An Extensive Road Trip through Bosnia and Herzegovina

Our aim for autumn was to explore more of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Overall, we wanted to drive south. We didn’t take the most direct route, but rather one where we thought to see as much as possible and keep to the general direction. Our road trip itinerary crossed Bosnia and Herzegovina, roughly from the north to south-east.

Take our road trip through Bosnia and Herzegovina to inspire your own itinerary. In just over 1 week we visited 11 interesting sights of this Balkan country.

This gave us the chance to see an extensive part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s countryside and to visit 11 very different highlights of this small Balkan state: places like Tuzla, Sarajevo, Mostar, the Kravice Falls, Počitelj, and Trebinje. We didn’t explore much of the reportedly beautiful mountain regions of Bosnia because it was getting a little late in the year (and cold).

Coming from Pecs in Hungary (via Croatia), we entered BiH at Brod, which is located nearly precisely in the middle of the northern country border. (BiH is the official abbreviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and I will use it throughout the post – instead of the complete name, which is a mouthful.)

There’s not much to say about this small town of less than 10,000 people, except that it’s a good place to change money, have a coffee, and buy a local SIM card for your phone (for more detail see below under Practicalities). We had already shopped for familiar groceries across the bridge in the Croat city of Slavonski Brod. With a new SIM and a few ‘Convertible Marks’ in our possession, we were headed for our first destination.

Tuzla, known as the Salt Town

Entrance into the small, older part of Tuzla. On the right, the old marble fountain with the mosque behind.

Since ancient times Tuzla was known for its enormous salt deposits. In Roman times the town was simply called Salines. Salt has been extracted from a large underground deposit for centuries, which by now has caused the entire city to sink. For this reason, there aren’t many old houses left in the centre; and the ones that are, lean precariously to one side or the other. The same salt deposits feed Europe’s largest inland salt lake, the huge open-air Pannonian Lakes Complex, right in the city.

Tuzla is also remarkable for its multi-cultural society, which is free of racial conflicts; and for its university, which adds a young, dynamic feel to the old town. It is the third largest city in the country of BiH as well as its economic centre, which shows in its well-kept, lively plazas.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

We chose Tuzla over Banja Luka to the west (the second largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina) because it offered enough interesting things to see and it didn’t feel like a large city. With its international airport, it’s a convenient entry point for European visitors.

Nekropola Stecaka near Basigovci

The Nekropola Stećaka near Bašigovci in the golden glow of sunset.

We left Tuzla mid-afternoon the following day. Since there wasn’t much daylight left, we decided to stop for the night near one of the many Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards Sites . These monolithic, decorated gravestones are very typical of BiH, and they are also found to a lesser extent in neighbouring countries, along its eastern borders.

The oldest Stećci (plural of Stećak) date back to the late 12^th century. These enormous white tombstones reached their peak in the 14^th and 15^th centuries, but were discontinued soon after Ottoman occupation. 28 of these Stećci locations are UNESCO World Heritage listed; I’m not sure if the small site (GPS: 44.419542 /18.691064) we stayed at is included. More about Stećak further down.

Sarajevo, the Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Along the banks of the Miljacka River you see many stately old buildings of Sarajevo.

Next day’s drive towards Sarajevo took us through some truly impressive mountains, all in colourful autumn shades and dotted with pretty old-fashioned hay stacks. Initially, we had briefly considered taking a detour to visit BiH’s third World Heritage Site , the old bridge of Višegrad. In the end we decided it was too far off our route.

Our older readers might still remember Sarajevo as a place of the 1984 XIV Winter Olympic Games; younger ones from the days of the Bosnian War, when the city was in the news almost daily due to constant shelling by Serb forces. Now the city is sincerely doing its best to leave the past behind, attract new tourists and businesses, and move forward – more about this below my conclusion. It is also on the Tentative List, to become a World Heritage site, as: Sarajevo – unique symbol of universal multiculture – continual open city.

