If you visit Bosnia it is because you are interested in learning its history. Hearing stories from its people is far more intriguing than any sites you could visit in the country. Learning about Yugoslavia, the war, and the years following the war is more meaningful than any site you could see.
All over the country there are signs of the war. Hillsides covered in white crosses marking the graves of hundreds. Bullet and shrapnel holes make house walls look like Swiss cheese.
Despite its tragic history the country is quite warm and friendly. The first couch host we stayed with was a young Bosnian woman. She took us to some catacombs where her friend worked, we explored the castle at the top of the town, and then we visited the small mills that the locals keep on the stream near the town. It was a beautiful place.
In the capital we stayed with a couple of Turkish men. Bosnia has a lot of Turks. Turkey has put a lot of interest in Bosnia. There is a lot of Turkish investment in the country, and there is even a Turkish university in the capital.
In the capital you can get one of my favorite dishes: Sarajevski cevapi. For a small amount of money you get some pide filled with a few sausages, some sour cream on top, and some ayran to drink on the side. I love to make this at home.
The country has a lot of evidence of Ottoman times. The architecture in the cities shows this, as well as some of the bridges.
This bridge was one of the only remaining bridges from the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, until the Nazis blew it up during World War II. The bridge that is there today is only a replication.
Mostar is a sad city. During the war and the years following, the city was divided by religion. One side of the city was Catholic and the other Muslim. The famous Ottoman bridge that stood in the center of the city for almost 500 years was destroyed during the war. The bridge was reconstructed in the early 2000's.
There were a few surprises for us in Bosnia. After visiting Vrelo Bune (above) we came across, quite by accident, the Kravice water falls.
