Balkans ’26 – Day Five

Tuesday morning it was “so long Sarajevo”! With a tinge of regret I might add, as two days didn’t seem like enough. We were, however, feeling blessed to have had at least a glimpse of this jewel of the Balkans. We did the once over at our AirBnB to make sure that check out rules were followed and that all was left as if it were our own. It proved an unbelievable shoulder season location, with all the amenities we required and stunning balcony views. We had things ship-shape by 7:30 AM, secured a coffee, and headed for tour pick-up, closing the doors on our first destination of the trip!

During our research, the images throughout Bosnia & Herzegovina that we encountered were simply incredible. Lush rolling hills, steep river valleys and ancient towns with century old bridges left the thought of flying over seem ridiculous. Thus, when planning our transport to Dubrovnik (our next stop) we were looking for something different. Not wanting to drive independently, we settled on a package offered by “Funky Tours”, the Sarajevo to Dubrovnik Full Day Transfer Tour, that offers transport / sightseeing / guided excursions through smaller, 8 person travel tours across the country.

We departed on time with Hamza (the very same gentleman that did our airport transfer) and one other guest and began our 6 stop tour to Dubrovnik. I’ll blog this by making a note on each stop;

Konjic: Our first stop, after travelling on excellent highways and some of the longest / most elaborate vehicle tunnels we’ve seen. Hamza spent a few minutes giving us some perspective while looking over the town. Konjic, which was devastated by WWII, was a well known trade route along the Neretva River originally settled by the Ottoman Empire. The Konjic Bridge (Stara Ćuprija), was destroyed by German forces during the war, was rebuilt in 2009 from the original arches and we crossed this pedestrian bridge into the rebuilt old town area. Further, Konjic served as the location of Marshall Tito’s Cold War Bunker, a virtually unknown underground city designed as a nuclear ☢️ fallout shelter. We had 1/2 hr, in which we visited the bridge, Old Town, washroom and a Graveyard where interred soldiers (and wives) from the Bosnian War were buried. Konjic had been attacked by Serbian forces 5 times, but were 5 times repelled. A mosque (with a minaret which has the spire destroyed) serves as a monument to the war.

Jablanica: Our second stop was to view the site of the Neretva Bridge. During the Battle of the Neretva (or Battle for the Wounded) in 1943, Jablanica was the site of a successful raid by a group of Partisans led by Tito. A rail bridge over the river was blown up while a train was in the middle of crossing. Looking as though the Partisans would be captured, a wooden crossing was erected overnight and those able to escape made their way to the mountains and to fight another battle. Unfortunately, the museum and park, established to commemorate the action, are tired and in need of some love and care after the collapse of Yugoslavia and Bosnian War. We recognized the site immediately from our research at home, going as far as to watch the movie (in Bosnian) available on YouTube for a deeper dive. Cool tidbit of history! We carried on through the Neretva valley toward Mostar, travelling along the river with mountains on both sides. An absolutely gorgeous drive!

Mostar: A mercantile hub, located on both sides of the Neretva River, established along this ancient trading route. It is home to the famous Stari Most (Old Bridge) erected during the Ottoman era. The bridge and ancient streets (UNESCO World Heritage Site) lasted until the Bosnian War when most of Mostar was obliterated by Croatian forces. Today the bridge is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most visited landmarks, and is considered an exemplary piece of Islamic architecture in the Balkans. We spent a little over an hour exploring the narrow cobble alleys and stone buildings that line either side of Stari Most.

Blagaj: Just outside of Mostar we visited the Blagaj Tekke (Tekija), a 16th-century Dervish monastery built directly into a mountain cliff (at the source of the Buna River). It is cited as a renowned spiritual, cultural, and historical site (national monument). Janie noted that these particular monks are known for a type of spinning dance, and it is where the term “Whirling Dervish” comes from. An amazing setting, nestled in such a natural environment. We ate at Restoran “Verlo”… overlooking the river. We shared Trout and grilled meats and the servings were far too much! Great visit!

Počitelj Fortress: One stop in Počitelj. A Turkish fortified settlement, with stone houses, baths and the central mosque. The main tower (Počitelj citadel) is built into the side of a rock face hanging high above the Neretva River. The role of the castle was to control the merchant route between Bosnian inland and the Adriatic Sea. Keenly, Hamza hacked us into a road that took us to the top of the hill so all that was required (in a light rain) was the trek down the stone steps. We listened to an afternoon call to prayer on our walk. Beautiful, historic visit.

Kravica Waterfall: Our last tour stop of the day was this amazing Kravica waterfall on the Trebižat River, in the heartland of Herzegovina. We met a nearly empty parking lot and hiked the stone path / trail to the base of the falls. We got some decent photos (despite the hazy / wet air) and trekked our way back after a solid stretch of the legs. The facilities there looked very suitable for swimming / picnics but on this wet afternoon we had the space to ourselves.

From here on it was all Hamza as he drove hard for Dubrovnik. I’m glad darkness had fallen and I couldn’t see over the guardrails and the plummet below 😳 on the mountain roads and switchbacks! During the last several hours we stopped for fuel in Trebinje, grabbed a washroom break and passed through customs into Croatia. Picture and finger prints required for passengers so it took a couple of minutes for ETIAS compliance. I keep a list and I believe that would mark the 30th country to which my feet have hit the soil. Hamza had estimated an ETA between 7-8 PM and met the target… on arrival we emptied our pockets of all remaining BAM and mustered a tip for our awesome guide and his work getting us to Dubrovnik safely! Better in his hands… great kid!

Our AirBnB Check in instructions were absolutely perfect! Even to the point where we met the owner, Toni, on the way in and he gave us the grand tour. Will give you the lodging description tomorrow but we were keen to get moving. We dropped bags and walked back out the door to find “Irish Pub Karaka” to get our inner St Paddy’s Day 2026 on! I’d hate to see “da boys go wit’out change at St James Gate on this fine day” ☘️! Bad Daddy 🤪!!! Then off to bed after a damn long ass day.

… Balkans ’26 – Day Six