WEEKENDER HERZEGOVINA BOSNIA &


Head to this former seat of Ottomans and kings to fi nd extraordinary landscapes, an emerging food scene and exuberant nightlife. Words: Sarah Gillespie


Bosnians have a saying that goes: ‘Where logic ends, Bosnia and Herzegovina begins.’ Which makes complete sense when you dig into its history. This former Ottoman frontier is one of only three Muslim-majority countries in Europe, a heritage visible in the labyrinthine bazaars and jewel-bright mosques of Sarajevo and Mostar. Walk out of the capital’s Old Town, however, and you’ll encounter the fi ne geometry of Austro-Hungarian churches, followed by hazy Yugoslavian-style basement bars that pulse with Balkan turbo-folk music. Confronted with a history spanning many centuries and empires,


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you realise that the 1992-1995 Bosnian War was but a chapter. Some mortar scars remain, but the scale of the reconstruction eff ort, like so many things about this country, is mind-boggling. You certainly won’t be short of things to do here. Bosnian businesses have been busy making nature and culture more accessible to visitors, working with partners like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The results can be seen in initiatives such as the Herzegovina Wine Route, opened in September 2021 — making it easier than ever to toast your trip with a generous glass of red Blatina.


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