Oh Bosnia, I underestimated you so badly! I did not even imagine how beautiful you really are!
I thought I’d just quickly check out Mostar’s bridge, wait over the rain and go back to Croatia. I ended up staying for 8 days and really wish I had more time of good weather to keep exploring.
💦 Kravica waterfalls. Extra-mini version of Pletvice lakes in Croatia but just as beautiful and you can swim in the summer, or any time of the year, if you’re cold-resistant 😅)
🏰 Počiteli. A fairytale fortified town, as magical as you can ever imagine! Get lost in the narrow very steep streets and climb the tower to get a stunning view of the valley, river, and surrounding mountains.
🥰 Mostar. The most romantic town out there. With every day I spent there I was falling in love more and more with its bridges, streets and views.
✨ Blagaj. Surreal place. Go by night to feel the ultimate peacefulness of the place, listen to the sound of the river starting from underneath the gigantic rock, look at the reflections of lights in the water and get caught in a dream.
🐟 Follow river Neretva to Sarajevo and stop to appreciate the gorgeous landscape and get delicious grilled fish from the river.
🕌 Wander around Sarajevo and get confused by the full mix of architectural styles. And devote a couple of hours to visit the Tunnel of Hope museum to learn about the Bosnian war.
⚡️Visit the oldest pyramids on Earth (or so they say). They were discovered just about 15 years ago and are still being studied. You can climb on top of the Pyramid of Sun (even by car assuming you’ve got a land cruiser of course 😅) or take a tour through the network of tunnels leading to it.
🏞 Ride the Foča canyon road, it’s breathtaking!
🍽 Eat at much pljeskavica as your stomach can fit in! Delicioooos!
Bosnia you are truly amazing! 🤩 I will be back to explore more!
GoPro footage:
23. Makarska 🏍 Mostar (arriving to Bosnia)
You know this feeling when you wake up and you clearly remember the dreams you had, so vivid and colorful, that it’s hard to believe they were just dreams. But at the same time they were so unrealistic and so many things happened in such a short time that it could only be dreams.
That’s the feeling I had when I drove from Makarska, along the wonderful Adriatic coast with its incredible views, and then into the mountains, away from the sea to cross the border to Bosnia, visit the Kravice waterfalls and then find myself in the XVth century fairytale 🧚♀️ of Počitelj.
This old town with its fortress, the mosque, the stone roofs of the houses, the pomegranate trees everywhere, the incredible view over the Neretva river… felt like traveling back in time, no, rather into a dream or a fairytale, a town like this just cannot be real!
24. Mostar 🏍 Sarajevo
Why did I have no idea that Bosnia is sooo beautiful? The 138km ride from Mostar to Sarajevo is fascinating! Along the river, between cliffs, and on to golden forest hills! Sunshine and smooth curves all the way!
As I was entering Sarajevo I stopped at the Tunnel of Hope museum to learn about the Bosnian war of 1992-1995 and the siege of the city. The 800m tunnel was dug under the airport runway to connect the city (which was surrounded by the Serbian forces) with the free Bosnian territory. A must visit if you want to understand what the people of Sarajevo went through during those hard times.
25. Sarajevo 🏍 Zabljak (leaving Bosnia)
So many emotions in one day that I have to rewatch the video to make sure I don’t forget any of it!
Really difficult to leave the comfort of my Sarajevo apartment.
It’s 11am, time to leave but the thick fog doesn’t make the move very attractive (for me riding in the fog is worse than rain).
But okay, let’s give it a chance, what if clears up? I can just ride for an hour and if it doesn’t get better, I will turn around and come back to Sarajevo.
Ready, go!
Oh god, it’s cold, really cold. The cold fog gets under the jacket, into the helmet, and through all the layers of my clothing.
What’s the point of riding a scenic road if I can’t see anything because of the fog? I’m close to going back.
But soon enough some light starts to get through, and I see the canyon, the cliffs on both sides of the road, the river, the golden trees. Beautiful! And it gets warmer, too.
Let’s ride! Now it’s fun!
I stop for photos, enjoy the curves, turn my head left and right not to miss any of it!
Go through another tunnel (plenty of them on this route), and – boom – fog again. And cold. Seriously? This can’t be true.
I ride a bit more and stop at a gas station to refuel. I get a cup of coffee, sit down, try to heat up my hands, defreeze. Now I have to decide what to do.
Okay I’ll ride for an hour to the next town and maybe stay there for the afternoon/night.
As I finish my coffee, it clears up a bit and gives me hope!
Just about 20 km to the border but the asphalt gets much worse, single lane, with gravel parts every now and then. But who cares – the sun is back!
I stop for a photo.
Two min later another bike stops next to me.
– Is everything okay?
– Yes, just taking a photo.
– Ah, cool. Where you’re heading?
– To Montenegro. And you?
– Me, too. You want to ride together?
– Sure! But I ride slowly 🐌 you might be bored with me 😅
– No worries, you lead and I’ll adjust to your speed!
And just like that @watraczistraveling and I ride together until the Bosnia border control. Show documents, all good.
Cross the wooden (!) bridge to the other side of the river, to Montenegro border control. All good. I’m so excited!
Actually so excited that I drop my bike 🤦🏻♀️ Like an idiot! Watch the video and hear my hysterical laugh! Even the guy from the border control comes out of his booth to see what’s going on and helps me lift the 🐝
And now the best part! Curves, tunnels, river, lake, views, more curves, more views, tunnels, 100 photo stops! Sunshine, sunset, more curves, dusk, silhouettes of mountains, this place is amazing!
No, really, I don’t have enough beautiful words to describe how beautiful it really was!
I must remember every moment of this day forever!
I wish I could re-live it again and again! At least I can rewatch the video as many times as I want! 🔥🥰
