#Road tripping has always been my favorite way of traveling. Maybe it’s because there’s nothing like that feeling of total freedom that you get when you turn the key and hit the road, the possibility to go wherever you want whenever you feel like it and to just stop every time you drive by an epic view or a cute little town. The fact of being able to change your plan at any time, or actually not even needing one.
Maybe it’s for the warmth of the people you meet in tiny villages you’d never be able to reach if you were traveling by bus or train, and the bonds that are created between people spending every hour of every day together for several weeks. Or maybe just because it reminds me of my childhood, when we’d head out with my parents at every chance we got, playing games or singing with my sister in the back seat of our non-airconditioned car, or ‘helping’ my dad by telling him to keep on going straight at every road sign for 435 kilometers in a row…
#BESTCHILDHOODMEMORIESEVER
So when the idea of a road trip through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania came up, it didn’t take me long to get ridiculously excited about it and to start counting down the days. Stories and tips from Montenegro and Albania are on their way, but let me start by sharing my best memories from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here’s a list of everything I recommend in his amazing country!
A list with a twist, of course, so for those of you who just feared I was going to start writing ‘Top 10 places to visit in …’ lists, please don’t worry, THAT’S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!
The coolest things to do in Bosnia & Herzegovina
[A] Discover that Bosnian actually uses 2 alphabets, cyrillic and latin. But no need to start a last-minute course of the cyrillic alphabet, the latin alphabet is used in everyday life. By the way, did you know that Bosnian is only one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina? The other two are Serbian and Croatian.
[B] Spend 2 hours photographing Stari Most, the epic bridge of Mostar. I know I know it’s just a bridge, but look at it!#BridgePorn
[C] Eat cevapi. Unless you’re a vegetarian like me, then your choice will probably be limited to salads or pizza (and bitter lemon and ice-cream but I don’t think that counts as real food). #BitterLemonAddictionIsReal
[D] Bring Dan Flying Solo, but only if you can handle the screaming every time you drive over a winding mountain road fun in extremely high doses #FearOfHeightsIsABitch
[E] Stop everywhere along the road, get out of your car, open your eyes and fall in love over and over again. Insider tip: with all the beauty of this country and the absence of highways, a 100 km trip can easily take a whole day, so don’t make your schedule too tight!
[F] Call your rental car ‘Funky White Boy‘ and actually think it’s a cool name. In our defense: the car was white and ‘Play that funky music white boy’ was playing on the radio right when we picked it up!
[G] Read about the genocide before you leave, realize how recent it actually is and visit the historical museum of Sarajevo for testimonies and (sometimes shocking) images.
[H] Learn a few words of Bosnian, like ‘dobar dan’ and ‘hvalla’, which mean ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’.
[I] On your way from Sarajevo to Konjic, stop in Ilidza to see its ‘Big Alley’ and realize it’s actually just an asphalt road and some trees… So yeah, I know I just told you to stop ‘everywhere’, but I think you can skip this one… #Didn’tEvenTakeAPicture
[J] Whilst driving from Konjic to Mostar, check out Lake Jablanica to admire its perfectly blue water. #LakePorn
Oh, and bring Jones Around the World on your trip too, even though you’ve never met him before.
[K] Open Google maps, drive to the first place you see on it and discover breathtaking Konjic. #BridgePornPart2
[L] On day 1, scream “Let’s get this baby on the roooooaaaaad” in a weird high voice, making your travel buddies think you’re some kind of nut job, and keep on repeating it before each ride until the end of the trip, laughing your ass off every single time.
[M] Get up at crazy ass o’clock to drive to Hum Mountain, the highest point of Mostar, for sunrise.
[N] Get a taste of Bosnian nightlife and a great view of the city in one of the rooftop bars of Sarajevo. Another option is hanging out in one of the cool bars that stay open late in Mostar.
[O] For desert, get some orasnica (walnut cookies) or oblatna (wafer cakes). Jummie!!
[P] Try the local beers, or pivo.
[Q] Get shivers reading quotes about the war, like this one from Satko Mujagic who was held prisoner in Omarska.
‘It was a different kind of screaming. A man who knows it won’t stop’.
[R] Take the long road from Konjic to Mostar, the one that goes from Jablanica to Prozor and Tomislavgrad, and drive by the amazing Lake Rama. Once you reach Ripci, turn left and head to Scit, right in the middle of the lake, for some 360° views!
[S] Walk around the old town of Sarajevo and climb up the bridge right outside the center to oversee the whole city.
[T] Get a ticket for speeding on day 1 of your trip and ask the cops for a selfie afterwards. (Spoiler alert) They said ‘no’.
[U] Realize how untouched this country is as soon as you leave Sarajevo or Mostar, and be glad you decided to spend a bit more money on a car.
