It's complicated. That becomes clear quite quickly when one travels through the Balkans, a region which endured conflict throughout large parts of its history. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is the most noticeable of all the places we visited in that part of the world. More than anywhere else we noticed the borders, real or in the mind. The entanglement of ethnic nationalism and religion stifles a region of cultural richness and has entrenched the disunion within the communities. It also serves as a warning to Europe and the U.S. who have both been subject to the divisive force of nationalist populism in recent years. Despite all the smoldering trouble Bosnia and Herzegovina is lavishly beautiful, the people friendly and open - yet the still fairly recent war has a long shadow: It's complicated.
Bridge over troubled waters
After touring through Montenegro, our first stop in the Balkans, my travel companion Chris and I took the midnight bus from Podgorica to Mostar. The young driver raced the bus in a reckless manner through the narrow and dark roads, relying equally on his reflexes and plain dumb luck to avoid the oncoming traffic. Apart from those flashes of adrenaline, I spent the 6.5 hours of the ride in a dazed state staring out the window into the darkness. This semi-sleep was only interrupted by an extensive passport control by soldiers who got on the bus when we crossed the border to Republika Srpska, one of two constitutional and legal entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The latter is home to a population of mostly Muslims and Croats, while Srpska is populated mostly by Serbs. The border between the two roughly follows the front lines at the end of the Bosnian War, and both sides eye each other with distrust. Srpska basically acts like a sovereign country although it's technically a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's just one more of the oddities in the region.
We arrived in Mostar in the early hours - a bit handicapped by stiff backs and sleep deprivation, but the morning view of the city with its famous bridge Stari Most certainly was worth it. After a strong coffee we explored the city and joined a walking tour to learn more about life in Mostar and its troubled history.
Given the tense relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina with its neighbors and life under a corrupt and ineffective government, it is maybe not surprising that many look back fondly on the days of Tito and Yugoslavia, which fell apart following his death. The complexity of the steps which led to the Yugoslav Wars go way beyond what can be summed up in a post like this, but I can highly recommend the BBC documentary "The Death of Yugoslavia" for a better understanding. The fact that it's a series of six episodes with 50 minutes each already indicates that there are no easy answers here.
Most prominently, the city's landmark Stari Most fell victim to the war. Built by the Ottomans, the bridge stood for more than 400 years, before it was destroyed by Croat forces in 1993. This video is a grim reminder of the not too distant past, while the reopening of the bridge in 2004 can hopefully serve as a symbol of union. Nowadays the bridge also serves as a location for an annual diving festival and every day young locals and some tourists jump into the Neretva river below. I happily admit that I have stood on top of the 10 meter platform in regular swimming pools and have turned around at the sight of the water below. The drop from Stari Most is 20-24 meters (depending on the water level) and there are rocks and other shallow places you probably want to avoid but cannot see from the top. Injuries are fairly common, and even fatalities have occured. Here's a post of a traveler who did the jump.
We opted for a drink and more exploration of the city instead:
The scars of conflict
It is undisputed that Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered the heaviest burden of the conflict in the 90s. Croats and Bosniaks were allies against the Serb forces at the beginning of the war, but after secret meetings Croatia and Serbia agreed to divide Bosnia, which led to Mostar being attacked from both sides. Our guide of the walking tour pointed to the hills and buildings used by mortar crews and snipers, and the many ruins and buildings covered in bullet and mortar holes told their own story.
While Croats and Bosniaks still live in the same city, the memories have not faded and the segregation is evident in daily life. The city has two fire brigades, two hospitals, two electricity companies, etc. - and each only serves their respective ethnic group. This might continue for the post-war generation, too, as they visit segregated schools with separate history lessons (obviously). There is one school which is attended by students from both groups, which was apparently necessary to set up due to international pressure. But even there students attend in two shifts, with a long break in between to minimize contact. Rebuilding Stari Most was a good start to close the gap, but it will take further steps as long as ethnicity alone is pushed as a way to express identity. Again, it's complicated.
Friction can however also spark creativity. Despite the overall laid back attitude with which the inhabitants like to enjoy their coffee in the sun, the city has a vibrant vibe and if you're a fan of street art you are in luck: all over the city murals adorn the walls of buildings and ruins. This abundance of art and creative energy is what lingers on in the mind of the visitor even after departure. In the next morning we went to the train station and took the train to our next stop, Sarajevo.
Things to note:
Stari Most - As THE landmark of the city, and a rather popular photo location for Instagram princes and princesses, the bridge is very crowded for most of the day. Pour some of that delicious Bosnian coffee in your body and try to make it in the early morning to enjoy it without tourist masses. The steps on the bridge are very slippery so if you visit it during the busy hours, pick a spot from where you can watch the tourists fall over. Yes, bad karma and everything - but it's entertaining, just admit it.
As always, I can only recommend to do a free walking tour in Mostar. It opens your eyes to have a local show you around and point out things you would miss otherwise.
If you are into street art, Mostar is an amazing treasure chest to explore. There is an annual street art festival - you might want to time your visit accordingly.
The 2h train ride from Mostar to Sarajevo is supposedly beautiful. We had read about the views over the gorgeous mountain landscape and wanted to see it ourselves. Of course, due to mist and low-hanging clouds all we saw was the reflection of our tired faces in the window. That said, the 1970s vibe of the trains and the station was endearing: We entered the concrete beauty which is Mostar train station where a lone grumpy lady was selling tickets. Her overall impatience and bad mood, our own tiredness, as well as the linoleum floors and worn-down seats on the train all did their part to create a strangely comforting atmosphere.