We stayed at a campground on the hills above town and the first day was taken up with a typical task for long-term travellers: doing our laundry. In the evening, some other digital nomads turned up with a Bigfoot truck camper (we once travelled the Pan-American Highway with a Bigfoot, so we have a special connection with this Canadian brand, which is rare in Europe). The next day all four of us went into the city to join a walking tour for tips.

From the many different ones on offer, we chose the tour leaving in front of the National Theatre . Our choice was made strictly for practical reasons (access, time of day), but it turned out to be a good decision to join this particular group.

Our guide, Merima, is a young, local woman. She made the free walking tour a brilliant experience through her open personality, extensive local knowledge and experience, and engaging story telling. We saw most of the city’s main attractions and learned several fascinating background anecdotes we would have otherwise missed! I have included some tidbits in my photo captions.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

Mostar and the Old Bridge (Stari Most)

The famous Stari Most (old bridge) of Mostar – photographed from Stari Pazar.

From Sarajevo we drove straight south to Mostar. This small World Heritage listed town was heavily featured in the news during the Bosnian War. It sent shock waves around the world when the famous, 16^th century Ottoman bridge finally collapsed under constant, deliberate shelling.

After the war, the Stari Most (which means ‘old bridge’) was fairly quickly reconstructed, using as many of the original stones as could be recovered from the fast flowing Neretva River below. Nowadays, it’s the centre of a buzzing tourist hotspot; many day tours visit from nearby Dubrovnik. The surrounding old stone buildings, which line the narrow cobbled streets, have been lovingly repaired and transformed into souvenir shops and restaurants.

It’s a different story at the fringe of Mostar’s tourist centre: countless war ruins still stand, their bullet-ridden walls and empty window holes constant reminders of this senseless conflict from the recent past. The most prominent is the ‘Sniper Tower’, previously a glass-covered bank administration building, whose strategic and elevated position turned it into the most feared building in all of Mostar.

One sight we really recommend visiting in Mostar is the Kajtaz House! This traditional Ottoman harem house is still owned by the original family, although now it’s a museum. Unfortunately the adjoining main house has been destroyed. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place, which doesn’t seem to receive too many visitors. The owner has kept many of the original antiquities around, which give the old house a very authentic feel. We would rate it as the most impressive Ottoman house we have visited in several countries.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

 The Kajtaz House is located in Gaše Ilića, a narrow steep lane at the southern end of the old town of Mostar. It’s very near to the Stari Pazar, one of the town’s new bridges, an excellent location from which to photograph the Stari Most.

The Dervish Monastery of Blagaj

The idyllic location of the Dervish Monastery in Blagaj – right at the edge of the river. You see photos of this place everywhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But its popularity seems to be its downfall: notice the restaurant tables encroaching on the left of the photo (empty this time of the year).

From Mostar it’s only a short distance to another famous sight, the Blagaj Tekija (also known as Blagaj Tekke), a nearly 600 year old Dervish monastery in a magnificent setting. It perches on a small cliff right next to a deep cave, from which the Buna River emerges.

Our very personal assessment might be seen as controversial: over-commercialisation has ruined what might once have been a magical and peaceful atmosphere! It starts with expensive parking all through the village of Blagaj. (We parked away from the main lots and it was worth their time to hunt us down for payment.) The main path to the Dervish House leads past numerous huts filled with tacky souvenirs and overpriced soft-drinks.

The riverbank around the monastery is lined with what must be nearly a thousand restaurant seats, owned by a number of eateries, who all offer similar fare. To get to the best photo spot you have to clamber across rough rocks behind the smelly kitchens of these. Yet, even in late autumn, one tour bus after another arrived here.

The Natural Wonder of the Kravice Waterfalls

This aerial photo shows the size of the Kravice Waterfalls very well. The water of the cool Trebižat River is crystal clear and lovely to swim in during summer. [photo credit ]

One of the natural wonders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These falls are often compared with the more famous Plitvice Lakes National Park in neighbouring Croatia. The Kravice Falls are a beautiful summer destination: the clear blue water of the Trebižat River is simply inviting for a swim (which is permitted, unlike at Plitvice). The best aspect about Kravice is that it’s not as crowded or expensive as its more famous neighbour. When we visited, the entry fee was €10 per person [October 2019].
 The Kravice (or Kravica) Falls are located in the hills near Studenci.

