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Trebinje, the City of the Sun and the Plane Trees
Trebinje is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, huddled in a valley along the Trebisnjica River. It is part of Bosnia, yet not quite. The area is populated by mostly Serbian people. As we entered the territory, we spotted a curious sign that said, “Welcome to the Republika Srpska” (“Welcome to the Republic of the Serb People”). In a previous story, I explained that Republika Srpska is a Serbian territory that covers large parts of northern Bosnia (called Bosanska
Atlas and Anthology
Copper Earrings, Bridge Jump, and Bosnian Coffee in Mostar
I spent the rest of the morning perusing several shops, but did not buy anything, save for a magnet. Outside a foreign exchange office, I bumped into my roommate and the British guy who just came from the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. They showed me the photos that they took from the minaret then asked if I wanted to join them for lunch. I realized I was famished, so we went on a hunt for a place to eat. My roommate heard about this cool bar that’s inside an actual cave and I re
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A Walk Around Mostar
We parked the bus at the base of Hum Hill in front of a big souvenir store and washroom complex and met our local guide for the walking tour. As we were right beside the Catholic church, we went there first. The Catholic Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was built in the Ottoman era but was completely destroyed during the Bosnian War. It was rebuilt in 2000 on the foundations of the previous building with a much higher bell tower, which, according to our guide, is currently th
Atlas and Anthology
Mostar, Then and Now
As we approached Mostar, our Tour Director told us more stories about the war in the Balkans. He passed along some black and white photographs showing the famous Mostar Bridge and the city’s main streets totally destroyed by the armed conflict. He told us to keep those images in mind when we see how the bridge and the city look like now. Mostar is a lively little town that spans the deep valley of the Neretva River. It is the capital of the Herzegovina district and is the fif
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A Connecting Bridge, a Fallen Bridge, and the Best Lamb Sandwich
The drive from Sarajevo to Mostar took only two hours or so. Though we were going to a different district, we were still in Bosnia and there were no borders to cross. The scenery was spectacular no matter which side of the bus you were sitting at – mountains, canyons, the Neretva River, picturesque villages, old bridges. "I could get used to this," I said, with a reminder that I should just enjoy the moment, but not get used to it too much, lest I suffer from beautiful-scener
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Of Miracles and Pyramids in Bosnia
As our bar circle thinned out (because at this time, the youngsters had already formed their own little bands, my roommate included, and made their own night-out plans), I told our Tour Director that I had two questions for him before I retired for the night. First, I wanted to know where Medjugorje is and what the closest major city is. I told him that I am Catholic and that a pilgrimage to Medjugorje is on my bucket list (even though this apparition site is not yet formally
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Lessons in Bosnian History at a "Fancy" Hotel
On our way to the hotel, our Tour Director once again reminded us that we were in Bosnia, so we had to lower our expectations a little bit when it comes to hotel amenities. He said that our hotel was not bad at all and the staff are friendly and helpful, but the rooms could be lacking in certain ways. Once we got there, we understood what he meant. The room assigned to my roommate and I was a spacious suite in a corner of the top floor that could fit a family of five or more.
