JUMPING TRAINS AND DODGING CROWDS - Mostar and Konjic, Bosnia

......our first blog post from Bosnia, mostly concentrating on the Bosnian Pyramids......

Blagaj Fortress, outside Mostar, Bosnia

Having left our cosy Visoko cottage and walked all the way down the hill to the station, we found the place deserted (a seemingly common situation at Bosnian train stations). The station master came out of his office to inform us that the train we wished to take to Mostar was five hours late. Disappointed, but pragmatic, we walked to the bus station to hop on a very smart bus to Sarajevo. A quick change was then made to another bus heading to Mostar (we would return to Sarajevo on our way back north at a later stage). Generally we're not super keen on bus travel, and always prefer a train, but this time having no choice we bit the bullet, and were actually pleasantly surprised. The road followed the train line for much of the trip, and the unbelievable scenery took our breath away. The bus snaked it's way on twisty roads through some majestic and craggy mountains, high up in the misty clouds. We then descended to the river with it's gorgeous clear blue water, and finally drove alongside a picturesque lake before arriving in Mostar. We glimpsed the train track and bridges high on the mountain side from time and time, and looked forward to taking it on our way back north. As a side note, not only are the Balkan buses generally extremely comfortable, the drivers are very calm, making most rides smooth and pleasant. Still prefer the trains, though.

Stunning views whizzing by, bus, Visoko to Mostar, Bosnia

On arrival in Mostar, we slowly made our way along little back streets of cute old houses to our accommodation. Run by a business like group, we were greeted and shown around in a brusque manner that certainly contrasted with our wonderful Visoko welcome. Nevertheless, the apartment was huge and the location perfect, smack bang in the centre of town and with a local café/bar directly across the road. This café was our first stop to unwind from our big day of travel with a nip of loza, a type of rakija made from grapes. It did feel slightly strange to be scoffing the drink whilst the mosque next door was calling to prayer, but when in Rome......

 

On our first outings around Mostar, we immediately liked the small but pretty town. The combination of a young population and university, mixed with historic buildings and more traditional elements created a brilliant vibe.

Interesting design in apartment block, Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina 

Clock tower, Old Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Cranky old man down a lane, Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

More ruins, Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Defunct department store, Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

First stop was the astonishing Partizan Memorial Cemetery, dedicated to the local Partizan resisters who died fighting the Nazis in World War Two. A stunning and unique design had been created by celebrated Serbian architect Bogdan Bogdanović in the 1960s. Concrete sheets resembling giant, wavy curtains wound around like a maze into the central part of the memorial. Here, a representation of a cosmological sundial stood out from a huge wall, surrounded by vertical shapes evoking organ pipes. Layers cascaded down, each containing petal-shaped gravestones which lay on the ground, once in neat lines. The sombre place was nearly deserted when we visited, the only other souls were a couple on what looked like a clandestine assignation. 

Entrance to Partizan Memorial Cemetery, Mostar, Bosnia

Captivating design, Partizan Memorial Cemetery, Mostar, Bosnia

Maze like Partizan Memorial Cemetery, Mostar, Bosnia

The war in the 1990's had seen much damage to the site, and tragically, we learnt that the cemetery had also been majorly vandalized in recent years. Many gravestones still laid broken, and bottles and bits of stone headstones had been thrown into a fountain. Thankfully, locals had cleaned away the paint graffiti. Despite the damage, the overall feeling was inspirational due to the location high on a hill and the beauty of the layout.

Broken bottles and gravestones, Partizan Memorial Cemetery, Mostar

View out over the city, Partizan Memorial Cemetery, Mostar, Bosnia

Sal dwarfed by cosmological sundial, Partizan Cemetery, Mostar

The old town of Mostar, and particularly the area around the old bridge (Stari Most) spanning the Neretva River, is well regarded for it's beauty. Built by the Ottomans, it's always been an important example of Islamic architecture in Bosnia. The bridge and much of the old town was destroyed during the Bosnian War, a huge amount of money had been put towards its restoration, which was completed in 2004.