The Historic Village of Pocitelj

The small “museum village” of Počitelj, which dates back to 1383. The historic Ottoman houses are overshadowed by the large Ottoman fortress.

Right on the banks of the Neretva River (which also flows through Mostar, 30 kms to the north) lies Počitelj. This small “museum village”, which dates back to 1383, sits in a natural karst stone amphitheatre overlooking the river. Most of the stone roofed houses you see today are from the Ottoman period, in the 16^th to 18^th centuries.

Počitelj is overshadowed by the remains of the Kula, an enormous castle, whose walls step down the steep hillsides. These fortifications once marked the frontier between between Ottoman Herzegovina and Venetian Dalmatia, who came as far as the other side of the river during the 17^th century.

During summertime, Počitelj comes alive when it hosts the oldest operating art colony in south-east Europe.

Radimlja Stecak Necropolis

The Radimlja Stećak Necropolis is one of several such sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Stećci (pl.) are large tombstones made from a near white rock. Most originate from the 14th and 15th centuries.

Radimlja is one of the most impressive Stećci sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As such, it’s fenced in, has a small entrance fee, and the on-site attendants come out and explain some of the important features [in English] of the monuments.

Small or large groups of these near-white medieval tombstones, which are accredited to the Bogomil Sect, lie scattered all across BiH and its neighbouring countries. We visited a small site before (see above). At Radimlja you will find an impressive group of 135 of these tombstones. Many of the beautiful stone carvings are still intact; they show knights on horses, dance scenes, vines and other crops. This site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing and can be found right next to the main road.

Stolac, the Oldest Town in BiH

Stolac is said to be the oldest town in BiH. Its enormous fortress is reportedly the largest in the Balkans (the photo shows a very small part of it).

I wish I could tell you lot more about Stolac. Sorry, but here we really messed up! We drove straight through it and only took a couple of photos. Maybe we were too tired because we had visited two other sights on the same day. Maybe we were simply ill-prepared. Don’t make the same mistake – that’s why I mention Stolac!

Instead of trying to list what we didn’t see, I will give you a link to read up about the historic sights in Stolac .

Last but not least, the significance of Stolac can be seen by the fact that it’s on the Tentative List to become a World Heritage Site. This UNESCO listing is fairly extensive and a good guide to the different sights within the vicinity. So visit Stolac today, before the tour buses and crowds invade it!

The Wines of the Trebinje Region

Large vineyards cover the fertile valley outside Trebinje. This region grows mostly Merlot and the local variety called Vranac. Vranac is known as a Montenegrin red, only around 7% of it is grown in BiH.

Instead of going the shortest way to Dubrovnik, a route which involves two extra border crossings *), we decided to stay in BiH and visit Trebinje. This road takes you through a fertile valley planted with grapevines. It is very likely the first region where you will encounter the Vranac variety, a richly coloured dry wine we learned to love in the Balkans. This variety is difficult to compare to any other red wines you might know. The locals like to drink Vranac chilled, as a refreshing summer drink.

Vranac is a black-skinned variety native to mountainous Montenegro. It produces dense, deeply-colored red wines with flavors and aromas which range from sour cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant to chocolate, mint and vanilla. [quoted from wine searcher ]

Now, that we have made you curious, you might like to visit some of the local wineries .

*) You exit into Croatia, drive down the coast, and then have to cross through BiH again where it owns a narrow ocean access at Neum. A new route through Croatia, bypassing BiH via a bridge to Brijesta, is currently under construction.

The Old Town and Surrounds of Trebinje

The old town of Trebinje as seen from river.

We were curious to visit the old town of Trebinje. We had read that it’s a pleasant place, not over-touristed, and a good alternative base to visit Dubrovnik in Croatia. It’s roughly 30 kilometres from here directly to Dubrovnik; you’ll probably spend longer looking for a carpark in that city than you would spend on a public bus.

