If you asked me when I started this blog about a year and a half ago, which countries I wanted to visit, I am not sure Bosnia and Herzegovina would have cracked the top 50. Like most Gen Xers, the only thing I knew about Bosnia was the war in the 90s. Seeing the videos and hearing about the horrible war crimes doesn’t really inspire someone to holiday.. Yet, one morning there I was, on a bus heading to the country, more specifically Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When we decided that we wanted to visit Split, Croatia, I did some research. I found a day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina was easy, especially if you had a tour.
Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect when I got on to the bus. No matter how many TripAdvisor posts you read, you can never get a feel for a region. All that I can think of was “how the hell did I find myself going to Bosnia“? As we pulled into our first stop, the town of Pocitelj, I got a better feel for the appeal of the country. Below are some of the lessons I learned from the experience.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is Beautiful
Pociteji is a small, quiet medieval, town. At least quiet when we got there in the ass crack of the morning.. There is a nice Mosque along with a great fortress at the top that, in true European style, was terrifying climb..
Our next stop was Mostar, a historically important town, this is where we spent the bulk of our time. Mostar is a gorgeous town, with the highlight being the
Stari Most, a UNESCO World Heritage destination. Unfortunately, it is A COPY of a bridge that was 426 years old, this newer version is 15 years old, (I have shoes older). The bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian war, depending on who you ask you will get a different answer about which side did it…
The rest of the town is also very nice, a winding path with both Christian churches and Mosques. The path is cobblestone, because it is Europe after all, with the town being split by the Neretva river. This is not the Bosnia I saw on the news, but there were signs of the war everywhere..including bullets for sale.
If You Do Decide to Stay the Night, Click Here for the Top Rated Hotel in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kravice Waterfalls
After we left Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina we headed towards the waterfalls. I was looking forward to seeing these falls, it didn’t even bother me that our driver was winging it and had a hard time finding the place. What’s the worst that could happen to a bunch of tourists lost in Bosnia?
The Kravice Waterfalls were, for me, the highlight of my time in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, more than that of Mostar, they were breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and pay to get boated across the lake so you can get a truly photographic experience. I shot this small video of the falls…
There Isn’t Much to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The town was very nice, yes, but this is not the place to make a vacation.. Unless your hiding from the FBI, there is no reason to spend a lot of time here. There are a couple of small museums, we went to the bridge museum; which took us all of 30 minutes to walk through. We tried to explore the town as best as possible, but there wasn’t much to it once you get past the restaurants and trinket stands.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a day trip, maybe even an overnight trip, but I couldn’t imagine spending more time. There are just too many more interesting places to see in this world. The Stari Most is beautiful, but it is a bridge, and sorry, but not even the original one.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Pociteji are Turning into Tourist Traps
I wasn’t sure whether or not I wandered into Casa Bonita in Colorado or if I was still in Europe. On the Stari Most, there are divers, who warm up for about an hour (or so it seemed) before diving, while their friends collect money on the bridge from chatty tourists.
The whole atmosphere was somewhat of a circus, there were a ton of tours going on at once. The streets were lined with nick-knack sellers, with more coming out the longer we were there. If you want a mug, magnet or 100 other things that were made in china, you are in luck. After a short time, the entire street was lined with sellers, while the middle was clogged with tourists.
My one and only meal in Mostar, even I was tricked into going into a tourist trap. I broke a cardinal rule…don’t go where a tour guide recommends. After we entered the restaurant and ate a decent meal (not exceptional), I noticed the women in costume standing next to the tourist menu sign. She was not there when we first got there (at least I didn’t see her). The meal was still pretty good, but I’m not sure how authentic. To me Mostar is too small to be filled with so many magnets and mugs. Not to mention turning the bullets from the war into “souvenirs” which, again, seemed a bit inappropriate.
Tip: Get to Pociteji early, we went at a time that no one could hear me scream if I fell off the fortress. People were starting to pull up when we got there, and we were warned it got packed. I can imagine what it is like during the peak season.
The Signs of War are Still There
Any country that went through a major conflict is going to have scars. Yes, Mostar is beautiful, but peel away the tourist areas and look around and you see the signs of war. Buildings with bullet holes, abandoned factories, and poverty. The beggars were waiting for the tour buses knowing their schedules.
The country should not be defined by one conflict, but it is hard to deny what has happened here. There are graffitied walls, old museums, and ravished buildings to remind you, if you forget..
Conclusion
Would I go back to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina? Probably not. It was nice and definitely worth seeing if you are in the area, but on a whole, there wasn’t a ton to draw me back. My advice, is if you get a chance to do a tour, do it, it is worth the experience. As mentioned earlier, there is just too much to see in the world to go out of my way to see a town turning into a tourist trap …
