Mostar and Blagaj, Bosnia & Herzegovina September 27, 2017

While in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we wanted to visit Mostar, a city famous for its UNESCO World Heritage, 15th-century bridge, that was blown up during the Bosnian War, then reconstructed. A trip to Mostar by train is only 2 hours and costs approximately $20 CAD for the two of us. However, the train leaves Sarajevo train station at 7AM and only returns from Mostar at 8PM. No, not doing it!

So, we found Ahmed L., the amazing guide, through Tours By Locals. He picked us up at 8AM in from of the apartment, and we headed for Mostar. On the way, he gave us a brief history of B-H and Sarajevo, described the changing political climate, landscape and vegetation along the way, and answered any questions we had. We stopped in Konjic for a brief visit, and history lesson from Ahmed, of its 17th-century stone bridge; a national monument, but not the most famous bridge we’d visit that day.

In Mostar, Ahmed gave us more information on the history of the city and its bridge (Stari Most), then let us wander around. Mostar is a crazy tourist attraction with locals taking money to jump off the bridge into the river.  It was definitely the most tourists we have seen in B-H.  The narrow streets of the old city, on either side of the bridge, are lined and crowded with vendors and cafes.

We made our way to the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque to get a better view of the city and bridge from the top of its minaret.  It was a beautiful mosque still in active use.  It is also said to be one of the only mosques in Europe to allow visitors to ascend the minaret.  This was a treat indeed!  After climbing in what seemed like an endless spiral of stairs, the views from the top were spectacular.  Unfortunately, safety was not the primary concern for the builders of the mosque in 1618 and the railing was less than adequate, really.  Gilles, having gone up immediately, was not a happy camper. But, despite his vertigo, still managed to walk – and by walk, we mean tightly hug its walls – around the minaret.  Dave, on the other hand, stayed below to photograph inside the mosque before climbing up.  Right behind him was a camera crew. He had the option of being

trapped on the top for the duration of their filming (as the space was so small they blocked the passage), or leave before they completed their setup.  He decided to leave. To do that, he had to climb down and around five guys with gear in an incredibly small staircase.  Not doable, you say? Filming crew ingenuity at work: they ended up holding the straps of Dave’s shoulder bag and his shirt and effectively lowering him down the staircase. Not a problem! Only one wrong move and he’d have fallen down several hundred stone steps. Time for a coffee and gelato to calm the nerves.

After our Mostar adventures, we regrouped with Ahmed and drove to our next stop: Blagaj. Simply stunning!  Blagaj is a village-town that hugs the source of the River Buna. Follow it upstream and the beautiful  river seemingly comes straight out of a cave in the mountain.  The river is said to have water so clean that it is drinkable its full length.  On the site is a beautiful Tekke (Dervish house), a national monument being considered as a UNESCO site.  This monastery was built in the 15th century as a place of study, prayer, and a hospice for followers of Sufism of the Islamic faith. It is a tourist attraction – mostly Bosnians when we were there – with a few shops and restaurants, but still has a tranquil atmosphere. We ate our lunch – trout, a local specialty, and recommendation from Ahmed – in one of the restaurants; then, walked around the area.

By late afternoon, we had had a full day, and it was time to head back to Sarajevo. We were all tired, so it was a quiet and reflective 2-hour drive home. Thanks for a great day, Ahmed!