Bosnia and Herzegovina itself, with all its flaws, corruption, and unbelievable political situation (we have 3 presiding bodies who can't make their own decisions and a high representative makes the decisions, 2 entities, 10 cantons, a district city), is still one of the most beautiful countries in the Balkan region.
That was our journey's start.
We started our journey fully packed and ready for the long-awaited vacation. My wife brought her extra 4 wheels along. She often jokes about her wheelchair in different ways. After an almost 5h trip, we finally arrived. Mostar became one of our favorite destinations since the climate suits my wife very well. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The seaside is just a couple of hours away.
I've visited Mostar many times while working as a youth worker under the Youth in Action Program by the European Commission, but every single time it felt amazing. You rarely see or meet the same people, except the ones you know already.
This photo not only reminds the passersby never to forget the war that happened here, but also to not forget Mostar. Many of the people I know come back to see the magnificent old bridge (Stari most) built in the 16th century by Neimar Hajrudin (a student of Neimar Sinan).
The bridge itself was destroyed in 1993, and reconstruction was finished in 2004.
Unfortunately, there are still many signs of the past war where many of the buildings are still destroyed.
Traveling around Herzegovina
If you want to see more places in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you can visit:
- Počitelj
- Blagaj
- Jablaničko jezero
- Kravice waterfall
PLEASE NOTE: Any religious activities (prayer, worship) are prohibited in and around the cafes near the waterfall.
Challenges
- All the roads in the old part around the old bridge are paved with small stones that are very slippery (traveling with a wheelchair makes it almost impossible to get onto the bridge)
- The majority of the affordable accommodations are not wheelchair accessible
- If you are not very good at reading Google Maps and navigating a minivan through very narrow one-way streets (like me), avoid driving much in Mostar
- Almost all of the bars and restaurants on the riverbank have narrow stairways, making it hard to access with a wheelchair
Thank you for taking your time and hopefully you will enjoy Bosnia and Herzegovina as much as we do.