Bosnia and Herzegovina
Background
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the Balkans, to the west of Serbia and north of Montenegro. Its capital and largest city is Sarajevo.
Once part of the Roman Empire, Bosnia was conquered by the Ottoman Turks from 1463 to the 1800s, when it became part of Austria-Hungary. After World War I, Bosnia became part of Yugoslavia until they declared their independence on the 5th of April, 1992, following in the footsteps of Slovenia and Croatia.
Perhaps what Bosnia and Herzegovina is most known for, is the Bosnian War, which transpired between 1992 to 1995 – one of the instigators of which was their decision to secede from Yugoslavia.
As a multi-ethnic country, with a Muslim majority (44%), followed by Orthodox Serbs (32.5%), and Catholic Croats (17%), they passed a referendum for independence which was boycotted by the Bosnian Serbs.
In anticipation of the outcome of this referendum, the Bosnian Serbs, led by Radovan Karadzic and with the support of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosovic, gathered their forces inside Bosnia and Herzegovina and engaged in hostilities to secure ethnic Serb territory – and eventually the war spread across the whole country.
The Bosnian War has had a profound impact on the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to this day. Partly due to its recency and especially due to the horrific events that took place – mass rapes and ethnic cleansing – which eventually resulted in many of its perpetrators, most notably its leaders, Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic, and Slobodan Milosovic, being tried and convicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the wounds and trauma from the war still cast a shadow over much of the country.
Bosnia and Herzegovina today has one of the most, if not the most, complicated political system in the world. Many locals we discussed this with believe that this has made it almost impossible for the country to progress, due to lack of an effective leadership, as many important legislative decisions are stalled and/or never implemented, because of frequent stalemates brought about by never-ending disagreements among the three presidents who represent each of the major groups – the Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and Catholics.
This current political setup was brought about by the Dayton Agreement, which was signed on 14th December, 1995, right at the end of the war. The purpose of this agreement was to create a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government that was based on proportional representation of the major groups that made up the country. It is still the system in place today.
We spent four days in Sarajevo and took a day trip to Mostar.
Visas
A visa is required for Philippine passport holders, but as we have valid multiple-entry US visas, we were exempted. This US visa allows us to stay for up to 90 days within a 180 day period, and is a multiple entry visa.
Getting to Bosnia and Herzegovina
We took a direct bus from Belgrade to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina capital) from the Belgrade Bus Terminal in the city centre. Tickets cost us 2520 Serbian Dinars each, for a 12-hour journey.
Money matters
Unlike Montenegro, it is best if you exchange some money to the local currency, the Bosnian Mark. If you don’t have enough Euros, withdraw in Montenegro, then exchange inside the country since you cannot procure the Mark outside of Bosnia.
Most restaurants and business establishments in Bosnia transact in cash, so make sure to carry enough around with you at all times. Withdrawing money from ATMs (in our experience is not ideal as they charge quite hefty transaction fees (around EU5) per withdrawal, which can add up pretty quickly if you’re not careful.
Places we visited
Since we had only four days in Bosnia, we our days were quite packed, as we wanted to make to most of our brief visit.
Since we arrived at night, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant right after checking into our apartment, and slept early in order to feel energised for a full day of sight-seeing the very next day. The following day, we set off on foot to explore Sarajevo on a walking tour which we booked the day before. It is a free walking tour, which is really not “free” because it is customary to tip the guide. However, it is a really good tour, and we feel it is almost a must, in order to truly appreciate the city.
Sarajevo Walking Tour
To get a feel for the city of Sarajevo, we did a bit of research and found out that there were Free Walking Tours available.
Local guides, like Adis, will take you on a two-hour walk throughout the city, and provide you with very interesting stories about each location, and you can ask as many questions as you want, along the way.
We started the tour at the main square, which is a short distance from their main office that also served as the meeting point of the tour.
During the tour, we made many stops, which includes:
– Main Square (Bascarsija)
– Coppersmith Street (Kazandziluk)
– City Hall/Library (Vijecnica)
– Spite House (Inat kuca)
– Latin Bridge and the assassination spot of Franz Ferdinand
– Gazi Husrev Beg’s Bezistan (16th century market)
– Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos
– Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
– Sarajevo “roses”
– Jewish Synagogue
– East meets West sign
– Gazi Husrev Beg’s mosque, clock tower, tomb and medresa
Main Square (Bascarsija)
Located in Stari Grad, on the north bank of the river Miljacka. This is a great starting point for the walking tour, as it right at the heart of Sarajevo’s most important historic buildings. It is also considered as the beating heart of Sarajevo and transports you back to the 16th century as you walk some centuries-old streets while window shopping.
Coppersmith Street
One of the oldest streets in the Bascarsija, is Kazandzilu, aka Coppersmith Street. Lining the narrow street on both sides are stores selling copperware, by kazandzije (coppersmiths) whose skills have been passed on over many generations. What’s unique about this street is that it is the only on still in same place selling exactly the same products for about 500 years.
