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Balkans Tour

May 2023
A regional tour of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro & Croatia Read more
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  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 10

    Travnik

    May 22, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Drive to the lovely historic town of Travnik . A stop at the home of Ivo Andrić who was awarded with the Nobel Prize for Literature on 26th of October in 1961. Ivo Andrić, born on October 9th 1892 in Travnik, Bosnia and Hercegovina. His short story "The Viziers elephant" was published in 1947 in Zagreb. Inspired by the story whose setting is Ivo Andrić's home town Travnik, painter and writer Zuko Džumhur created series of drawings.
    Next a look around Suleymania Mosque, know as the Coloured Mosque. At the site it was explained that this was formally Gazi Aga's Mosque from the 16th c. This new building was from 1757, supported on stone pillars. Late after a fire it was reconstructed in 1815.
    Last stop was the fort in the Old Town Travnik. Apparently, of all the medieval forts in the region of former Lašva parish, the Old Town Travnik is in the best condition, due to the fact that the Turks took it over and inhabited afterwards. An interesting morning and very lovely town.    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 10

    Watermills and lakes

    May 22, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Another stunning drive after lunch towards the fortress city of Jajca. Wonderful rolling green hills and distance mountains A picturesque stop on the shore of lake Plivsko where there is a small resort. Then to the site of many small group of wooden watermills called "Mlincici'. Here a series of waterfalls between lakes Veliko and Plivsko offered an opportunity to create a complex to grind flower. Then onto the town of Jacket and two more striking waterfalls.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 10

    Old Fort and historic Jajca

    May 22, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After the waterfalls a visit up to the historic site of the Old Fort of Jajca with its impressive ramparts and bastions.
    The earliest reference to Jajce dates from 1396, and is associated with Duke Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, who bore the title of "Count of Jajce." By the turn of the 15th century a rise in the importance of Jajce, which had become a royal town during the reign of Tvrtko II Tvrtković (1421- 1443). The last Bosnian king Stjepan Tomašević was crowned in Jajce in November 1461. In 1463 Ottoman troops took the town for the first time but were driven back by the Hungarian army. In 1464, Matthias Corvinus established the Banat of Jajce. Following the battle of Mohács in 1527. The town is not particularly impressive but it's history and location are very interesting, situated in the mountains and surrounded with beautiful countryside. Few pictures of the Fortress plus the war memorial from the 90's conflict.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 11

    Ethno Village Museum Ljubačke Doline

    May 23, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    First stop was the Ethno Village Museum Ljubačke Doline. The village is set out for the purpose of cultivating the tradition of hardworking and honest living which the Krajisniks have had for centuries. Here a visit to the living museum with many small buildings, more than fifty of them, houses, blacksmith, pharmacy, school room, church and huts for the animals.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 11

    Banja Luka and Kastel fortress

    May 23, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    First stop was at Kastel Fortress. This is the oldest historical monument in Banja Luka. The first traces of settlements on the site of today's fortress date back to the Paleolithic era. It further developed through the Neolithic era, the Bronze Age, and the Roman conquest of the Illyrian territories. The fortress began to be built more intensively during the Turkish occupation and the reign of Ferhad Paša Sokolović (1574-1588), when the fortified arsenal grew into a real fortified city. During the Austro-Hungarian Turkish wars, Kastel gained more importance as an important geostrategic center.
    Then a walk of the city centre, pictures of Banski Dvor - cultural center, Christ the Savior Orthodox Cathedral and the President of the Republika Srpska's Palace. Banja Luka is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. It is also the de facto capital of this entity. It is the traditional centre of the densely forested Bosanska Krajina region of northwestern Bosnia, with a population of around 200,000. It had the appearance of a lovely relaxed city with plenty of shops and restaurants.    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 12

    Back into Croatia

    May 24, 2023 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Lovely sunny morning driving north westerly towards the boarder into Croatia. Rolling green fields with the occasional shepard with a flock of sheep. Then pine forrested hills and large stacks of tree logs. Small communities and scattered alpine style houses. Wonderful views and twisting roads. Some signs for snow chains between November and March,
    In the town of Bihac, a brief stop at a turbe or mausoleum which dates from the time of Austro Hungarian rule in Bosnia and was erected in memory of the defenders of the town who lost their lives fighting the Austro Hungarian troops.    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 12