Before you reach the town proper, stop at the Tvrdoš Monastery. This orthodox monastery dates back to the 15^th century, but was destroyed by the Venetian Empire in 1694. The buildings you see today are from 1924 or later. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful location – and one of the best wineries in the area.

Trebinje itself is a small town with quite a bit of open space. The walled section of the old town attracts the most visitors, but it failed to impress us. Apart from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, most buildings aren’t what we would call historic, and the narrow streets are filled with cafe and restaurant chairs.

There are a few sights on the outskirts of town, notably the Perovic Bridge from 1574, the Austrian Military Fortress of Strac, and the Hercegovačka Gračanica monastery. The latter is a fairly new construction, built in 2000. It is the burial place of local poet and diplomat, Jovan Dučić. It’s also a perfect place for sweeping vistas across the city and countryside.

The chapel of the Tvrdoš Monastery, which is located a few kilometres outside Trebinje.

The Hercegovačka Gračanica monastery on the hill overlooking Trebinje.

Conclusion of our Road Trip thorough Bosnia & Herzegovina

This ends our road trip through Bosnia and Herzegovina. From Trebinje, we crossed the border into Croatia. We spent 2 weeks in early October in this small republic, which is a break-away country from former Yugoslavia. October is not a bad time to visit, although it can get cool overnight in the mountains. Starting mid-October, several of the tourists attractions are shutting down.

Don’t forget: we are slow travellers! You could do the same trip in a week to ten days and not feel too rushed.

Overall, you will find that there are more tourist sights in the south of BiH than in the north. I’m not sure if this can be credited to the south really being more attractive, or its vicinity to Croatia’s coast, which brings in more day visitors.

Certainly now, or soon, would be a good time to visit any of the Balkan countries. We have already noticed the growing popularity of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a tourist destination – and some of the downsides tourism brings.

Our road trip through Bosnia and Herzegovina took us through stunning landscapes, full of early autumn colours.

I think Bosnia-Herzegovina might be the only country where you still find these old-fashioned haystacks. Driving yourself means you can stop and photograph them! You will find them near almost every rural village.

Prepare Yourself for Some Uncomfortable Moments

No, I don’t mean crime or anything like that (although we heard stories about some petty crime, particularly vehicle break-ins, in Sarajevo). I want to talk about the recent past of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically its not so old history of war crimes and genocide. You will encounter signs of these years almost daily and it would surprise us if they would leave anybody completely unmoved.

The first thing we noticed were countless empty homes, often amidst otherwise nicely kept residential estates, or standing forlorn in the middle of a neglected field. Some showed clear signs of artillery or mortar attacks; others looked burned out. Later we learnt that quite a number of communities in the Republic of Srpska still object to the resettlement of their former Muslim neighbours.

This touches the fundamental problem of Bosnia and Herzegovina [< link to more detail on WikiPedia]: to this day it is basically a divided nation, the 2 main parts being the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (see attached map).

The political map of Bosnia and Herzegovina shows the division and fragmentation of its 3 sectors. [image WikiCommons ]

The central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina is predominately Muslim Bosniaks, the Srpska part mainly Orthodox Christian Serbs. But in each part of the country you will find members of all 3 main groups: Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs, and Catholic Croats – only in varying proportions.

This is what led to the civil war and defined the front lines. The Serbs at the time were the dominant force because they had gained access to the vast armoury of the National Military of former Yugoslavia – and made full use of it. In nearly every town you find memorials to victims of an indiscriminate artillery attack or stories of (mostly) Muslim landmarks having been seriously damaged by shelling.

Don’t close your eyes to the death and destruction the Balkan War caused. Here a makeshift graveyard in Mostar in a residential part of town – just at the side of the road. If you look closely you see Christian and Muslim graves, something you would normally not find in BiH.

Then there are the graves! Especially in Mostar, we were shocked to find them in the middle of residential areas or occupying a former town park (right next to the 16^th century Karađoz Beg Mosque). During the civil war it was simply too dangerous to bury the victims in a designated graveyard and expose yourself to sniper fire. So people made do with any vacant semi-protected plot of land they could find.

