Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo hit the headlines in 1914 and again in the 1990s with tragic consequences both times. The city, however, is fast rebuilding itself and is a capital of great interest and beauty for those with an interest in history and the intermingling of Ottoman and Habsburg and 20th century politics. Four days will be spent in the capital with three in Mostar where the great bridge across the river Neretva by Mimar Hayruddin has been rebuilt.

In Sarajevo, we shall stay in the centre of the old town. Dotted throughout the meandering alleys are fine mosques, madrasas and hans the elements that make up the Ottoman state which held the city until 1878. The alleys suddenly straighten into the Austrian Hungarian city which Franz Ferdinand was visiting when he and his wife were shot by the Serbian nationalist Princip.

The city is surrounded by hills from which a three-year artillery bombardment took place from 1992-5. The resilience and renaissance of the city is extraordinary and offers much in the way of museums, churches, synagogues and a vibrant cultural life.

Mostar, with its famous bridge, became the symbol of the fruitlessness of the conflicts and it has now been restored. Again, the mixture of Ottoman houses, that survived the bombardments, and the ancient centre are fascinating. The later additions have echoes of Vienna.

There will be visits to Kresevo with a fine Franciscan Monastery and a history of German miners working there from the 14th century. The landscape is stunning. From Mostar there is an easy journey to Blaga, the home of the Dervishes above the roaring Buna River and we shall visit the extraordinary tombstones ‘stecci’ at Stolac.

To book this tour, contact us.