[V] Stay up until 8 AM on the balcony of your apartment in Konjic, drinking beers and drooling over the view at sunrise. No we didn’t need to wait until 8 AM to see the sunrise but oh well… :p
![[T] Get a ticket for speeding on day 1 of your trip and ask the cops for a selfie afterwards. (Spoiler alert) They said ‘no’. [U] Realize how untouched this country is as soon as you leave Sarajevo or Mostar, and be glad you decided to spend a bit more money on a car. [V] Stay up until 8 AM on the balcony of your apartment in Konjic, drinking beers and drooling over the view at sunrise. No we didn’t need to wait until 8 AM to see the sunrise but oh well… :p](https://i1.wp.com/www.lilistravelplans.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/P1370921-8geknipt-1500.jpg?fit=1500%2C965&ssl=1)
[W] Feel like you’re entering another world when, driving from Lake Rama towards Tomislavgrad (see [R]), the scenery suddenly completely changes from blue lakes and winding roads to green hills and views that could make you wonder if you’re still in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yes, this country has it all!!!
[X] OK guys, bare with me on this one, I promise I’ll find something better for Y and Z :p
Avoid falling OFF of one of the hundreds of bridges, or you might need X-rays. #BridgePornGoneWrong
[Y] Learn about the history of former Yugoslavia at the Historic Museum in Sarajevo.
[Z] In the area around Mostar, drink some (or a lot of) zilavka, a fresh local wine that’ll help you turn a quiet evening into a crazy night.
Check out my ABC of the coolest things to do on a road trip through Montenegro too, and stay tuned for more upcoming posts about the other places I visited on my Balkans road trip.
OH, AND HEAD OVER TO THE COMMENTS TO LET ME KNOW IF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST, OR IF YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN!
50 Comments
I love this post! Ahhh, yes definitely bring me. TAKE ME BACK. Such an epic trip. 🙂
Haha if I ever go back, I’ll invite you again, I promise! 🙂 An epic trip indeed, it couldn’t have been better! (except maybe that moment where I lost my towel, but I’m keeping that one for my ABC of the best things to do in Albania, of course :D)
Love this post, its very creative! And most of all, love Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its such an underrated country and I would love to return! 🙂
Well if we ever go back, we’ll invite you too! 🙂 So lovely meeting you at TBEX and I’ve been loving your adventures in Africa, seems like you girls had an epic trip!!!
Aww! Loved it looks like y’all had a blast! Haha I like how your number 4 was Bring Dan! haha
Hahaha well I needed something with a D, plus he’s kinda nice :p Hahaha 🙂 I hope I’ll be able to add ‘bring Carebear Abroad’ on my ABC of things to do in Jordan soon haha! 🙂
Man you have captured the beauty of BiH so well! Very smug about getting to Sarajevo before all the tourists! Mostar was a stunner too…
Aaauuuwh thanks Gemma 🙂 Sarajevo was such a nice surprise and Mostar… <3
Bridge Junkie! 🙂
Haha how could I not become a bridge junkie when they look like that? 🙂
Bridge porn, indeed! Beautiful!
Hehe thanks Natalie 🙂
Your post reminded me of my trip to Bosnia (my train, not by car). Indeed the Mostar bridge needs to be photographed from every angle, day and night. 🙂 And that amazing cevapi, had on the side of cobbled alleys, in the old town of Sarajevo. Yumm!
Well I didn’t have any because I’m a veggie but my friends seemed to love it, and as long as you’re sitting on the side of the cobbled alleys in Sarajevo, basically anything tastes good, right! 🙂
This post definitely stood out to me. I did a roadtrip down the coast of Croatia and we passed through Bosnia briefly, a country I’ve always hoped to visit after my small encounter. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Bryony! I hope you’ll have the chance to see more of Bosnia, it’s such an amazing country! I only passed briefly through Croatia on my way to Montenegro so I’ll keep it for my to do list, too 🙂
YES, Bosnia & Herzegovina is definitely on my list, and this post makes it jump right to the top! I completely agree with you about road trips, too. They are my favorite way to travel, too! Complete freedom 🙂
Aaauuuwh, such a great compliment! 🙂 Thanks and I hope you’ll make it there soon!!!
It is amazing to see your own country through the (such a wonderful) eyes of someone else Love the photographs, and can’t wait for more! If you are ever coming to Norway, come for a visit and Bosnian coffee
Hi Sanela, thanks so much!! And about Norway, it’s a date!! 🙂
Looking further! We can go photoshoot together 😀
it seems like you had a blast! nice photos!
Thanks Tanja!! We definitely had a blast and it was an epic trip! 🙂
[…] our crappy car was about to fall out with us. ‘Lets get this baby up the road’ screamed Lili, our designated driver and all round nut job as she revved the shit out of it and somehow skidded […]
Afer all what do you think about Bosnia,also amazing photographs.
My name lincoin
from korea but in china now
In recent years popular a word: for they were young the world so big, I want to see
Love the photos of my home country! I am from Mostar 🙂 and yes it is amazing. Keep in mind even as a vegetarian you can have choices 🙂 pita (stuffed with cheese or spinach or potatoes) is delicious. I am not a vegetarian but I always preferred pita over cevapi. 🙂
You are lucky to be living in such a nice town Aldijana! 🙂 I did eat pita and also spinach pie, it was actually really good! 🙂
What a fun post! I was just in Bosnia about a week ago and totally fell in love with Mostar. I think the Bosnians may be the most hospitable people in the Balkan region.