Spite House
Now a restaurant serving local Bosnian cuisine, the spite house of Sarajevo has an interesting history behind it. The story is, that this house which was originally on the other side of the river, had to be rebuilt brick by brick at the behest of the elderly Bosnian owner, Benderija, who initially refused to sell his property to the Austro-Hungarian city officials, even after being offered much more money than it was worth. However, since the government was determined to build the City Hall right next to the river, where Benderija’s house formerly stood, they continued to offer him ever increasing amounts, until finally, in 1895, the old man finally agreed to a sackful of gold on one condition: that his house would have to be moved, brick by brick, and rebuilt exactly as it was, on the other side of the river. Hence the name.
Sacred Heart Cathedral
It is a Catholic Church in Sarajevo, also known as the Sarajevo Cathedral, and is the largest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the city’s Old Town. Building works started on 25th August, 1884, and completed on 14th September, 1889, and modelled after the Notre-Dame in France. It was damaged during the Siege of Sarajevo, but has since been repaired.
Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos
One of the largest in the Balkans, it is the largest Serbian Orthodox Church in Sarajevo. Construction started in 1863, when Sarajevo was still part of the Ottoman Empire, and was the first building to break the Muslim monopoly on infrastructure in the city.
Gazi Husrev-beg (1480-1541)
Gazi Husrev-beg was a former Ottoman Bosnian governor between 1521-1541. He is known for his major contributions towards the structural development of Sarajevo, which includes some of the most important buildings, like the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, library and madrasa (school), and for spearheading the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Croatia.
Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque 
Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa (school)
Bascarsija Mosque
Located in the main square of Bascarcija, Sarajevo’s old trading centre. Although the exact date of when the mosque was built has not been definitively determined, it is estimated to have been constructed sometime in 1527. The mosque was damaged heavily during the Bosnian War, but has been reconstructed since then, and in 2006, was named a National Monument.
Sebilj
The Sebilj is a wooden fountain located in the centre of Bascarsija Square. Built by Mehmed Pasha Kukavica in 1753, the story is that visitors who drink the water from this fountain are destined to return to Sarajevo someday. There are three replicas of this fountain, which can be found in Birmingham (England), Belgrade, and Novi Pazar (Serbia).
Sarajevo Synagogue
This synagogue is the city’s largest, located on the south of the river Miljacka. Built in 1902, it is the only functioning synagogue in Sarajevo today.
Sarajevo City Hall
Designed in 1891 by Czech architect Karel Parik, it was then the city’s largest building and is the current seat and headquarters of the Mayor of Sarajevo.
Latin Bridge
Also known as Princip’s Bridge, it is an Ottoman bridge over the river Miljacka. It is believed to be the oldest of the preserved bridges in the city. Although there is no exact date on record of when the bridge was built, census from 1541 mentions the bridge in the exact location. Perhaps what makes this bridge famous (some might say, infamous) is what transpired on the northern end of the bridge, that led to events that changed the history of the world entirely, for on the 28th of June, 1914, Gavrilo Principe, a Bosnian Serb student, shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the presumptive heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, which eventually led to World War I.
Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures
This marker can be found on Ferhadija Street, near the Gazi Husrev-beg bazaar, and it is a spot where you can witness the two most dominant cultures that have shaped Sarajevo over the centuries, merge. Turn one way (towards the east, for example), and you will see the Gazi Husrev-beg bazaar, Saraci street – all Ottoman influences. Turn your eyes toward the “west”, and you will see many structures designed with a distinctly more “Western” look – Austro-Hungarian influence.
Taslihan
One of the three caravanserais in Sarajevo, the remains of Taslihan can found beneath the Europe Hotel, though portions of the structure can still be seen. It was built between 1540 and 1543 by the Ottoman Governor, Gazi Husrev-beg.
Tunnel of Hope
The Tunnel of Hope was built to keep the city of Sarajevo alive during the longest siege of any city in modern history, in the middle of the Bosnian War. In April, 1992, Bosnian Serb forces surrounded the city and placed it under siege that lasted for 3 years, 10 months, and 3 weeks.
As Sarajevo is surrounded by hills and mountains, 13,000 Serb soldiers encircled the city and began shelling and sniping the trapped residents. Save for a small sliver of territory in the northeastern part of the city connecting it to the airport, which was still controlled by the Bosnian army, there was no way out. Traveling on roads to the airport was made almost impossible, as the path leading to it was under constant shelling from Serb forces flanking both sides.
With food and essential supplies running out quickly, the Bosnian Army decided to build a tunnel that would link Sarajevo with the Bosnian-held territory on the other side of the airport that was controlled by the United Nations.
The tunnel was 800 meters long, with an average height of 1.6 meters, and it took six months to build by hand with the most basic of tools, like pickaxes and shovels. To speed up construction, it was dug from opposite sides at the same time. It has two secret entrances each, on the Dobrinja side and Butmir side – two neighbourhoods in the city on opposite sides of the runway.
