Into Bosnia

I'm on a tour of the Balkan States - what was once Yugoslavia. and I've just arrived over the border from the Republic of Srpska, part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia. The very word is redolent with emotion, inextricably linked with war reporting on the news in my mind. As with many of these towns there's a huge contrast between the peaceful setting and the bullet ridden walls of the sleepy little town of Stolac.

Stolac and Stecci

Stolac is an ancient town; has been continuously settled for over 3,500 years. The turquoise Bregava River flows directly through the centre of the town, winding past the Old Town of Vidoški fortress, pretty Ottoman stone bridges, pomegranate orchards and active wooden watermills. There's also a very tall (16 metres) tower. It's very recent - 2013, built to replace the original Ottoman tower (Sahat Kula), built in 1664. It was originally a bell tower, but its bell was removed and melted down for ammunition, by the Austro-Hungarian army in 1917. Then it collapsed, in the 1930s, hence the reconstruction

Once on the road again, we've stopped to look at the stecci in the UNESCO recognised encropolis at Radimlja . These are monumental medieval tombstones, of all shapes, commonly scattered in Nekropola or graveyards, on beautiful hillsides, which lie scattered across the landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They're notable for their varied motifs and carvings: mostly relating to the joys of living.

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Facts and Factoids

• The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina covers roughly 51 percent of the total land area of the sovereign state and accounts for roughly 63 percent of the entire country's total population.
• It is subdivided into ten highly autonomous administrative cantons. Each of these ten internal cantons maintains its own separate constitution, local government, and legislative assembly.
• The city of Sarajevo is as the official administrative capital and seat of government for the Federation as well as being capital of the whole country. In 1984, Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics, the first Communist country to do so.
• The population consists mainly of ethnic Bosniaks and Croats.
• The name Bosnia comes from the Indo-European word, which means water. The country is full of waterfalls, rivers and lakes
• The territory contains the entire - just twenty-kilometre - stretch of Adriatic Sea coastline which belongs to the country. This maritime area is centred on Neum, the territory's only seaside resort and splits the country of Croatia into two parts. Croatia has recently built a bridge onto the parallel peninsula, to save internal travellers having to make two international border crossings
• The small town of Medjugorje is a popular pilgrim site. The Virgin Mary was reported to appear to six local children, here, in 1981.

Mostar: Sun, Stone, and Survival

We're heading north now, to Mostar, the cultural heart of Herzegovina, I'm told, though modern geographic maps simply identify Herzegovina as the southern, rugged karst region of the country, making up roughly 24% of the nation's total land area. Mostar is also right on the border with Srpska. Indeed, a sliver of Mostar has been allocated to Srpska.

Mostar is a beyond picturesque city, another highlight of our tour, with riverside scenery and merged Islamic and Mediterranean cultural influences. It began to take shape under the Bosnian Kingdom in the fourteenth century, but expanded rapidly after falling under Ottoman rule in the late fifteenth century It was a critical frontier garrison town and trade hub. There was even more dramatic expansion under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with railways, industrial factories, and Western schools. The 1990s conflicts resulted in severe damage to the city.

The Bridge at Mostar

Today, Mostar is a fascinating, cobblestoned city, totally dominated by an even more famous old Turkish bridge (Stari Most) that was once the only means connecting the city, over the emerald waters of the Neretva River. It links limestone cliffs and deep river canyons, the buildings nestled beneath.

Diving from the bridge is a major cultural spectator event - it's a height of 20 to 24 metres above the Neretva River, depending on the seasonal water levels. The tradition dates right back to the bridge's construction in 1566. Divers use two distinct styles: the 'Flight of the Falcon' head-first, or the feet-first standing plunge. There's an official annual diving competition, but otherwise the bridge platform is strictly monitored, to stop tourists from attempting the jump. Tourists who want to try must pay a fee, undergo intensive training from local masters, and pass a test jump from a lower 10-metre platform

It's definitely not something I'd try. Jumper speeds reach around 80 to 90 kilometres per hour before impact, so hitting the water incorrectly is very risky. What's more, the river temperature averages just 7 to 10 degrees Celsius. Despite this, local legend says a man must jump from the bridge before he is allowed to ask for a girl's hand in marriage. Much more sensible just to use the iconic arch for dramatic wedding day photographs. Many do.

Exploring Mostar

It’s easy to wile away several hours wandering around here. The historic centre is a maze of narrow stone alleyways lined with traditional craft markets, copper workshops, and bustling bazaar stalls. There are pavement cafes and roof terraces lining the paths up to and around the bridge, as well as several bazaars (and churches). Pre-war Mostar was celebrated for the integration of its architectural styles reflecting the diversity of its community and religions.