Old Bridge of Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Medieval shops and houses, old part of Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Glorious sunny day, Mostar old town

We were unprepared for the vast numbers of tour groups here, and were shocked at the number of sightseers. The market close to the old bridge was an unpleasant mass of sweaty, loud people shopping for souvenirs, and the whole area was busy with tourists eating in the many cafes, vying for the best photo vantage points, taking selfies on the bridge and obstructing the street. Walking around amongst the crowds was unpleasant and our immediate reaction upon arrival was to get out of there- we couldn't see or appreciate the beauty of the Ottoman-era buildings with so many people around, posing and shouting.

The touristy area around Mostar Old Bridge, Bosnia

Souvenirs for sale, Mostar Bridge market, Bosnia

We instead opted to rouse ourselves out of bed at sunrise the next morning, and walk around the old town slowly and calmly, taking pictures at our leisure, without hundreds of tourists. The small cobblestone streets and ancient doorways were lovely. Viewpoints led to picture perfect outlooks of bridges over streams shining in the morning sun, stone towers and white mosques. It was most peaceful, and although the morning light didn't quite show the stone structures to their best, we were glad to have had this time to contemplate in the quiet. It was such a shame the beauty really was ruined by tour groups when the day got going.

Middle of the day near the old bridge at Mostar......

.....and without the crowds

New knee still going strong!

Many destroyed and abandoned buildings still stood as wrecked reminders of the Bosnian War in the 1990s. Most were falling down and had jungles growing in them, and more still had excessive bullet damage, a jarring reminder of how much violence happened here in the very recent past. Another tragic sight, not just in Mostar, but every place we visited in the country were the graveyards where every person buried there died during the same years- mostly between the horrific era of 1992- 1995.

Falling apart, once grand building, Mostar, Bosnia

Old and recent gravestones, cemetery, Mostar

A splendid day out was had in and around Blagaj, a village only about 20 mins away from Mostar. Most famous for it's Ottoman style tekije, a heritage site Ottoman Dervish monastery, it has also become a popular tourist spot because of it's beauty. The bus there was spent talking with a very chatty 15 year old Muslim local, and it was certainly interesting to hear her views on religion and life as a teenager in Mostar. Her description of tensions between Christians and Muslims didn't fill us with hope, to be honest. 

On arrival, we decided to climb up to see the medieval fortress, visible on a high hill. The walk was hot and the surrounding area dry and quite barren, contrasting our walks in Visoko's green forests. Some money had been put into constructing a fantastic path, complete with ropes to steady oneself and benches periodically along the way, which we gratefully used. At the top we were hugely surprised at the size and complete nature of the edifice, and the absolutely stunning setting. We spent a while up there admiring the spectacular view and wandering the ruins on our own. 

Path to the top of Blagaj Fortress, outside Mostar, Bosnia

Scene at the top of the hill, Blagaj Fortress, outside Mostar, Bosnia

Ottoman ruins, Blagaj Fortress, outside Mostar, Bosnia

After sweating our way back down the hill, a beer was in order at a very cute and reasonably priced café with a cheerful waiter. 

We had already spied the car park full of buses further along the street, and realized the main sight of Blagaj must be quite busy with visitors. We followed the masses to see what everyone was excited about.

As we walked along the gushing river, and onto a small bridge we were greeted with the amazing sight of tall cliff faces in front of us and rapids falling down into the ice blue river. The monastery was on one side, and the whole place was lined with cafes. It must be a lovely spot to go for a posh meal, but the restaurants did somewhat change the atmosphere of what must have been a dramatically beautiful place at one time. After a wander, we tired of the crowds and went back to our cheap and cheerful café to wait for the bus back to Mostar. It was more than an hour later than we expected, but we were happy to sit and watch the tourists and sip a loza or two (grape rakija). 

Clear waters at Blagaj, outside Mostar, Bosnia

We'd entered the predominantly Muslim area of the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina when we left Doboj, but due to our being out in woop woop in the hills of Visoko, we hadn't really experienced Bosnian Muslim culture up until now. This part of Bosnia was similar to Albania, in that most people didn't show their religion outwardly, with no Muslim hats for men, and not many women in headscarves or robes. Some of the handsome white mosques had a call to prayer, but it was soft and gentle, and wouldn't disturb anyone. Mostar has roughly an equal population of Muslims (Bosniaks) and Catholics (Croats), and tiny proportion of Orthodox Serbs. It has the largest number of Croats in the country.

