It was love at first sight with Bosnia. After spending a few days in Sarajevo, I was really looking forward to the next leg of my trip. The stunning views during my journey from Sarajevo to Mostar amplified my excitement no end and I could not wait to have a crack at this beautiful city.
From the bus stand, it was just a 5 minute walk to my hostel and the host was a really hands on Bosnian mom (similar to Italian or Indian moms). She made it very clear how she wanted things to be done in her house/hostel and was very strict with the guests following the house rules.
From the first meeting itself, we got along quite well. When I gave her my clothes for laundry, neatly folded & in order, she was impressed and told me if I needed anything else, I should give her a shout. I think that was the moment she realized I won't create any trouble or mess up her house. I had her trust and what followed was an intense discussion about life & struggles in Bosnia and how her son gave the idea to open a hostel so that they have the extra income. She thought I was a student (everyone thinks I am in my 20's which is flattering) and I told her about life in India. I decided to take help of her son for my travel outside the city, so that he gets the extra money and I get to see other places too.
Mostar is arguably the most frequented attraction in Bosnia, thanks to its outstanding natural beauty, architecture, and, of course, its world famous bridge, the Stari Most. It is full of Ottoman architecture, with plenty of traditional restaurants, market stalls, mosques and other historic buildings. It is also surrounded by stunning landscape waiting to be explored. My first stop of the day was The Cejvan Cehaj Mosque, built in 1552 (oldest in Mostar) and reconstructed back in 2003. During the war in 1993, many Bosniak houses were burned and destroyed as well as all four mosques that were located in this part of Mostar.
Mostar actually takes its name from the word Most which in Slav language means bridge. The Stari Most bridge joins the two historic parts (the Bosniak Muslim & the Catholic Croat) of the town divided by the waters of the Neretva. The city suffered under two conflicts. In the first one, from April 1992 to February 1994, local population fought together to gain independence against the Serbian elements of the Yugoslav People’s Army.
Then, in 1995, local society became extremely polarized as Croat and Bosniak communities started a violent conflict against each other. The “war within the war” split the city into two halves, the Eastern and the Western parts. Since all the educational institutions, shops, bars and other social activities are placed in the two respective areas, most of locals feel threatened to enter an area in which their ethno-national group is in a minority. Mostar also holds the dubious distinction of not having held a local election since 2008. With their politicians caring little for the multicultural situation of the town, different curriculum is used in the schools and contrasting interpretations of the same facts are taught. They like to think they even speak two different languages: Croatian (Zagreb influence) and Bosnian (Turkish influence). All of this in the name of keeping their identities separate.
In the city center, you can see buildings with bullet holes or shrapnel marks, which are a constant reminder of the war in the 90's. One of the buildings damaged in the war had been left as it is and only now are they trying to do something about it. It is actually a stunning sight and I took a long look around the building.
Then there is the story of a department store which was doing well and after the shelling it took in the war, it was not reopened by the family because they did not have the money - typical of Bosnia really. Most industries collapsed in the 1990s and it has been a big struggle to rebuild them from scratch after the war. No wonder, most of the younger generation is moving to other countries in Europe to find jobs and money. I hope tourism can help the local population to earn some much needed money.
It was time to feed myself at the National Restaurant (opened in 1967), a charming place on the main street of the old town. The food was simply delicious. I had the Bosnian salad and Burek - other dishes could wait for my subsequent visits to the restaurant. With regards to drinks, Bosnia does not produce a significant quantity of wine & most of its vineyards are located in this region near Mostar. I was shocked to discover Black wine, which is quite famous here. Other than grape-based alcoholic beverages, orchard fruits (cherries, apples and plums are most common) are also used to make drinks (called Rakia) in a range of styles: sweet and dry, weak & strongly alcoholic.
After lunch, it was time to head towards the most famous landmark in Mostar. The Stari Most (Old bridge) built over the river Neretva, was completely destroyed by Croatia in 1993 (more than 60 shells were targeted at the bridge). It was of such cultural importance that after the war, an international coalition made rebuilding the bridge of prime importance.