    Plitvice Lakes national park

    May 24, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    After crossing into Croatia a fabulous stop to explore the impressive national park of Plitvice Lakes. Within the forests lie 16 terraced lakes connected by waterfalls. The lake system is situated upon a carbonate base: the Upper lakes on dolomite, and the Lower lakes are carved into limestone. Between the lakes there are tufa barriers, which 6000-7000 years ago enabled the creation of the lake system. The Lower lakes and the lake system, ends at the Sastavci waterfalls, where the water from the lake, after overflowing over a 25 m high barrier, merges with the water from the Plitvica Stream to form the Korana River. This was a really good experience, walking on winding wooden walk ways then crossing one of the lakes by battery powered boat.
    Quotation from Nikola Tesla, if you don't know how, observe the phenomena of natural, it will give you clear answers and inspiration .    Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 13

    Zargrab City

    May 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Heading from the national park to Zagreb, Croatia's northwestern capital this morning. Small farms with cows and sheep then the seanery became more flat. More central European in feel and appearance. Then a introductory walk around Zagrebs old center. This area is distinguished by its 18th-19th-century Austro-Hungarian architecture. At its center, Upper Town is the site of the Gothic, twin-spired Zagreb Cathedral, unfortunately wrapped in scalfolding. The 13th-century St. Mark's Church, with a colorfully tiled roof. The pedestrian friendly Tkalčićeva Street, lined with outdoor cafes. Lower Town had the main square, Ban Jelačić, plus shops museums and parks.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 13

    Walking Around Zagreb

    May 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    In the afternoon I went for a walk of exploration and covered around 13 km wandering around, from the Croatian State Archives building to the Sava River, to the National Theatre and the Holocaust memorial by the station. From the upper town to the lower area along the river. It was typical for European cities of this size. Nice but nothing special in my view. Zagreb, on the Sava river at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain, and is one of the greenest in Europe and has an interesting history dating back over a thousand years to the first Roman settlement. Divided into the Upper Town - a network of cobbled streets and the oldest part of Zagreb, and the bustling Lower Town, home to the city's museums and architectural highlights such as St Mark's Church and the neo-Gothic Cathedral. Zagreb is known for its café culture, urban art and street life, with frequent events throughout the year. I saw many people sitting in bars and cafes, some playing football or tennis. This was on a Thursday afternoon. Some pictures from around the city taken on my walk. The Zagreb Funicular, at 66 metre of track it one of the shortest public transport funiculars in the world. Also, Hotel Esplanade which was built in 1925 to provide lodging for passengers from the Orient Express on the way to Instanbul. Plus a memorial in memory of victims of the Holocaust and a sculpture of St George slaying the dragon which seems to pop up frequently in this region.Read more

  • TravelerBalkans Tour
    Day 13

    Zagreb by night

    May 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Late evening stroll around the main square, many people out and about, bars full, trams rattling by and a music festival being performed in the main square.
    The history of Zagreb's main square is quite interesting. In the 18th century, its oldest part Harmica was used as a toll collection point, today the widespread plaza, dominated by the statue of Ban Josip Jelačić is a popular gathering place. Between 1947 and 1990 its name was changed to "Republic Square" and the Ban's statue, which originally faced north to symbolize his defiance against Hungary, was removed. Today, the re-erected Ban is pointing his sword in the opposite direction, south, the direction of Zagreb's expansion. The square is fondly called Jelačić-plac.
    It's also interesting to note how the city got it's name. According to legend, the whole area was suffering from drought. To give people and animals something to drink, an old Croatian duke plunged his sword into dry earth and saw fresh water bubble up. He called out to his soldiers: "Zagrabite!" ("Scoop up!") Then he repeated to the girl who stood close by: "Manda dear, scoop up some water!" The spring, which still stands on the main square, got the name Manduševac after the girl and Zagreb got its name after the scoop of water.    Read more

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