arriving in Sarajevo
I arrived in Sarajevo from Banja Luka by bus because trains aren’t a thing in this country. Good thing I bought a Eurail pass!
There are two bus stations for Sarajevo and naturally, I arrived at the one that isn’t walking distance from the center (Istočno Sarajevo Bus Station). The internet says you can get to the center by another bus, but after asking someone and having no phone data (Bosnia isn’t part of the EU roaming area), I thought it was in my best interest to take a taxi. The €7 decision weighs on me to this day.
3 nights in Sarajevo is a good amount of time, especially with the travel days by bus taking up most of your day.
If you want to take out money from an atm that doesn’t charge a fee go to UniCredit bank machine- there is one on Trg djece Sarajeva 1.
where to eat
The food scene is spectacular in Bosnia. Big portions, big quality, big savings. I ate most of my meals at:
- Ćevabdžinica Nune – meat, bread, grilled veg
- Olimpik Buregdzinica – burek
what to see in Sarajevo
I did a Meet Bosnia free walking tour, another grand choice if I do say so myself. If you like tea, they recommended Franz & Sophie tea house.
Walking to the Yellow Fortress to watch the sunset was a super choice. Some tours I think include it, but there is no need to pay for a tour if you have legs.
On the walking tour I met an ozzie- we bonded over me laughing loudly at inappropriate moments while in a somber group of 20 people.
We walked to the gondola and then bought a one-way ticket for 15KM (€7.50). Return ticket is 20KM (€10.50) and I gotta tell you, the looks and comments we got for not buying a return ticket- yeesh. Not going to lie, we were a bit rattled thinking the hike down was going to be horrendous, but it was a delight- other than the ravenous, mouth foaming dog at the end.
Once at the top, the trails aren’t great, I don’t know what the actual viewpoint was supposed to be, but at one point we linked with the abandoned bobsled track, which was fab. The hike to the bottom was an hour, maybe longer. We followed a few dead end trails, but eventually linked up to the residential paved road and the ravenous, mouth foaming dog.
We had a drink at Zlatna ribica where their menu is written on a deck of cards so you can guess what kind of establishment it is. It was fun.
We got a bottle of wine and sat on a park bench near where Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofie got assassinated, in the rain– when there was a dry bench 3 meters away. It was fun.
how to get to Mostar
To get to Mostar, you can depart from the main bus station Autobuska stanica Sarajevo. I walked from the center, it’s a doable 2.5kms. I bought the ticket at the station the day of, maybe 30 minutes early, which worked out well.
The bus ride to Mostar is LOVELY. There were a few spots that I wish I got the name of because they looked idyllic from the bus window.
Mostar
The bus station is quite central since Mostar is quite small. I stayed at Villa Floris, which was close to the bridge, clean and quiet.
I stayed two nights, which was a good amount of time if you do a day trip to Blagai. If you are skipping that, one day is enough to see everything.
the Mostar bridge
The bridge is ridiculously high- not to put a damper on things, but some people have died jumping off of it because they were drunk. landed wrong, the water is cold and the current is quicker than people think. There is a diving school that will teach you how to jump, give you a wetsuit and pick you up with a boat once you land.
I sat at the bottom and thought this is stupidly high, you’d have to be wacko in the head to jump this- then I Googled how high the Lynn Valley cliff in Vancouver is, where I jumped off and broke my back, and it was 1 meter higher LOL.
22 year old Corrine was a dummy.
My friend watched the bridge jumpers for AGES and the thing is, they don’t jump. They stand there in their swimsuits collecting money, but don’t actually jump. One person from the dive school will give it a go after a long while of waiting.
what to see in Mostar
I did a Sheva free walking tour. Not sure what to say about it. At one point we were in a residential area learning about how the war impacted the guide’s life, while some shady dealings were happening next to the circle of trust we were sitting in.
I ate at Tima – Irma three times I think. It was UNREAL.
I recommend going up to the viewpoint of Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. You need to pay, but they will give you a shall to cover yourself up with. This is the best view of the bridge in my opinion.
Some people go up this abandoned building near a school, but it gave me the heebee jeebees. It was where snipers nested to shoot civilians.
Speaking of positive vibes we all want to keep thinking about, we walked through a cemetery (Srpsko Pravoslavno groblje) to see the sunset.
Blagai day trip by bus
The bus to the thing by the water (Blagaj) that is all over the gram is very close to Mostar. The bus times were a little wonky (the signs weren’t accurate). When I left Moster, the bus was 10 minutes late and on the other end it was 25 minutes late or 65 minutes early, depending on how you want to look at it. I gave the driver 2 KM, which he accepted. No idea if that was a goldilocks situation- too much, too little, or just right.
When I arrived, you walk past the tour buses, down a road and when you get to the end you see the monastery. Admittingly, I have no idea if it is a monastery, I didn’t research it and I didn’t pay to go inside.
I basically dashed down the road and then dashed back- catching a bus 1 hour after I arrived at the same place it dropped me off at, with the same driver.
What a time in Bosnia and Herzegovina!