Graveyard outside mosque, Mostar, Bosnia

Having missed out on “one of Europe's most scenic railway journeys” between Sarajevo and Mostar on our way south, we were greatly looking forward to hopping on the train for the journey to Konjic. It didn't quite turn out as we'd hoped, however. We were half asleep due to the early hour, the hills outside were extremely misty and foggy, and the fact that bright lights were on inside the train turned the windows into mirrors, and made photography impossible. Oh well, the best laid plans.......

Konjic was a small town half way between Mostar and Sarajevo, and was an attractive place to spend a couple of days to break the trip. Another Ottoman bridge, Stara Ćupriya, adorned the Neretva here, the same river we had been following up and down Bosnia. An important river in this valley, the Neretva is superbly clean and a source of fresh drinking water and electricity via its many dams. Popular for rafting in the summer, during our visit the temperature had plummeted somewhat, and the scene around Konjic was much quieter. Most of our walks were around the riverside area and old part of the town, strolling around the cute stone buildings, climbing hills for views and stopping now and again for a coffee or beer. 

Sparkling day, Stara Ćupriva, Konjic, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Gorgeous scenery, Konjic, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Taking in some river walks, Konjic, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Spectacular view from hilltop of Konjic

Abandoned riverside building, Konjic, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Bosnian and Slovenian beer break, Konjic, Bosnia

We came across a fantastic little market, part rustic produce and part second hand- Rich was very excited to find a pair of camo shorts for less than £2 to continue his camo obsession. All the produce was so fresh and beautiful looking. Stall holders had small amounts of fruit and vegetables, presumably from their own gardens, with grapes, mandarins, pumpkins and pomegranates being particularly popular and in season. 

Charming fruit and vegie market, Konjic, Bosnia

Rich shopping up a storm in flea market, Konjic, Bosnia

As usual in Bosnia, the war graves were plentiful, and it was interesting to see the Catholic and Muslim cemeteries side by side- separate, but linked by a dark history. 

Unusual grave in mosque grounds, Konjic, Bosnia

In Konjic, we appreciated the few sunny days amongst much wind and drizzle. Since we left Serbia, the weather had really cooled down, and as many of our destinations were in elevated areas with lower temperatures, we were missing that hot and sunny weather from July and August. 

One of many scenic bridges around Konjic, Bosnia

Weather changing, Bosnia and Hercegovina

Autumn forests, Konjic, Bosnia

After our disappointment with the first half of the scenic train trip between Mostar and Sarajevo, we were looking forward to the second half when we left Konjic and headed to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Waiting on the platform with several other passengers, the train pulled up on time, and people started boarding. Rich's instincts kicked in, and he wondered why the train had entered the station from the wrong direction. We asked a man if this was the train to Sarajevo, and he answered yes, so we hopped on. Trains in Bosnia only stop a very short time at stations, a couple of minutes at most, and as we found a seat and started to settle in, another train pulled in on the opposite platform. Totally confused, we asked another passenger if we were on the train to Sarajevo. When he replied it was actually going to Mostar (the opposite direction), we jumped up in a panic, ran down the aisle, practically fell off the train and got out the door just in time. The train left within seconds of our clumsy disembarkation. Another sprint was needed to catch the Sarajevo train before it left, again seconds after we boarded. Relieved to have made it onto the right train, we were, however, dismayed at how full it was. We had to sit separately and not by the window. The evening was drawing in and the lights were again on brightly inside the train, turning the windows into mirrors, and obscuring outdoor visuals. The few glimpses we did manage outside showed us to be fantastically high, looking down on villages, twisting around high tracks and bridges and chugging through many tunnels. It would have been amazing in the right conditions, but it was just not meant to be for us. We were so grateful we had had a spectacular bus ride on this route heading south.

Early morning train at Konjic station, Bosnia

The scenic bus/train portion of this trip in Bosnia and Hercegovina

.......next up we explore Sarajevo and take our final Bosnian train further north to the giant balls........