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The Bridge Where World War I Began and Some Burek
Our Tour Director walked with us to the Latin Bridge, the one place that I wanted to see in Sarajevo. This is not an ordinary bridge. This pale-stone triple-arch bridge was constructed in 1798 to replace a stone bridge that was washed away by the floods in 1791, and an older wooden bridge. It was named after the neighbourhood on the other side of the river where Sarajevo’s Catholic community resided. But the attraction here is not the bridge per se, but the incident that occu
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Drinks at Tesla's and a Peek at an Old Caravanserai
No, we didn’t go to Nikola Tesla’s house nor visited a museum dedicated to him. We didn’t ride a Tesla car either (this was 2019). Instead, we went to the Tesla Pub, obviously named after the famous inventor and engineer. And if anyone had doubts, the life-sized sculpture of Nikola greeting you by the pub’s door would obliterate it. The Tesla statue sits there, in a “thinking” pose with a light bulb placed on his lap. It was as if he was pondering on his next invention. On th
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Sarajevo, A Blend of East and West
Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the greater Sarajevo Valley of Bosnia, surrounded by the Dinaric Mountains (which we just traversed) and situated along the Miljacka River. The first thing we explored in Sarajevo was the Old Town. I couldn’t help but notice how starkly different it is from any European city I’ve been to. In fact, it felt like I was outside Europe, or maybe, its outskirts. The vibe was a blend of East and Wes
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Touching Stories at the Border Crossing to Sarajevo
The drive from Belgrade, Serbia to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina took around five hours. We drove west on Highway E-70, south on Route 20, then southwest on Routes 136 and and 26, all mountain roads, until we were driving side by side the Drina River to the Karakaj Border. Our Tour Director said that the Drina is the largest tributary of the Sava River and forms a large portion of the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At that moment, we were on the Serbia
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Beautiful Belgrade Streets
Our Tour Director described Belgrade as “the Prague ten years ago.” Well, that was in 2019, when Belgrade was not really on the tourist radar yet. I wonder how it is like now and whether the line “the Prague ten years ago” still applies but fast-forwarded to another ten years. I was in Prague in 2024 and it was packed with tourists! I would be interested to find out how Belgrade is faring. Back then, I wouldn’t say that Belgrade is one of the prettiest European city I have se
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Belgrade Fortress: Serbia's Sentinel of History
If you want to learn more about Serbia’s history, I highly recommend visiting the Belgrade Fortress. This imposing monument rises above the Serbian capital as a symbol of its history that dates back over 2,000 years, and serves as a silent witness to the rise and fall of empires and armies. The Belgrade Fortress consists of the Old Citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers, and is easily accessible by simply walking to the end of Old Town Bel
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A Hearty Serbian Meal
My first Serbian meal was at the Bohemian Quarter of Old Town Belgrade. We went to an elegant hotel restaurant with a nice patio outside. I had been told that Serbian meals are hearty, accompanied by pepper-based side dishes and doughy desserts. Serbia has a rich supply of meat, dairy products, and honey and their cuisine is characterized by a highly diverse array of dishes that has a mixture of Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish, and Hungarian influences. I was excited because I was
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First Glimpse of Belgrade
The first landmark that greeted us when we arrived in Belgrade was the imposing Church of St. Sava. This grand structure sits on the Vracar Plateau and is dedicated to St. Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia. In fact, the church is said to be built upon the grounds where St. Sava was buried. Serbia is a predominantly Orthodox country, and Serbians are known to be religious. Seeing the iconic domes of their churches in ev
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Thoughts and Impressions on Our Way to Belgrade
We traveled to Belgrade from Sofia by bus. Our group was composed mostly of youngsters, with only four others in my age bracket. My first thought was whether it would be challenging to travel with Millennials and Gen Zs (I am a Gen Xer, along with another traveler. The three other “older” people are Boomers). My past group travels were typically with an older folks, hence, I had no idea how this trip would turn out. On the morning of our departure, we were all on the bus at s
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More Walking in Sofia
As my travel mate and I navigated the streets of Sofia on our own, we found more Roman ruins. In fact, they are on every corner of the city! We also passed by street markets selling art, including Orthodox iconographic paintings. I am fascinated with those because of the technique and the materials that they use. Eastern Orthodox iconography is not considered regular artwork, but rather, a sacred image used in religious devotion. Unlike Western religious art, production of th
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A Walk to Remember in Sofia
A small van took me and seven other travellers from the Sofia International Airport to our hotel. They were all from England – five ladies and two guys. I was the only one from North America. During the ride, after introductions were made, we asked each other about our afternoon plans. That day was designated as the official arrival day for everybody, so there were no scheduled activities, except for an orientation meeting with our Tour Director in the evening and an optional
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Journey Through the Balkans
The Balkans is the region in southeast Europe long overshadowed by its western, central, and northern counterparts, but is now emerging as a tourism hotspot. More than a decade ago, I almost visited this place when my Iberian trip nearly fell through the cracks but got salvaged at the last minute. The Balkans was my second choice that time. Fast forward 2019 and it was also second on my travel options list. I was traveling solo again that time. My first plan was to visit Mach
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Stepping Back in Time at the Upper Canada Village
(HEADS UP: This article is lengthy. But if you like local history and trivia, then this is for you. Happy reading!) Ever since childhood, I have always been afflicted by a nostalgic bug. This strong fascination for all things old and ancient has made me into a bit of a history buff. I buried my nose in books and spent hours watching documentaries about ancient civilizations, medieval tales, and accounts of gone-by days. I preferred visiting museums and perusing artifacts over
Atlas and Anthology
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