Backpacking Bosnia And Herzegovina Travel Guide

An Ottoman gem where east meets west, Mosques share the same streets as grand Austro-Hungarian buildings, and narrow cobbled bazaars transport you back into the 16th century. Of course, scars of recent history exist, but rather than being scary, they made the country more sincere in its warmth and friendliness. From wandering the streets of Sarajevo to the minarets of Mostar, we fell in love.

We were instantly taken aback by Bosnia; I am not even sure what I expected of it, compared to what we found. I guess we just thought it would be another Eastern European country to explore, with ancient churches and gothic architecture alongside a few remnants of the war. But no, it took us totally by surprise!

As people who, especially Shorty throughout this childhood, have visited Turkey on numerous occasions, it was like stepping through a door from west to east. From the European culture we had become accustomed to, through this journey and others before and straight into the hot and bustling streets of Turkey. From the medieval old towns into an Ottoman bazaar, it was a strange and thrilling experience. Many places stood out, but Sarajevo was immense and intense, and Mostar was moving and filled with such beauty.

Often, when you cross so many borders in a similar region, the differences can be so subtle you almost don’t notice them. The language might pretty much be the same, as it is in almost all of the former Yugoslavian countries, but the atmosphere was very different to that of Croatia.

Over in Dubrovnik, you should be forgiven for forgetting you are in what was Yugoslavia; its old town, with the white limestone bricks and orange tiled roofs, wouldn’t look out of place in the Mediterranean; it has an undoubted Western feel even for somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Bosnia, however, goes entirely the other way; it somehow seems to skip over Eastern Europe and land you right into the Ottoman heartlands. The cobbled streets, impossibly detailed and put together in such a way that walking over them is actually quite a challenge, and the wooden houses and shops give these streets their intimate and claustrophobic feel in their characteristic whitewash. The bazaars sell anything and everything, from traditional wares to fresh food; escaping here without making a purchase is quite a feat!

As the smoke from the grills fills the air, whipping around the shishas as the therapeutic tones of the call the prayer from the towering minarets that punctuate the sky, you are transported to a 16th-century Ottoman town. The hustle and bustle take you with it as people shout from the market stalls and the locals’ chatter before heading off to pray.

I have honestly never been anywhere else like Bosnia. There is undoubtedly a hit of sadness still here. The ruins of Mostar are a testament to the horrors of the past that made this country so well known to us. But the locals are some of the friendliest we have ever encountered; they warmly welcome you into their strange, wonderful and unique country with open arms.

We went to Bosnia really only to see the country and leave, but in truth we left our hearts in Bosnia. A part of us will always remain, and it will always be with us. We even ended up staying much longer than we expected; we really didn’t want to leave in the end.

Bosnia is such a rewarding country to visit, and in truth, we only touched the surface; it has so much more to offer in both culture, history and adventure, and we will most definitely be returning one day for a longer visit!