Memorable Day Trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina

For the last two weeks I talked about some short, day trips that are a breeze to get to from Dubrovnik. Well this week I’m taking you on another day trip, but this time it will be a little longer and to a different country completely. And without further ado, let’s head on over to Bosnia and Herzegovina!

As we left the Adriatic region, we could see and feel the climate and terrain change. It was like leaving the beach and heading in to the desert in a short period of time, but we were about to experience a different culture, so it seemed appropriate.

Our first stop was in the small town of Medugorje. Ten years before the Bosnia War broke out in 1992, six local children reported a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary in this village. "Our Lady of Međugorje" is the title given to the apparition by those who believe, and it has become a popular site of worldwide Catholic pilgrimage as a result. In fact, it has turned into Europe's third most important apparition site, where each year more than 1 million people visit. It has been estimated that 30 million pilgrims have come to Međugorje since the reputed apparitions began in 1981. And there are still current reports of this apparition being sited by these same children, now adults, and others.

The current St. James (Zupa Sv. Jakova) church was built post 1981 to accommodate the huge crowd flocking to the town in pursuit of this apparition. It is not the most elaborate outside but once you walk inside, you begin to feel that pull that draws so many people here. I saw people in tears as they were praying in front of the simple yet powerful Virgin Mary off to the right of the main alter. It was extremely touching and moving. I could see that people from all over the world were here to witness this first-hand.

Behind the church was the Open Air alter (a huge outdoor amphitheater). It was built to accommodate even more people for additional services during the warmer months. Although there was no official service at the time of our visit, we saw many people in prayer and reflection both inside and out. It is really something to experience whether you’re of the Catholic faith or not.

After seeing the sites of Medugorje, a predominantly Catholic town, we drove to Mostar, an area that was 40% Muslim living with Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats. Mostar was once a place where these three ethnicities lived and mingled together peacefully for centuries until the 1990s war broke out and the city was under siege. Mostar was hit hard and I was told they are still trying to recapture the harmony that once was. As you walk into town you will see evidence in the buildings of the civil war. Bullet holes are visible and serve as a reminder that this war happened not that long ago. What is even more remarkable is some of these building survived through two world wars but fell to the most recent. As you walk into the heart of the city, you will notice a few cemeteries – an astonishing number of tombstones with death dates of 1993 – 1995.

As you walk the city, you will most likely run in to the Stari Most (Old Bridge) which has been an iconic symbol of Mostar for centuries. It was built in the 16th century by the Ottoman Empire but was completely destroyed in the 1993 civil war. However, the community re-built it using the original materials that could be salvaged. Not only is it an iconic worldwide site but it has cultural value as well. Young men have been jumping off this bridge for centuries down in to the beautiful Neretva River (which has an extremely strong current) as a rite of passage. Today, the jumpers collect a “fee” from the tourists to witness a dive. After taunting the crowd, we got a group of people together to pay the fee and watch one of the men dive 23 meters in to the river and swim safely to shore. It was fascinating to watch. It was fascinating to watch especially because these young men seem to almost hold celebrity status among the crowd of tourists! I don’t think I’d jump, but then again, who knows.

Because Mostar was originally a part of the Ottoman Empire, the city has a very fun Turkish flair. I actually felt like I was in Turkey at times while walking through the street bazaars. Coppersmith Street was one in particular where you could see the beautiful hand-hammered copper goods that this region is famous for. There were also several wonderful cafes all along the street serving traditional Bosnian cuisine.

Also, on this side you will notice the Karadoz Bey Mosque and the very large minaret (the largest in the region). For a small fee, you may climb to the top for a spectacular view of the city. Look in the opposite side of the city and you will see the Mostar Peace Bell Tower (part of the Franciscan Catholic Church). You may also go to the top of this tower and enjoy a panoramic view of Mostar from 107 meters high. Fun fact: During the Ottoman Empire rule, this church was built when Sultan Abdulmejid I published an acclamation which guaranteed Christians their religious freedom. The declaration still seems to be holding strong which is a really unique part of history for this city.

We made a fairly quick last stop at the town of Pocitelj, Capljina, a very interesting historical village. The architecture here is a blend of several different styles starting with medieval, adding in the Turkish flair of the Ottoman Empire and then rounding it all off with influences from the Austro-Hungarian rule. This city went through much history and is stunning as a result. The stone constructed parts of the town are a fortified complex and once again, the two stages of evolution are evident: medieval and Ottoman.

The Citadel Pocitelj (at the top of the hill) is a fortress built by King Tvtku I of Bosnia (the first king of Bosnia) in 1383. I must admit the climb to the top to see the fortified complex was tough as the path was sometimes steep and consisted at times of small loose rocks (plus, this was at the end of a long day) but the view was amazing when we got to the top. The remnants of the old walls looked ancient and that was worth it too.

I will say up-front that this day was a long one (about 14 hours) but the time really did fly by as there were so many fascinating things to do and see in a single day trip. The only negative about this trip was the border checks – there was not a direct route into Bosnia from Croatia (a bridge is currently in the works), so we had to actually go through two border checks each way. Now our wait was not nearly as long as we were told it can be at times, and I would do it all over again but it was still a little bit of a wait to be honest. This exploration did wet our appetite to visit another country outside of Dubrovnik though, so stay tuned next week for that trip.

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