The story of sorrow and brotherhood from Mostar Bridge to Sarajevo market.
When you enter Baščaršija, the heart of Sarajevo, look around; it's as if you are in a street of Bursa or Safranbolu. Tradesmen sitting in front of wooden shops, the sound of pigeons' wings, and those elegant minarets rising around every corner... The taste of taking a sip of water from the Sebil and eating Bosnian burek in one of the adjacent streets will not fade from your palate. But the real deal is that famous Bosnian coffee. While sipping that coffee served with Turkish delight and a special presentation, you look at the buildings bearing the traces of war and dive into deep contemplation. Sarajevo is the city of both sorrow and hope; it whispers to you at every step how precious life is.
You won't believe your eyes when you see that fascinating emerald green color of the Neretva River. And the Mostar Bridge rising above it with all its elegance... Built by Mimar Hayreddin, a student of Mimar Sinan, this bridge connects not only two banks but also hearts. Watching young people bravely jumping off the bridge is an unchanging tradition here. In the evening, when you sit at one of the halal restaurants by the river and order that famous 'Cevapi' (meatballs similar to Inegol meatballs but spicier), sipping your tea against the illuminated silhouette of Mostar will make you say 'there is a corner of heaven on earth'.
"It feels like you left your passport at home and just took an intercity bus... I don't know if there is any other geography abroad that makes you feel this much 'at home'. Bosnia is where stone turns into sorrow, coffee into conversation, and people into brotherhood."
Returning from Bosnia, you might have some dried meat or a handcrafted copper coffee pot in your suitcase, but the burden you carry in your heart will be much heavier and more precious. Listening to history in the silence of the Drina Bridge, being startled by the adhan in Baščaršija, seeing the smile on those people's faces despite the wounds of war... This is one of the rare routes that feeds your soul and refreshes your spirituality. Being visa-free is just a detail; the real issue is feeling that heart bond on the spot. Even for a weekend getaway, definitely go to breathe the air of these brotherly lands, you won't regret it.
