Bosnia and Herzegovina, and war soon spread across the country, with ethnic cleaning of the Muslim Bosniak and Croat population. The war was bloodiest since World War II with up to 200,000 (certain number is not known as many are still missing) , and 2.2 million were forced to flee their homes. I was once of those lucky enough to get out on time, I am now an australian citizen, and have called Australia home since 1994.
The war ended with The Dayton Accords of 1995 which brought peace to the region but separated Bosnia & Herzegovina into two entities. Bosnia & Herzegovina (B&H) and Republic Of Srpska (RS). Part of this agreement meant half the country was given to the people that started the war, the country got a very complicated government with 3 roatating presidents, the Bosnian flag had to be changed and a new national anthem WITHOUT words is played during national events.
Looking to the future
20 years after the dayton agreement was made, Bosnia & Herzegovina has started healing from its war wounds. Of course signs of war can still be seen in the bullet ridden buildings , half bombed houses and many people still don’t like to talk about the war. While tourism is slowly picking up, Bosnia still remains a hidden oasis, which is why i started my blog -to show people the beauty Bosnia & Herzegovina had to offer. With a rich history and lush green & rocky landscapes with iconic towns, every trip to Europe should include Bosnia & Herzegovina and below are some of my favourite towns.
Sarajevo
Sarajevo, the capital city that was until the 90’s war, famous for its traditional cultural and religious diversity, the same people with different faiths – Islam, Orthodoxy, Judaism and Catholicism coexisting there for centuries. This changed in the early 90’s with the city being under siege by Serbian forces for 11,825 days, with 11,541 people including children loosing their lives. Those lucky to be alive today were faced with harsh winters without electricity, water or heat, hiding from the 330 shells a day that smashed into the city, and not knowing if going out to try get some food and water meant being shot dead.
Sarajevo has been undergoing post-war reconstruction, and is the fastest growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Though it is a capital city, it doesn’t give you that busy crowd feel, so you can easily explore the city in a day and still see a lot!
The whole city has this east meets west ambience. One minute it feels like you are in Istanbul, the next in Vienna. Bosnia was influenced heavily by the Ottoman empire which ruled from the late 1400’s. Austrian-Hungarians took control for a short period of time in the late 1800’s. During the war The Siege of Sarajevo was the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare.
Baščaršija, though looks like a mouthful to pronounce ( pronounced Bash-Char-She-Yah), is Sarajevos old Bazaar that was built in the 15th century is the heart and soul of Sarajevo.
The famous Sebilj fountain, the meeting point for locals
At the Sebilj fountain, or “pigeon square,” in the Baščaršija, is the meeting point for locals and a great place to start exploring the city. As you walk down old cobbled narrow street you are transported back into the Ottoman times, small shops selling everything from souvenir pens made from left over bullet casings to traditional oriental rugs. Be sure to visit one of the oldest streets Kazandžiluk Street which means Coppersmith Street. This would be the best place in town to get your traditional Bosnian coffee set as its filled with beautiful copper pots, plates and decorations.
Just past this bridge is the place that started WW1
If there’s one thing i remember from history class, its what caused WW1. Thats because happened in right here in Sarajevo. On 28th of June, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a 18 year old Serbian, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife. Right behind me in the above photo is the Latin Bridge (Latinska ćuprija), and the shooting happened at the northern end of the bridge. If you are a modern history buff be sure to check the museum as well as the Eternal flame (Vječna vatra) a memorial to the military and civilian victims of the Second World War in Sarajevo.
Sunset overlooking Sarajevo
If staying more than one day be sure to head up to Zuta Tabija either on foot or by taxi (its up a hill) and watch the sunset overlooking the whole town. During the month of ramadan, a canon goes off every night to mark the end of fasting for that day, and local youth gather together for a coffee or drink at the cafe.
Blagaj
Blagaj, a small village town, just 20 minutes from Mostar is located at the spring of the Buna river. The Blagaj Tekija monastery was built into the 200 metre cliff walls at around the 1500’s. This dervish monastery with Turkish style elements is the only one in Bosnia & Herzegovina and therefore is considered a national monument. It is thanks to the high cliffs, that this hidden gem stayed very well hidden, having no damage to the town or monuments during the war.
Hidden gem in Herzegvonia
The source of the river Buna is one of largest in Europe and it boasts an average of 40,000 litres of water per minute. It is an amazing view to see all the water just pouring out and down into the river. During the summer months when the water is lower, you can hire a small boat with two guides for 3 marks per person, to take you into the Zelena Pecina (green cave). The guides will tell you a bit of history of the place, and i was told the water in one area of the cave goes down 30 meters, so if you aren’t a strong swimmer, don’t sit too close to the edge.
Mostar
I have saved my favourite place for last. Maybe it is the fairytale scenery with the old bridge surrounded by mountains, the perseverance and friendliness of the locals or that fact that i am from Herzegovina myself (southern part of the country) but Mostar takes my breath away every time i visit. Whether its walking down the old cobbled Ottoman streets, crossing the bridge and dipping your feet into the very cold Neretva river, or mixing with locals, eating the most amazing traditional food and shopping at the Turkish style bazaars, Mostar is a city that will leave you wanting to come back. For a city that suffered so much, under siege for 18 months, and visible signs such as bullet ridden half levelled buildings, the spirit of the locals and their generosity to help out can be seen and felt.
360 degree views from mosque minaret
The town received its name from the bridge keepers, the “mostari”, who kept a lookout from the towers on each side. The original bridge was built in 1557, and stood until November 1993, when Croatian forces bombarded with shelling it for several days causing it to collapse.The new bridge was rebuilt by hand to its former glory in 2004, and today is a popular tourist destination, perhaps the most visited in the country i think, other than Sarajevo. Oh and if you see a young guy jumping off the bridge, dont worry- he isn’t trying to kill himself, its a local sport in Mostar, dating back hundreds of years, with an annual competiton held each July. If you are feeling brave, for 25 euros you could jump it too, course training is provided of course by the local divers.
To truly experience Bosnia & herzegonina visit historic and iconic towns, try the traditonal bosnia coffee and foods, and immurse yourself in the culture by mixing with the locals. So next time you are planning you Euro Trip, be sure to add Bosnia & Herzegovina to your list!
Ariana is a 27 year old Bosnian Born Aussie girl who is dedicated to showing the world the beauty of her birth country. Her first visit back home since the war was in 2013, and this June will be her 4th trip back there in 2 years. This year she will be volunteering in her favourite city Mostar, and traveling around Bosnia, doing promotional tours for her blog to enourage more travellers to visit Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Find her on instagram, facebook, and twitter!