Bosnia

The word “Bosnia” brings up vivid images of a war-torn nation. When we were vacationing in neighboring Croatia, we were surprised at the number of travelers who were raving about Bosnia so we decided to overcome our initial misgivings and give Bosnia a whirl. The city of Mostar does not disappoint. While several legacies of the recent Balkans conflict remain, the city itself is on the rapid road to recovery. The Stari Most (Old Bridge) is in the state of repair and we can easily imagine throngs of tourists leisurely strolling across it in just a few years. Visit Bosnia and see what it has to offer yourself!

View over lovely Mostar Bosnia's prettiest town is Mostar One of Mostar's many mosques Stari Most (Old Bridge), Mostar Lace for sale, Mostar old town Interior of mosque, Mostar Colorful dome, Mostar mosque View of Mostar's old bridge (still under renovation) A common sight in Muslim dominated Mostar Giant pea pods; Mostar Relics from the 1800s in Mostar's wealthiest merchant's house Interior of the Merchant's Inn Our muslim tour guide shatters stereotypes by bearing her midriff Luke, Becky and Bosnian tour guide, Mostar's Merchant Inn Inner courtyard of a wealthy Mostar merchant This old building in Mostar has been converted into a cafe/pizzeria Many of the buildings in Mostar are boarded up, waiting for investors to spruce up this town with an influx of money Bullet-strewn buildings are unfortunately a common sight in Bosnia Mostar street scene Buildings in old Mostar Robby under a "Welcome to Bosnia" signpost Bosnia license plate Remnants of the Balkan War Bullet marked building; Mostar Ivy-covered house, Mostar Old Town; Mostar Bill & Laverne crossing the old bridge, Mostar Mostar city center Mostar's cobblestoned street full of souvenir stalls Scenic Mostar is Bosnia's biggest tourist draw card Picturesque mosque in the old city of Mostar Quaint view of Mostar Well paved roads, Bosnia foto gallery lightboxby VisualLightBox.com v6.1

While visiting Croatia, we decided to put Bosnia on the itinerary. On day three we drove to Mostar, the capital of Herzegovina…most visitors just refer to the country as Bosnia. Lots of scars still remain from the war as evidenced by the pockmarked buildings. Still, Mostar is hauntingly beautiful, especially the view from the Stari Most (Old Bridge). Mostar first appeared in the 15-th century when a small settlement began to form around a wooden bridge suspended on chains, on the left bank of the River Neretva. The bridge’s name is probably rooted in the word “Mostar” (a bridge guard). In 1566 a new stone bridge was erected in its place. The Stari Most served many purposes throughout its 400-year life. Unfortunately, the original bridge was destroyed during the war and a more modern foot bridge has been built across the emerald Neretva River for pedestrians to reach the old town. The good news is that there is a current project to rebuild the destroyed bridge in its original form. Within the tiny old town are a few narrow winding cobblestone streets lined with souvenir and handicraft shops. After a few hours exploring Mostar, we headed back to Croatia towards Split, where we arrived just in time for lunch.

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