Another story from Eggtown - Jajce, Bosnia

I had a trip last week to the west of Bosnia. It's simply unavoidable to pass Jajce and not to take a few photos. My favourite spot is a location with dozens of water mills spread on a small waterfalls of Pliva river, which is actually a lake so green that you ask your self whether some million of smaragd jewels placed at the bottom of that lake.

But, those water mills are really always impressive. Sounds of burbling water is so relaxing and calming so your brain is clear as the water under the mills only after few minutes spent here. Grass and forest a just another part of this symphony. Near is car camping location, and if you like it's possible to stay more and get more of it.
This magic is only few minutes of bicycle drive from the centre of Jajce town. It's an old town with a lot of medieval fragments all around the place. Jajce was the last Bosnian medieval capital before Ottomans captured and killed the last Bosnian king there.

Close to centre is the magnificent waterfall, saved by the recent reconstruction, meant to be there for next few centuries. Here is also a place where was proclaimed ex Yugoslav state, during WW2.

Don't miss to visit, it's only 60km from Banja Luka to the south, and some 170km from Sarajevo.

The most beautiful river in the world, Una (The One)

I am not sure if there is another so beautiful river in the whole world. Una is simply out of the any competition and She is so unique that once you saw it, always dream about it to see it again. I was there several times and always really want to come back and enjoy the beauty of nature. Not so far Sarajevo, a few hours driving through scenic landscapes of west Bosnia. Even closer from Zagreb, passing Plitvice, Croatian national park.

What is more attractive? Green and turquoise colour of deep and clear water in the river or magical forest canyon miles and miles long. Or maybe all those small waterfalls with sparkling and drinking water? Or song of the nightingales when you are in the flat-water area, feeling like a character from some Strauss or Tchaikovsky waltz. Una is really unique as old Romans said when they first time saw it. The best way to check and see everything is to sit on a rafting boat and simply paddle down the river through rapids and waterfalls. Rest anywhere you like, sleep a while in the boat, drink river water and swim whenever you want.

Only one day is enough to get rest from everyday stress and systematic rush to nowhere. Only there it’s possible to understand how far we are from the true value and figure what we are missing in concrete and asphalt jungle around us. Only there you wake up and recall that you are inhabitant of such a beautiful planet named Earth. Don’t ever forget it! :)

 

Green Beard Town - Počitelj

After a long winter I have a special destination to drink my first outdoor coffee in new spring season. Destination is Počitelj, named as "green beard town" by the famous Bosnian writer, Zuko Džumhur.

It's an old town, and exist more than 650 years. More about it find on UNESCO page.
For me, this is the place where I put my imagination on free will. Real time machine!

It's about 150 kilometres from Sarajevo to the south. Don't stop at Mostar for brake, just take all day for Počitelj. Worth every second of your time spent there.

Town is inspiration for many artists, due to unique architecture.
Full of optimistic atmosphere, full of sun and warm welcome from every corner.

Sarajevo, different views

You find some beauty in different views on a city of Sarajevo, unusual and kind a funny. For this emotion, you have to be relaxed, maybe a bit sleepy and open with no any idea (open minded :))
An old balcony is not in a sight, but if you are chasing some thoughts and looking for them in highs, here it is!

Drink a coffee nearby, walk on Sunday afternoon, listen for the birds, turn your eyes on the left to check some garden entrances and spot another one: a tree in a walk on the stairways to heaven.

And when you decide to walk for some more, at the end you find a three friends in front of the theatre, waiting for a new show. Don't miss it! :)

The Forest

Ok, we already know that I am big fun of forest of any kind and anywhere. It's not important is it a green one in May or a gray one in November. I like it very much, especially with different collors. But what the most I like about the forest is a peaceful space, full of silence. That's the silence you can feel it almost with your fingers and take it with a breath inside your lungs.

I am not sure when I start to hate noise. Actually, I've never loved it at all.
Natural sounds of birds, streams and leaves on a trees is the only music we shoud listen. Everything else is attack on our senses. Matrix we live makes us indifferent. It's time to wake up.