The Sarajevo Tunnel Museum used to be the home of the Kolar family, and was one of the secret entrances into the tunnel.
Galerija 11/07/95
It is the first memorial gallery in Bosnia and Herzegovina which aims to preserve the memories of the massacre at Srebrenica, and the more than 8000 victims who were brutally executed in the worst act of genocide since World War II. It uses different kinds of media – photos, video, and an excellent interactive documentary which provides hours of content about the events that led to genocide.
Though the gallery is small in size, the main highlight, in our opinion, and where most visitors will probably spend a vast majority of their time, is sitting in front of one of the three computers located immediately on the right, as soon as you enter, which contains archival material in different formats, arranged in chronological order and in extreme detail, the events over the last few days culminating in the killing of more than 8000 innocent civilian men and boys.
Your ticket allows you to gain access to the museum over two days – which we didn’t understand why at first, for the gallery was so small, that it didn’t make sense that visitors would need more than thirty minutes to explore. But after sitting down at the computer and realising that to view the content would take at least six hours, we understood why the two-day pass might be needed.
Tip: Arrive very early, so you can gain access to one of the computers – and focus on viewing the content before checking out the gallery. Because once they are occupied, you will find it difficult to gain access as most who sit will stay for the entire duration, and you’d have to wait almost half the day before having a chance to gain access to a computer. On our first day, we arrived after lunch and were lucky enough to have a computer available for each of us. However, we were unable to finish, so we decided to come back the next day to continue where we left off.
Konjic
Konjic is a town located in central Bosnia and Herzegovina and has an iconic stone bridge, and is one of the four most important bridges in the country. Built in 1682, it is a protected national monument, and many believe it is the point where Bosnia meets Herzegovina. The Stara Cuprija is a bridge over the Neretva River in Konjic.
Kravice Waterfalls
Kravice Waterfalls is situated on the Trebizat River, just 43 kilometres south of Mostar. Commonly dubbed as a “mini Niagara Falls”, it provides a welcome respite from the summer heat for many. It is an ideal place to relax, as you can hang out on the sand around the area, rent a kayak, or swim.
Mostar Bridge/Stari Most
A sixteenth-century Ottoman bridge, it crosses the Neretva river connecting two parts of the city. It stood for 427 years until it was destroyed by the Croats in the Croat-Bosniak War, that took place from 18th October, 1992 to 23rd February, 1994. It is part of the larger Bosnian War which is more widely recognised around the world.
Commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557, the bridge is considered to be a prime example of Balkan Islamic architecture. It took nine years to construct, replacing an old wooden bridge. When completed, it was the widest man-made arch in the world.
It is one of the most iconic bridges in the country and tourist flock from all over the world to visit.
Every year, towards the end of July, there is an annual diving competition when young men from the town leap from the bridge into the river. And since 2015, the bridge has been a tour stop in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
Church of St. Peter and Paul, Mostar
It is a Roman Catholic Church with a monastery, run by Franciscans. Built in 1866, it has the tallest bell tower (107m) in the country, and the tallest bell in southeastern Europe. The monastery was built 30 years after the church.
Blagaj Tekke
Seven kilometres south of Mostar, there stands a Dervish monastery almost six centuries old. It is nestled at the base of a cliff, next to a cave that leads to an underground river. Built between 1446 and 1520, it has been damaged multiple times due to rocks from the cliff collapsing on top of it.
The monastery’s location gives it a sense of serenity. Surrounded by sounds of lapping water, amidst rocks and trees, it seems almost mystical, almost as if it belongs in a story, like the Lord of the Rings.
We booked a day tour from Sarajevo to Mostar, home of the iconic Stari Most, more popularly known as Mostar Bridge, a 16th-century Ottoman bridge which crosses the Neretva river, connecting two parts of the city. It stood for 427 years, before it was destroyed on 9th November, 1993, during the Croat-Bosnia War. It was eventually reconstructed and inaugurated on 23rd July, 2004.
The trip started early. We were picked up by our tour guide/driver at our address in a big Mercedes Benz, and we assumed that he would deliver us to a coach or some sort of van, and, together with a bigger group, we would officially start our tour. It turned out that we were the only bookings they had that day, and so we would have a private tour!
Overall Impressions
If you’re travelling in the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be missed. Although its recent history is dark, it is a beautiful country with warm, friendly people, jaw-dropping landscapes, and tourist-friendly prices.
We wish we could have stayed longer, but would have gladly added another week, had it been possible to do so.
WANT TO BE AN AIRBNB HOST?
As long-term travelers, we book most of our accommodations on Airbnb. It is convenient, simple and quick, and you will never have to find yourself arriving at your destination in the middle of the night, with nowhere to go. Airbnb gives us the freedom and flexibility to adjust our travel plans in an instant. Having met many hosts all over the world, we know that being a host will not only provide you with additional income, but you will also be able to meet (and perhaps even make friends) with interesting people from all over the world. If you think you’d make a great Airbnb host, here’s my invitation link to learn more.