Ironic then, that the civil war resulted in the demolition of the bridge and most of the old town. UNESCO raised funds to restore the old town and bridge. The guides say it cost 20 million dollars. We hope it's money well spent. Tensions between the different communities, even now, are palpable.

The Road to Sarajevo

The road to Sarajevo, following the river, is a continuing reminder of the conflict. At Jablanica, there are tanks, guns, and half demolished buildings and more bullet holes. But an upended bridge is a replica, part of a Museum Complex which, in this case, commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Battle of the Neretva in World War II. The twisted metal span visible in the water was reconstructed for the 1969 Yugoslav war film The Battle on the Neretva. It's also known as The Battle for the Wounded, as Tito ordered the blowing up of the bridge as a decoy. He then constructed a make shift crossing, to transport 4,000 wounded soldiers to safety. That's what gives the complex its name. There's also an old partisan train and piece of track.

Konjic

Konjic is one of the oldest permanent settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, dating back almost 4,000 years. It's another idyllic little town, on the river, with a historic six arch Ottoman bridge. It is the physical gateway (the maybe border) between Bosnia and Herzegovina. Well, the bridge was old, but the Germans destroyed it and it had to be rebuilt. It's still on the town's coat of arms.

The fast-flowing Neretva River, which the bridge crosses, cuts directly through the town centre, carving out deep canyons that make the area a premier hub for whitewater rafting.

The town is most famous, however, for housing ARK D-0, a massive, top-secret underground atomic bunker built by Tito, to protect the Yugoslav leadership from nuclear attack.

Sarajevo, the Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand

Sarajevo, the end of our journey, doesn’t quite match up to Mostar, on the cuteness scale, but it’s still a gorgeous town, with plenty to see and lots of history.

The most poignant and famous spot is the plaque which marks the spot where Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. It’s right next to our hotel. And it's sad on two counts. The first because he died (obviously), which was the excuse for The Great War. Though it took a month to get going and was going to happen anyway. The second is that it was a curiously botched attempt.

The assassination took place on 28 June 1914, a date that coincided with both the royal couple's fourteenth wedding anniversary and Vidovdan, a highly sacred Serbian national and religious holiday. Seven young conspirators positioned themselves along the Appel Quay embankment route, each armed with bombs and pistols (they were trained and supplied by the secret Serbian society known as the Black Hand.) The first assassination attempt occurred at 10:10 AM when Nedeljko Čabrinović threw a hand grenade at the royal motorcade. It bounced off the back of the Archduke’s open-top car and exploded under the vehicle behind them, injuring dozens of bystanders. Nedeljko Čabrinović then jumped into the river, near the Latin Bridge and tried to commit suicide by swallowing a vials of cyanide, but the poison was old and only caused him to vomit.

Following the bomb attack, the Archduke completed his scheduled official reception at the Sarajevo City Hall, but then insisted on changing his itinerary, to visit the wounded officers at the local garrison hospital. The governor decided the motorcade should drive straight down the main avenue at high speed, to avoid the city centre, but he completely forgot to inform the lead driver of the route change.

The lead driver turned right onto Franz Josef Street as originally planned, the governor shouted at him to stop, and the car stalled two metres away from of one of the would be assassins, nineteen year old Gavrilo Princip, who was walked to a delicatessen, believing the assassination plot had failed. He fired two shots, striking the Archduke in the neck and his wife Sophie in the abdomen. He also tried to commit suicide by swallowing a vial of cyanide, but again, it only made him vomit. Gavrilo Princip then tried to turn his pistol on himself, but the crowd intervened.

Exploring Sarajevo

There are at least three juxtaposed cities to walk through within Sarajevo, the modern (federal and civic buildings, galleries and museums), the classical (with several churches, synagogues and celebrated ice cream parlours) and the Ottoman.

Eastern Sarajevo

Near our hotel, the Ottoman Old Town is Baščaršija. Baščaršija Square, with its red tiles roofs and green domes offers the last remaining sebilj (once common kiosk-shaped public fountains) in Sarajevo. Close by, the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque complex is the focal point of Islamic architecture in the city, encompassing a domed prayer hall, a central courtyard fountain, and a neighbouring madrasa. The madrasa has Shrek style fairy castle turrets.

