Zagreb - Sarajevo
Travelling day....very wet
Day tour of Sarajevo...perfect
A cloudy day eventually gave way to heavy rain en-route to Sarajevo which proved fortunate as it was a full day of bus travel.
By the time we reached the first border control it was drizzling and the second stop only a few kilometres down the road it was torrential. We all had to pile out of the bus on both occasions and line up and when we had checked through we had to walk to the bus. Quite a different experience as we have become so used to travelling between EU countries with Schengen. Bosnia and Herzegovina belong to the EU but are not signatories to Schengen.
Abandoned houses and remnants of the war including bullet holes in walls could be seen on some of the houses. Fields lay fallow in many areas as young people seek employment in other countries with higher wages. One thing is apparent the Bosnia and Herzegovinans are not short of government officials as the country is drowning in five tiers of government and three presidents.
The arrival into Sarajevo was wet with minor flash flooding however within an hour the rain had disappeared and we went out for an evening walk to the Old Town. It’s quite an experience and we had a wine and soaked up second hand cigarette and hookah smoke as apparently its’ still good for your health here!
Day two of Sarajevo included a very interesting morning tour, a traditional lunch and an afternoon to the Tunnel of Hope.
Travelling day....very wet
Day tour of Sarajevo...perfect
A cloudy day eventually gave way to heavy rain en-route to Sarajevo which proved fortunate as it was a full day of bus travel.
By the time we reached the first border control it was drizzling and the second stop only a few kilometres down the road it was torrential. We all had to pile out of the bus on both occasions and line up and when we had checked through we had to walk to the bus. Quite a different experience as we have become so used to travelling between EU countries with Schengen. Bosnia and Herzegovina belong to the EU but are not signatories to Schengen.
Abandoned houses and remnants of the war including bullet holes in walls could be seen on some of the houses. Fields lay fallow in many areas as young people seek employment in other countries with higher wages. One thing is apparent the Bosnia and Herzegovinans are not short of government officials as the country is drowning in five tiers of government and three presidents.
The arrival into Sarajevo was wet with minor flash flooding however within an hour the rain had disappeared and we went out for an evening walk to the Old Town. It’s quite an experience and we had a wine and soaked up second hand cigarette and hookah smoke as apparently its’ still good for your health here!
Day two of Sarajevo included a very interesting morning tour, a traditional lunch and an afternoon to the Tunnel of Hope.
First off...The Eternal Flame built after WWII. Tito spoke from the balcony above to his huge following.
The Indoor Market Hall....only meat and dairy products.
We tried dried meats and a variety of cheeses....all very delicious.
We wandered through the fruit, vegetable and flower market where citizens sell their products. It was here we learnt about Sarajevo’s roses. They are the result of grenades exploding in the concrete and it was at this very market where one of the biggest massacres occurred.
The Sarajevo Rose at the market....once the significance of these had been pointed out we saw them everywhere. The holes have been filled with a red resin.
One of the most famous mosques, the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, sits in the heart of the Old Town. It was built in the sixteenth century and is representative of the Ottoman Empire which played such a significance in this area. We all removed our shoes, donned head scarves and listened to some of the history of the mosque and the deeds of Gazi Husrev-beg. He was a childless grandson of a Sultan and he turned Sarajevo into a modern town with a school, water supply, Europe’s first toilet and the structure of the old town with multitudinous shops which remain today. It’s a fascinating area to visit.
The Madrasah built by Gazi to educate the young. We watched a very informative video of Gazi Husrev-beg here.
Our traditional lunch included stuffed vegetables with mince and meat.
Where WWI started......the spot where Archduke Grand Ferdinand was assinated.
The evidence of war.
After a tasting session of local liqueurs we headed back to the hotel to go by bus to the Tunnel of Hope. This 800 metre tunnel was built in the siege of Sarajevo to bring important supplies to the besieged city. Without this vital link the city would have starved to death. A video and walk along a small section of the tunnel showed the extremely difficult conditions the citizens endured to survive.
The exterior entrance to the tunnel....note the shell holes.
The height of the tunnel was only 1.4 metres. Animals were also brought through here as well.
The pedestrian bridge Festina Lente....run slowly.
A late afternoon stroll along the river and dinner in the Old Town ended a very interesting day in the Bosnian and Herzegovina capital.
No comments:
Post a Comment