Please sign in to post.
Posted by
5687 posts

A few years ago, I spent a few nights in Sarajevo then drove to Jajce for a night, with a stop for a few hours in Travnik. Both are more historically interesting than they are charming. Few western tourists in either town. Travnik had some Turkish tourists when I was there; it was the last Ottoman capital of Bosnia.

The roads were a lot better than I expected. I had read stories about big potholes in the roads and tunnels with no lights, but I saw none of that by 2015. It was an easy drive - and pretty driving through those green hills and mountains.

It's easy to miss as you are driving along that you are driving through a very divided Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is really two separate states, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Muslim/Croat) and Republika Srpska (Serbian), but there is not one line dividing the two. Republika Srpska is split up over two regions of the country. There are no controlled borders, but you'll see big signs on the roads welcoming you to one or the other. It feels like driving across a US county or state line, but there are apparently much deeper tensions than you would guess between the two. I didn't speak to many locals to get a feel for that.

Posted by
17868 posts

Andrew, thanks. Yes, one of the reasons that this trip got moved forward is because tensions are growing in the region (the Russians are stirring the muck) and I thought I had better do it while its still possible. Also, I've been told damn good fishing in Bosnia. The road trip is to reach a hotel on a river..... My problem is I dont drive on vacation... EVER. So right now I am hunting for a guide. I have attempted to train tour guides in the fine art of fly fishing in both Bulgaria and Montenegro.

Posted by
17868 posts

Right now I am trying to convince a guide that I will pay her to read a book while I fish. You know some of the worlds best fly fishing is in BiH. Bulgaria, your fav place, has some good opportunities too. Enjoyed it a lot. The fly is my THC.