The 30 metres tall Sarajevo Clock Tower, just round the corner, is worthy of a double take. It's one of the very few public clocks in the world that still keeps lunar time. A new day officially begins at the exact moment of astronomical sunset, so the clock dials must show 12:00 at dusk. As sunset time shifts slightly every day throughout the year, the clock needs constant calibration and a timekeeper,(a muvekit,) must climb the tower's 76 wooden steps several times a week to manually adjust the gears. The clock was made in London (so sometimes dubbed Little Ben) and brought to the city in the 1870s.

Unsurprisingly, tourists often think the clock is broken (I did) , but its purpose is to track time for Islamic prayers. .During Ramadan, the clock hitting 12:00 at sunset serves as the official signal to fire a traditional cannon, letting the entire city know it is time to break the daily fast.

Sarajevo is also home to Taslihan, a ruined caravanserai, more beautiful Ottoman mosques and the authentic Turkish 'carsija', with its oriental sweet shops, cafes and traditional Bosnian food. And, on the river, the Moorish style City Hall.

Western Sarajevo

The Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures marks the specific point on Ferhadija Street where the architectural layout abruptly transitions from Eastern Ottoman bazaar alleys to Western Austro-Hungarian grand facades. Here, I'm wandering past The Sacred Heart Cathedral, a grand neo-Gothic structure, right in the city centre. It's the seat of the metropolitan archbishopric and a prominent symbol of Catholic heritage. A couple of blocks along, The Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos is a massive nineteenth-century Orthodox place of worship with Baroque style elements and elaborate multi-tiered screens.

The Eternal Flame is a continuously burning fire memorial on a street corner, commemorating the military forces and civilians who liberated the city from World War II Axis occupation. And, again, on the ground, a Sarajevo Rose, a poignant memorial in Sarajevo. These are concrete scars left by mortar shell explosions during the 1990s siege of the city, which were subsequently filled with red resin, to mark where people lost their lives

Sarajevo: everything from the Baroque to the Bohemian. In addition, there are numerous little squares and alleys, souvenir shops and endless restaurants, in the city. However, there are only a few customers. There is 50% unemployment in Sarajevo. There is also no water in the town, for a substantial part of the day. After some cajoling, our hotel hands out bottled water for us to wash in. It’s not the most satisfying way to finish our tour. My room is small, dark (tiny skylight), noisy, and smells so badly of drains that I have to sleep with my head under the sheet. Soothing ice cream is called for, as I come to the end of my Balkans Tour.

Republika Srpska

Our group tour has now arrived in Bosnia, actually in the Republic of Srpska, crossing the border from Kotor in Montenegro. I'm on a group tour of the Balkan States - what was once Yugoslavia. In hindsight, more than a few years later, the fact it's in the Republic of Srpska is causing me a problem. I hadn't realised that this counts as another country/territory, as it is self governing. I can't re-number all my territories now, so this is going to have to go in at number 250, out of order, which I know will irritate me constantly.....

Republika Srpska - Facts and Factoids

• Republika Srpska is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• It is located in two different section of the country, the northern and eastern parts. Two parts, separated by the self governing district of Brcko, to ensure that Bosnian Serbs do not control a single, continuous territory within Bosnia and Herzegovina, bordering Serbia.
• The entity encompasses approximately forty-nine percent of the total land area of the country and has a population of about one and a quarter million people, mainly Serbs.
• The western portion of the territory contains the administrative centre and de facto capital city of Banja Luka, situated on the Vrbas River. The eastern portion of the territory runs continuously along the international borders with Serbia and Montenegro.

• Republika Srpska operates under a parliamentary system, with legislative authority vested in the National Assembly, which comprises 83 seats. The entity is relatively centralized, although it is divided into 64 municipalities, known as opštine.
• The landscape is mountainous in the south and east, transitioning into flat, fertile agricultural plains along the Sava River valley, in the north.
• Republika Srpska was officially proclaimed in January 1992 by the Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina prior to the outbreak of full-scale war and was site of fierce military engagements and extensive territorial shifts during the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995.
• The war led to the expulsion of the vast majority of Croats and Bosniaks from areas under Republika Srpska’s control, while many Serbs were transported from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Republika Srpska.
• The modern internal borders and legal status of the entity were formally recognized and established by the international community through the Dayton Peace Agreement signed in December 1995.
• The entity maintains its own separate constitution, president, national assembly, judiciary, and localized police force, independent from the neighbouring federation.
• Srpska literally means Serbland.