The ‘Don’t Forget’ stone near the bridge serves as a reminder of the civil war and the city's tragic past. It is important not to gloss over the fact that terrible atrocities were committed here relatively recently, and that the city still feels the effects of a divided population. While tourism has ensured that Mostar has been able to thrive since the war, not long ago it was under siege, and many of the locals living in the city today had lost friends and family members.
In the heart of the old town is its market or Carsija. There is a market on each side of the river near to the Stari Most, due to the split between the Bosniak and Croat ethnic groups that inhabit the city. The market has a distinctly eastern feel, thanks to the historic Ottoman influences, with stalls selling rugs, painted plates, copper items, and souvenirs. The market is busy with locals as well as tourists, and gives visitors a good glimpse at a traditional Bosnian way of life.
You can walk on these streets multiple times a day & discover something new every time. There are painters making their masterpieces & there are numerous souvenir shops selling their wares including dried lavender sachets (lavender has been an important crop in Balkans for centuries). Or one can find ice cream parlors or cafes which serve strong Bosnian coffee - take your pick & idle away.
I took quite a liking to the Bosnian coffee set and the lamps -
At the Stari Most, a common sight is the diving club members diving into the river from top of the bridge. They collect money from the crowd (our choice how much we give them) and 30 mins or so, they take the plunge, much to the delight and screams of the onlookers.
If you want to take a shot at it, you need to pay them to take the risk - sounds like a scam! For others, there is a much safer option of taking a boat ride.
Inside one of Mostar’s historic buildings (next to Stari Most) is a photo gallery, featuring shots taken in Mostar by a New Zealand photographer during the war. The photos not only show the destruction of the war but also the daily struggles experienced by the local population, many of whom were simply trying to get on with their lives. The exhibition is a great opportunity to understand more about Mostar’s history and what has shaped it.
There were so many souvenirs on display that I could not resist picking up a thing or two. I purchased a key ring made of an actual bullet, which I stuffed in my backpack and forgot all about it. It came back to bite me 3 months later, during my baggage inspection at Manchester airport. I was made to wait by the baggage handlers till the security officials came and cleared me - I had to throw it away before taking the flight back to India. After some shopping, it was time to have an ice cream (sure shot way to beat European summers) and head towards the other side of Stari Most.
The Kriva Cuprija (or ‘Crooked Bridge’) is a smaller, older and less touristic version of the Stari Most. It is thought to have been a test-run of sorts for the later construction of the larger and more famous bridge. It is a much more peaceful place to sit and enjoy a relaxing lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. The bridge was washed away by floods in the year 2000 but was rebuilt a year later.
Wherever you go in Europe, Football either brings people together or divides them into different camps. In Mostar, it has a massive significance as there are 2 local teams & things can get fierce between the supporters. I checked this link to find more details - https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/more-game-how-mostar-derby-illustrates-bosnia-herzegovinas-divisions
There is also a sniper tower, which was used by snipers during the war to kill lots of innocent people. Now, it is locked - a couple of guys I met in the Sarajevo hostel told me it is full of interesting graffiti inside, if you can scale the wall and break in!
Back in the hostel after a tiring day, I met this gang & we got talking. One thing led to another & it was decided we were gonna party the night away. The only condition - we would have the baklava and apple cake with the gang before we painted the town red.
I had a great time with these guys and it was so much fun during the night out. We were at the Black Dog Pub (highly recommended) where we made the bartender our friend. He was at our side at regular intervals (I don't think he was tending to other tables!)
At around 2am, we decided to leave and find another place to crash. But, pretty much everything was closed by now and we headed back to the hostel. At this point of time, we only had dogs for company. One advantage of roaming around at such a late hour was that without the crowds, the town looked gorgeous - I would have missed this side of Mostar if I would have gone to bed early. At the hostel, we kept talking till 5 in the morning - only when the Bosnian mom shooed us away, did we retire back to our rooms.
Comments