Quick Trip to Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

The other day I decided for the first time on this trip to be proactive and book bus and ferry tickets and accommodation for the next few days. I’m totally kicking myself for doing that now!

After taking a bus from Dubrovnik, Croatia (that post will come later) I booked a 2 night stay in Mostar, Bosnia. I’ve heard from other travelers that it was a really unique place to visit. With their recent history of war, the tours were very informative and you learned a lot. In addition, the country is beautiful and people are incredibly friendly. I had originally considered going to Sarajevo and then decided against it since it was turning out to be a lot of east-west travel. I knew I wanted to get back to the islands of Croatia and the logistics weren’t in my favor. So I booked a round trip ticket and ferries.

One reason I don’t like booking ahead of schedule is you never know what’s going to happen and you might want to stay and explore! Like this time for example, the devil decided to reside in my gut for the last few days and knock me out of my normal travel routine. I had to cancel a day trip in Mostar that I was really looking forward to and spent most my time exploring within a relatively close proximity of my hostel when not curled up in bed. Many of the other travelers at my hostel had come from Sarajevo and spoke about what a beautiful city it was. Intriguing and full of history with great museums and day tours. It is what it is but I wish it wasn’t so…

I was in 11th grade when Balkan wars for independence from Yugoslavia began. I remember seeing it on tv but not being able to relate to the disaster that was taking place. Social studies and history were not my strong subjects and understanding what was actually going on was too confusing. So I, like lots of people, didn’t pay attention. Meanwhile while I was hanging out with friends and going to school parties and proms, people my own age were getting killed by their neighbors with bombs, bullets, shrapnel, fires and genocide. Still absolutely crazy to try to fathom that situation 26 years later.

Mostar is a quaint little city of about 130,000 that straddles the emerald green Neretva River. Surrounded by mountains on 3 sides including one big range that was full of snow as I left this morning! The Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats (Croatians) dominate the religions here with Orthodox Serbs (Serbians) still holding their presence. From most any viewpoint in Old Town you can see at least 8 minarets from the mosques stand high above the rest of the city landscape and hear their chanting prayers five times a day. Catholics have rebuilt a giant cross on the hillside where it once stood prior to the war to show their religious dedication.

The Old Bride (which you can see in the photos in the gallery) is the highlight attraction for tourists who come to the area. Commissioned to build in 1557, it took just 9 years to construct the bridge in its entirety. It was marveled as “the longest single-span stone arch on the planet”. It was the connecting force that brought the gaps of religion and community together. The bridge was destroyed in November 1993 after being caught in direct crossfire too many times to stand any longer. It gave way and divided the city once again. The Old Bridge was an icon in this area and one of the regular scenes on the news during the war, so I was told. After the war ended the city decided to rebuild the Old Bridge and under the supervision of UNESCO, $13 million was donated by international donors to rebuild. Even in the 21st century and with advanced technology, it took longer to rebuild the bridge to its original design than it did to originally build it in 1557! With the reconstruction of the bridge, one of the long lasting traditions has come back to the area. They boast a “Divers Club” for people who have the guts to jump 75 feet into the chilly waters beneath to impress tourists, friends and most importantly, cute girls. I wish I had gotten to see it in action!

Wandering around the town I found it hard not to constantly look around me in bewilderment. There are still quite a few bombed out buildings that are still standing. Were these homes? Apartments holding multiple families? Offices? Shops and stores? They were something to someone! Other buildings are full of bullet holes, some that have been filled in with plaster. Many of them have been re plastered completely and painted to erase the scars of damage and destruction. Some have kept the original framework and are building new roofs and walls in the same area their original home stood. You could even walk to the top of a bank – never officially opened – which turned into a sniper stand. I was told it was an eerie feeling and offered an incredible view of the entire city.

For me, it was difficult to walk around without a lump in my throat. I almost felt guilty for not knowing, for not doing anything to help, for living a “normal” life. When I would start to feel really bad about it all, I focused on the faces of the people who live in Mostar. They city is full of life! Young children laughing and playing. Bars full of football (soccer) fans cheering on their favorite teams, women sipping coffee together giggling and sharing stories. The people who seemed to always look at me and smile were the older people. All I could think was, you’ve lived through so much, so recently and you have found the heart to smile at a stranger, say hello and move forward in life. That’s the heart of the Bosnians that I encountered.

If you find yourself coming to the Balkans for a visit, I definitely recommend visiting Bosnia-Herzegovina! And when you do, let me know how you liked Mostar and Sarajevo!