BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
I visited Bosnia Herzegovina in May 2015 with no expectations. Maybe for that reason I was blown away with Sarajevo. Over the past century Sarajevo has slugged through conflict after conflict. It seems to keep going strong. The city and country are beautiful and it feels like it went through conflict. By unfortunate luck the country was the site of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination and then following the collapse of Yugoslavia sectarian violence broke out and a civil war lasted for several years. Remnants of that past remain visible today and even though this is a fun country to travel through, you never really forget the past.
DESTINATIONS
SARAJEVO
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ZENICA
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MOSTAR
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Population: 3,871,643
19,741 sq mi - West Virginia
Muslim 45%, Orthodox Christians 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other (mostly nonreligious) 14%
HISTORY
Pre 1463: Greeks, Romans, Byzantines - at times part of Croatia and / or Serbian Kingdoms
1463 - 1878: Ottoman Empire rule
1878 - 1918: Austro-Hungarian Empire rule
1918 - 1992: Part of Yugloslavia
1992 - 1995: Bosnian War
April 6, 1992: Observed Independence
19,741 sq mi - West Virginia
Muslim 45%, Orthodox Christians 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other (mostly nonreligious) 14%
HISTORY
Pre 1463: Greeks, Romans, Byzantines - at times part of Croatia and / or Serbian Kingdoms
1463 - 1878: Ottoman Empire rule
1878 - 1918: Austro-Hungarian Empire rule
1918 - 1992: Part of Yugloslavia
1992 - 1995: Bosnian War
April 6, 1992: Observed Independence
ACCOMMODATIONS
There are plenty of hostel and hotel options in Bosnia.
In Sarajevo the bus and train stations are about a twenty to thirty minute walk to the Old Town area. A taxi should be about $5 BSM a tram will be about $2 BSM. There are hotels outside of the Old Town area, however, if you are visiting for tourist purposes there's no reason to not stay in the Old Town. Restaurants, nightlife, attractions, etc. start to drop off beyond the Old Town and particularly west of the bus / train stations on the way to the airport.
In Mostar the bus and train stations are about a ten minute walk from the Old Town and Stari Grad Bridge. I found a hostel within three minutes of the train station and had no issues walking the extra distance back and forth to the Old Town. Mostar is compact and I preferred dining outside the Old Town area here after hitting up the more tourist centric spots in Sarajevo.
FOOD
Bosnia has one of the most versatile national dishes: Cevapici. It's mini beef links cooked on a skewer and grill then served inside a giant pita with onions. It's a great meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as a snack in between. At around $3 BSM it's a good starting or ending meal to the day.
Burek is a filo based dish filled with cheese and/or spinach or other ingredient. Some people will then douse it in yogurt. It's prepared in a giant batch with prices listed per kilogram. I just pointed and held up my finger for a single size portion. It's worth taking a peak into the kitchen to see how this dish is prepared. If it's cooked in a circular shape (vs. a square) the Burek is cooked on a hot plate and the chef lowers and raises coals on another plate to heat.
Their national beers were nothing spectacular. Decent nightlife I'd recommend grabbing an afternoon drink on the 35th floor of the Avaz Tower in Sarajevo.
The only places I saw with a spike in prices were the restaurants near Mostar's Bridge and with views lining the rivers. Beers and cappuccinos were more reasonably priced if you want to sit and take in the view.
TRANSPORT
Using Sarajevo as a hub bus run frequently, usually hourly, to the other major cities (Mostar, Zenica, etc.). Trains run less frequently (twice a day to Mostar) although I highly recommend catching the 7am Sarajevo to Mostar train. The train runs at a much higher route, in the mountains, than the bus which runs in the valley below.
The headache with Bosnian travel is the international arrivals and departures - in particular arriving in Sarajevo from Belgrade and departing Mostar to Dubrovnik. It's a little easier to find info on reaching Croatia's other destinations like Zagreb and Split.
I used GEA Tours to take a large van from Belgrade to Sarajevo. The van picks up and drops off at your hostels. There is a morning and afternoon departure. I was picked up around 7:15 and reached Sarajevo around 2:00. The cost was €20.
It's difficult to find reliable bus schedules for Mostar to Dubrovnik. It's best to call or email the hostel who can provide the information. For sure during the low season (September - May) there are no afternoon or evening departures. When I visited (May 2015) there were three morning departures around 7:00, 10:00, and 12:00. You need to pay $2 BSM for your luggage on top of the $32 BSM ticket.
There are plenty of hostel and hotel options in Bosnia.
In Sarajevo the bus and train stations are about a twenty to thirty minute walk to the Old Town area. A taxi should be about $5 BSM a tram will be about $2 BSM. There are hotels outside of the Old Town area, however, if you are visiting for tourist purposes there's no reason to not stay in the Old Town. Restaurants, nightlife, attractions, etc. start to drop off beyond the Old Town and particularly west of the bus / train stations on the way to the airport.
In Mostar the bus and train stations are about a ten minute walk from the Old Town and Stari Grad Bridge. I found a hostel within three minutes of the train station and had no issues walking the extra distance back and forth to the Old Town. Mostar is compact and I preferred dining outside the Old Town area here after hitting up the more tourist centric spots in Sarajevo.
FOOD
Bosnia has one of the most versatile national dishes: Cevapici. It's mini beef links cooked on a skewer and grill then served inside a giant pita with onions. It's a great meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as a snack in between. At around $3 BSM it's a good starting or ending meal to the day.
Burek is a filo based dish filled with cheese and/or spinach or other ingredient. Some people will then douse it in yogurt. It's prepared in a giant batch with prices listed per kilogram. I just pointed and held up my finger for a single size portion. It's worth taking a peak into the kitchen to see how this dish is prepared. If it's cooked in a circular shape (vs. a square) the Burek is cooked on a hot plate and the chef lowers and raises coals on another plate to heat.
Their national beers were nothing spectacular. Decent nightlife I'd recommend grabbing an afternoon drink on the 35th floor of the Avaz Tower in Sarajevo.
The only places I saw with a spike in prices were the restaurants near Mostar's Bridge and with views lining the rivers. Beers and cappuccinos were more reasonably priced if you want to sit and take in the view.
TRANSPORT
Using Sarajevo as a hub bus run frequently, usually hourly, to the other major cities (Mostar, Zenica, etc.). Trains run less frequently (twice a day to Mostar) although I highly recommend catching the 7am Sarajevo to Mostar train. The train runs at a much higher route, in the mountains, than the bus which runs in the valley below.
The headache with Bosnian travel is the international arrivals and departures - in particular arriving in Sarajevo from Belgrade and departing Mostar to Dubrovnik. It's a little easier to find info on reaching Croatia's other destinations like Zagreb and Split.
I used GEA Tours to take a large van from Belgrade to Sarajevo. The van picks up and drops off at your hostels. There is a morning and afternoon departure. I was picked up around 7:15 and reached Sarajevo around 2:00. The cost was €20.
It's difficult to find reliable bus schedules for Mostar to Dubrovnik. It's best to call or email the hostel who can provide the information. For sure during the low season (September - May) there are no afternoon or evening departures. When I visited (May 2015) there were three morning departures around 7:00, 10:00, and 12:00. You need to pay $2 BSM for your luggage on top of the $32 BSM ticket.