European oldtown from 1001 night.

Sarajevo is unique city in Europe and maybe in whole world. Sometimes people call it European Jerusalem, due to magnificent atmosphere, mixed cultures, differences on each corner.
Old Town shows that spirit more than any other part of the city.
Only few hundred meters walk makes you feel like that you sit in a time machine. First you pass modern buildings, tram street and come to Austro-Hungarian part of the city. Here you have sense that you came into one of Budapest or Vienna parts. Walk on and you are suddenly in an Instanbul street with a lot of craftwork shops, small dining restaurants and carpet shops like in any Marrakech quart
Some of churches, mosques or synagogues are older than four hundred years, and even more. All that in a specific "circle of love" how domestic people call this route, which connect these places of worship.
Come and spread a word about it.

Find your good fairy

Some places worth viewing even if you are a few hours driving far away. Jajce (Egg Town) is in the west of Bosnia, the last capital of the medieval Bosnia. Last Bosnian king is beheaded by Ottomans, just nearby. Place is full of legends and old stories, even catacombs are found under the old town.

Behind the Jajce now is beautiful lake, with so many hidden corners, surrounded by forest and sedge. Cherry on the top of this delicious cake is a group of an old, medieval water mills, unique in whole world.

If you want to find your good fairy, this is right place.

 

Forgotten Sea

Today is a story about the ship, abounded and forgotten, somewhere in Bosnian hills. Far away from the sea but close to memories on it.
Some million years ago, we had Panonic Sea in the north, with squids and wales, and all other exotic species. Then sea disappeared and left us tones of salt in the area, and a memory. If you listening enough long, maybe it's possible to hear sound of waves there.

In the winter time, come here and taste some nice fish soup and other delicious food. Come close to water and listen.

Catch the Sun

On a foggy day sun is somewhere high under the fog sea which covers the city and suburban. The only way to catch some of the light is to climb high and higher. When you are enough high, then everything is possible, even to catch the sun.
Cavljak is 15 minutes by car from Sarajevo downtown area. Five minutes walk later and you are witness of spectacular sunset.

Sometimes, when wind has sympathy for us, winter day in Sarajevo is clear and colourful. Those days are also for sun hunters. You only need to wait for right moment, when sun is low and somewhat sleepy. Try to catch it, or wait tomorrow. New day and a new chance.



 



 

 



Mountain Beauty - Bjelasnica

Can you imagine a day with a short drive with car, up to mountain, through forest to outlying godforsaken villages. Looking for some special view, something that you are sure that you will find it on that particular day.
Weather is not so bright, road is wet, and you are not sure if the avalanche could block your way back. On that day, you just stop on the middle of the mountain road, turn on all four winkers and look for best angle to make something good.

You are just medium there, between the mountain beauty and wide world audience.

Search for crystals - Kreševo

When I was a kid, I use to look for small rocks which were different than usual ones, shiny and mysterious. I knew a few spots around where I can find it. Today I know it was calcite mineral, very common in Bosnia.
Last year I was on a fair of crystals in Kreševo, a small town near Sarajevo, with great people and interesting findings on surrounding hills. This area is known for different kind of crystals and beautiful minerals from ancient times, even before old Romans.

Next time I came here and went right on the spot, a small quarry with a lot of rocks, very interesting and exiting. Found some rare minerals, enjoyed fresh air and spend nice time in a mystic forest.

 

Magical Hutovo Blato

I was there one early spring, march or even February. Actually, it was a business trip and I was back from Adriatic coast, late that day, tired and in desperately need for some rest. Plan was to stay overnight in Mostar and Hutovo was on the half way there.
Just before Capljina I saw a sign and looks my car turned right by herself. After ten kilometres  found nice parking place and took a walk trough the national park of Hutovo. Two minutes walk and I discovered a space with so much magic for my tired soul and body. Peace and low intensity light. Magical peace, no sounds, nothing...