Mostar is amazing and yes, the people… <3
My brother in law is from Sarajevo and I really want to visit. Looks like your road trip was a blast! Next time take me, LOL!
Haha consider yourself invited!! 🙂
Great post, I recently visit Mostar and it was lovely. I would love to see more of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thanks for the recommendations.
Thanks Mike! The rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina is indeed super lovely and pretty undiscovered, so don’t hesitate, just go! 🙂
Lovely photos! I love road trips. I agree with you when you state that they offer you total freedom. Photography is a joy then. 🙂
Wow guys incredibly beautiful, I love it. thanks for sharing.
It’s amazing to see others enjoying the beauty of my country. However there are other beautiful cities besides Sarajevo, Konjic and Mostar. No doubt they are beautiful but there are other cities as well. I noticed one place in Sarajevo that you didn’t get a chance to visit is a park where is a source of river Bosnia. It’s a beautiful park with swans and horse carriage. Maybe on your next trip you might like to consider Travnik (it has the best cevapi as I’m sure they have some options for vegetarians as well 🙂 ) also in Travnik you will be able to see an old city it’s a castle. Also Vlasic it’s one of the big mountain where you can buy all organic vegetables and if you are not vegan you can enjoy homemade sheep cheese as well there’s Vlasicka Kuca (Vlasicka Kuca) which has a lot of different varieties of food. Another city to consider is Jajce has waterfalls and there is near by Plivsko jezero ( Plivsko Lake) there are cafes around the lake and you can also rent a small boat and ride around. There are also waterfalls called Kravice another place to consider to visit. Another city Zenica an industrial city which is the only city that has the biggest park in the city called Kamberovice Polje similar to Central Park in NYC. It might not be as big as Central Park but it’s big and you can enjoy walks near the river Bosna which also has shopping center full of cafes, shops where you can sip coffee or juice and enjoy the view of the track field. There are basketball courts Valleyball courts, tennis courts, you can Vranduk is also a place to visit which has a castle as well. Also you might like to consider to visit Srebrenica where in 1995 was genocide and it has the biggest burial. It might not sound amazing but unfortunately it’s the history and there when you are at the burial there so much piece and it’s seems you can feel the spirits around you. Next time if you go you can enjoy potato pies (krompirusa) and spinach pie (zeljanica). I hope you enjoy Montenegro and Albania as much as you enjoyed Bosnia.
Thank you for visiting Bosnia and writing a positive review.
nice photos! it’s very beautiful. Thank for sharing
Love your post! It’s always nice to see that someone is visiting my beautiful country. If road take you back here, visit Banja Luka. It’s city with amazing hostory, tasty food and incredible night life
I also did a road trip from Sarajevo to Greece, through Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. However, I’m a bit sad that I missed Konjic. Next time maybe!
Thanks for sharing, you have an amazing blog. I actually learned a lot from you, as I’m a newbie in blogging 🙂
Great post 🙂 I’m headed to Bosnia in July. May I ask where you rented your car from and some information on that?
Thanks!
I have a Balkans trip planned in a few months, but it’s clear I’m going to have to come back again and again! Darn the luck!
Loved your post! We were in Bosnia in November (started in Venice and drove to Slovenia, then Zagreb, then Plitvice Lakes, then Split, then Krka, then Dubrovnik, and on to Mostar and Sarajevo. Wow! Love love love love. Here’s a link to our Bosnia post but you can also link to our other posts for that trip. I arranged the whole thing and did not tell my wife where we were going – just how long the trip was and temperature. https://topochinesvino.com/2016/11/06/ive-a-feeling-were-not-in-croatia-anymore/
Except Stari Most is not just a bridge 🙁
Interesting and great read. I’m looking to visit Sarajevo at some point this year.
I wish I’d spent a bit more time there, it was really unexpected and totally worth it. Have a great trip!
I thought that was a cool and fun way to describe your travel experience! I hope I could enjoy the same exciting experience as well. Thinking to go there in a couple of months. I hope the weather is still good. I look forward to another solo adventure to Bosnia this time! by the way, X-ray was hilarious! I just should keep myself safe in case I get to visit Bosnia.
I loved reading your post! I was actually born in Bosnia and left right after the war. I’m a vegetarian as well, but haven’t been my whole life. Let me tell you: cevapi are delicious! Did you try pita while there?
I love your post!
While you are in the region of Eastern Europe, I would like to recommend Bulgaria as a country to visit. This is a destination for the people with a taste to explore little-known places, with a passion for ancient history and the mystical rituals of one of the oldest nations in Europe, with a love to the amazing natural beauties and interest to the cultural and gourmet tradition of Bulgaria.
Hey – Where is the actual location of that last pic? with the long road and greenery on both sides with the mountail/hill backdrop?