When you visit these makeshift graveyards read the headstones. You’ll soon see a pattern in the age of victims and the dates of their deaths, and recognise particular waves of armed violence. These improvised sites couldn’t even be segregated by the victims’ race or belief; they were finally unified in death…

During the tour in Sarajevo, our guide repeated many times that the nation wants to move forward. To find a job in the war damaged economy is of higher priority than dwelling on the violent past. Yet, then you see subtle signs of a still lingering divide, like the oversized bell tower of the Croat church in Mostar, which dominates the skyline like an extended middle finger…

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

As I wrote: we’d be surprised if you can manage to close your eyes to all these signs of the recent war and somehow ongoing conflict.

Practicalities for Visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

Although part of Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a member of the European Union. This brings some advantages and many disadvantages.

• Your time in BiH will not be counted towards your Schengen Visa allowance. You can enter and stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to 90 days within 180 days.
• Some nationalities will need to apply for a visa before visiting. (The rules and restrictions applied are similar to those in the Schengen region).
• Bosnia and Herzegovina has its own currency, the Convertible Mark. Local abbreviation KM.
  This has historic roots: during the downfall of former Yugoslavia in the late 80s the inflation of the Dinar was so rampant that the Deutschmark became a second accepted currency throughout the country. BiH was granted the right to continue using the Mark as national currency with the Dayton Peace Agreement. As such the Convertible Mark is still pegged to the German Mark (merged into the Euro in 1999), which in turn means that it has a fixed exchange rate against the Euro (no fluctuation). The smaller coins are still called Pfennig, as they were in Germany.
• We found that changing cash money at the local Post Office gave us the best rates with a minimum commission. The small money changers in some pedestrian zones can be a more expensive option.
• We carry a VPay Debit Card from a large European bank – this did not work in BiH! As such we were restricted to our credit cards and cash transactions.
• Since BiH is not a member of the EU, European mobile phone roaming is not supported. You either have to pay much higher roaming charges or buy a local SIM card , which is relatively cheap and easy to get. We bought a card from m:tel, which gave no problems and good coverage.

Shopping in BiH

In nearly every meal in Bosnia and Herzegovina we included some tomatoes (like here in the base of a salad). We haven’t had such tasty tomatoes for ages.

One of the countless souvenir shops in Sarajevo. Most items on display are kind of Ottoman, but very few originate from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We were really pleased by the quality of fruit and vegetables, which we often bought from roadside stalls. You find these stalls everywhere, and they’re usually fairly large and well stocked (something we missed further south in Montenegro and Albania). We bought the best tasting tomatoes in years, not once, but everywhere we stocked up!

Supermarkets seem to be a bit of a novelty: you find them in every larger town, but they are either cramped and dingy, or modern and void of customers. Products in supermarkets are a little more expensive than in the EU (but considerably cheaper than in the better stocked markets in Montenegro) and often imported – even though the same products might be grown locally, like olives or canned vegetables. So we only bought a few non-perishable essentials and drinking water in supermarkets. And you can find some decent dark bread in many of these supermarkets!

Souvenirs look sort of exotic and “Balkan” in style, but upon closer inspection, we discovered a lot of imported goods: lights, textiles and rugs from Turkey, trinkets from China, other things 100% identical to those we had found last year in Morocco.

A mural in Tuzla, which shows a traditional woven carpet.

Driving through Bosnia and Herzegovina

If you take a car from another European country into BiH you need to check in advance if your Green Card Insurance is valid in Bosnia and Herzegovina! Ours was and thus we had no problem crossing the border, where evidence of insurance was checked.

Another popular option is to rent a vehicle at the coast of Croatia and explore the neighbouring country. Otherwise you can hire a car in BiH . Prices seem to be competitive and the hire cars we saw looked clean, reliable, and mostly fairly new.

Compared with Hungary and Montenegro we encountered more traffic on the roads of Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in the north of the country. You see lots of fairly rusty old European cars, many trucks, and the occasional posh new Mercedes or BMW. Traffic overall is fairly civilised, maybe a little more ruled by Mediterranean temperament. Most people keep to their lanes and follow the basic rules and courtesy.

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