All tiredness disappeared. I forgot about hard day at work, heavy traffic on the highway, line on the border... This visit was so relaxing and efficient. Kept coming there later and later, years and years, in every season.

 

New Beginning

Well, it will be very easy to start again. So many good stories for everybody.
6 years ago I was just in an experiment with this blog. Now I am ready to make really nice things for you, and to introduce my beautiful country and even wider. I would like to share with you my view of Bosnia and all other places I visit on this planet.



















I know that you are familiar with nice nature pictures, people, historical places... This should be my
view, my eye and my emotion.

Let's start with Igman, Olympic mountain about 30 kilometres far from Sarajevo. Nordic atmosphere in the winter and fresh and cool air in the summer. Colours of the sky is amazing, trees are magical and snow is a clear white sheet with billion small diamonds on it, shining and shimmering.

Neum

Bosnian coast is maybe the shortest in the world, only 14 km. But each yard of it is warm welcome for all visitors. Don't need to speak anything about the Adriatic Sea. Full Mediterranean experience. Neum is the only Bosnian sea coast town, blue is his middle name. Forgotten cannon is only here for decoration :)

Sunset, no comment at all...

 


 

Travnik

I know, you just hear this water and feel the fresh breath of Bosnian mountain spring. This place is in the heart of Bosnia, in Travnik, Bosnian capital in 18th century.
This corner of the town is called "Blue Water", famous for many hundreds years for anyone who wants to rest his soul for a few hours.
Near is good food, traditional coffee, quiet people and plenty of time for everyone. Nobody is in a hurry, time is slow.

Banja Luka

There a lot of nice stories about Banja Luka. For me the best period to visit it is in April. Then you can be present at nature awaking like nowhere else. In April, grass is really green here. No chance to stare in it more than 5 seconds. Sky is so blue, not to imagine.
People are even better part of the total picture. Nice and comfortable for communication. Always enjoy good company there.

Popovo Polje

Pyramids in Bosnia, a lot of them almost in every part of it :)
This one is near Trebinje. Some say that Trebinje is a city with the most beautiful suburb in the world - Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is only 30 kilometres from this pyramid and if you visit Dubrovnik, please come and check this structure, and tell us your opinion. Hill or a pyramid?

Jezernica

It was just an ordinary day when my friends pick me up for a "short" trip, some 50 kilometres from Sarajevo, to the heart of Bosnia. You pass Fojnica and then up to hill for a few additional miles.
After 15 minutes just turn off the engine, get out of the car and feel the forest silence. No traffic sounds, horns and buzzing of thousands vehicles, with different frequencies and intensities.
A few birds singing and a streamlet jumping over rocks old as time.
Everyone needs at least half an hour of this silence per day. Not possible in these days, but we should be happy that places with natural silence still exist and they are not so far from us.

Mostar

I allways ak my self here, what was before? The city or the bridge. City is called Mostar (an old bridge) and you never know. Something like a story about the egg and chicken. You never know...

Absolutely destroyed during war 1992-1995, bridge jumped out of cold river Neretva and make his stand forever on the same place. Sometimes, when I cross over the bridge, think about whether it is a ghost or a real bridge. A good jenny from the bottle came out and playing a bridge, just to makes good for people who sometimes make bad and evil things.

Be happy if you are in a situation to be there, even for a half of an hour. Enough to feel all of the history, forget bad and be ready for good, till the end of time.

 

Sarajevo - Siberian Nights

There is allways some magic in Sarajevo, even if the air is frozen and ice rain is coming down. You can allways enjoy the game of lights and explore new views and scenes.
It happens once and never more. Every moment in such atmosphere is unique and wont come again.
The cathedral is dedicated to the nativity of the Theotokos.  It was build at the request of the Orthodox parish of Sarajevo between 1863 and 1868. The interior walls are decorated by painted ornaments. In the lower zones of the walls the painted ornaments are simulating the marble stone construction look. Arches and vaults are decorated in ornaments only.