Trebinje - The City of Sun and Plane Trees

Our first stop and main in Bosnia is Trebinje, a small town with roots going back to Ottoman times and further. It's the southern most town in Bosnia. Trebinje lies on the banks of the Trebišnjica river, in the region of East Herzegovina. The city's old town quarter dates to the eighteenth-century Ottoman period. The town (surprise, surprise) ‘boasts numerous interesting churches and monasteries’. The Cathedral Temple of Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord is scenically tucked away, in the centre of the city park. Even though we’ve seen so many, on this trip, it is worth a visit, for the quality of the interior illumination (see above). The frescoes seem to have been fairly recently updated. Nikola Tesla is amongst the faces commemorated.

There’s also a market square, chock full of honey and cheese, and a famous wooden Ottoman bridge, the Arslanagić Bridge, also known as Perovića Bridge.

Trebinje is described, in tourist brochures as The City of Sun and Plane Trees. That's because it has 260+ annual days of Mediterranean sunshine and the century-old plane trees canopy its iconic town square. It's the warmest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Travel writers even extend to using the phrase 'Bosnia's Tuscany' extolling the region's sprawling vineyards, rolling hills, and renowned winemaking heritage. I've also heard 'Eldorado of Archaeology', but I'm not even going to go there.

Giant Waterwheels

The Trebinje area is also notable for its huge waterwheels, (locally known as 'dolapi'), spanning the Trebišnjica River. They were introduced during the Ottoman period - many date back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These giant wooden wheels were designed to solve a classic karst geography problem: getting water from a deeply recessed river up to dry, elevated agricultural fields. The Trebišnjica, is one of the longest sinking rivers in the world (flowing both overground and through extensive subterranean limestone channels).

The natural, powerful current of the Trebišnjica River pushes the wheel paddles, rotating the structure. Small leather or wooden buckets attached to the rim scoop up water at the bottom and dump it into elevated wooden troughs at the peak of the rotation, feeding network channels.They are built across

Then it's over the border, to The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

A Brief History of Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Bosnia and Herzegovina has a complex history, which underpins its more recent troubles.
• Illyrian tribes originally inhabited the region that is currently Bosnia, until the Roman Empire conquered it in the first century AD.
• Slavic tribes settled the area during the sixth and seventh centuries.
• The Banate of Bosnia emerged as an autonomous principality in the twelfth century. King Tvrtko I led the state to its peak power and territory during the fourteenth century.
• The Ottoman Empire conquered Bosnia in 1463 and introduced Islam to the region. A distinct Bosnian Muslim identity developed alongside Orthodox Serb and Catholic Croat populations.
• Bosnia was subsumed into The Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1878.

• The assassination of heir to the imperial throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo, in 1918, was pivotal in starting the First World War.
• Bosnia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, in 1918, which later became Yugoslavia.
• As the Nazis extended their grip, Bosnia became a fascist puppet state annexed by Croatia, during World War II,
• When the Second World War ended, Bosnia became part of communist Yugoslavia, within the USSR.
• On the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Bosnia became an independent country in name. However, it is in effect two main federations or proto states, the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina, plus the small Brcko district, which also has its own government. To complicate things even further, the population of Bosnia is composed in the main, of three different ethnicities: Serbs (Srpska), Croats and Moslems /Bosniaks (Bosnia Herzegovinians). Independence, in 1992, led almost immediately to civil war, which lasted until the end of 1995.

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Facts and Factoids

• The brokered ‘peace’ Of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Dayton Agreement is very complicated) led to a fascinatingly unique political system. Three presidents, one representing each community, alternate power as Chair for eight months over a four year term. The bureaucracy is incredible - each has their own officers and ministers. And it's mostly a paper exercise, as each state just does their own thing anyway.
• The country has three official languages, which are practically identical but written in both Latin and Cyrillic scripts.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina is sometimes known as the 'Heart Shaped Land', because of the country’s slight heart shape. Some struggle to see it. You definitely have to use your imagination.
• Mountainous terrain and deep river canyons cover a vast majority of the national landscape. The country boasts extensive freshwater resources with vast networks of clean rivers and natural springs.
• The name Bosnia comes from the Indo-European word, which means water. The country is full of waterfalls, rivers and lakes
• Sarajevo is the official capital city for the entire country.
• The currency used throughout the entire nation is the convertible mark, which is pegged directly to the euro.
• There are still around 80,000 mines to clear, due to the war - be careful .Most remaining minefields are concentrated in rural, forested, and mountainous zones.
• Traditional coffee culture is as a social ritual practiced across all regions of the country.