IMAGE: ANNAPURNA MELLOR FOR INTREPID TRAVEL
WEEKENDER TOP FIVE
Culinary experiences
LOCAL DINNER On a hilltop overlooking Sarajevo, the Panjeta family host cooking lessons and dinners. Apart from the meat, all ingredients come from the organic garden, including the grapes that go into the family’s potent rakija brandy.
bosniancookinglessons.com
BOSNIAN COFFEE Among Bosnians, coffee- drinking is tantamount to a sacred rite. Bosnian coffee is brewed once, which (they say) results in a fresher- tasting brew. In Mostar, family-owned Café de Alma offers coffee-making demonstrations and a selection of fragrant, zesty Turkish delights.
facebook.com/cafedealma
PICNIC WITH HORSES Dine among the 800 wild horses of the Kruzi Plateau. This is a proper feast, with slivers of cured ham, rounds of citrussy Livno cheese, honey mead and the tour company’s own ‘Wild Ale’ from the Livanjka Craft Brewery.
continentaladventure.net
STOLAC SMOKVARA
The best way to enjoy Herzegovina’s figs is in smokvara, a sticky, syrupy cake often served with strong coffee. Most say the best smokvara is made in Stolac; there, the Mehmedbašića Kuća historic hotel runs a tasting experience.
facebook.com/ mehmedbasica.kuca
HERBS & HONEY Book a tasting tour with Trebinje Travel Guide, which includes a visit to Ljekobilje lavender farm and beekeeper Neđo Pažin, one of Herzegovina’s few organic honey producers.
trebinjetravelguide.com
DAY TWO BUNKERS & BALKAN BEATS
Morning Catch the 07:15 train to Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s adventure capital. Book in advance to arrange river rafting and tours of Tito’s Bunker, available by appointment only. The bunker was believed to be a weapons storage facility until the 1990s, when its true purpose was revealed following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Underground, there are almost 70,000sq ft of rooms for everything from food storage to medical facilities, designed to keep President Tito and his cronies safe for up to six months in the wake of a nuclear attack. The bunker took 26 years to build and cost a staggering $4.6bn (£3.7bn) at the time. Today, it’s a contemporary gallery where artists explore themes such as war, politics and identity.
visitkonjic.com
Afternoon The best way to see the local scenery is from a raft on the Neretva River. There are mid-level rapids with occasional thrills, plus enough calm moments to admire the limestone cliffs reflected in the mineral-blue water. Most tours include a beach barbecue lunch. If you prefer something more sedate, head to Novalića Kula for a hearty mixed grill and coffee overlooking the Ottoman-era Old Bridge. Meander on to Zanat, a design shop and museum, where brothers Orhan and Adem Nikšić maintain the woodcarving tradition they inherited from their great- grandfather, Gano. These days, the brothers bring in designers such as Harri Koskinen and Monica Förster to add some Scandi flair to a now- global Bosnian brand.
zanat.org
Evening Catch the 17:18 train back to Sarajevo for dinner at The Singing Nettle. Though old-fashioned in appearance, it’s popular among young Bosnians for its vegetarian takes on traditional food, plus its range of pestos, cakes and spirits made from — you guessed it — nettles. For nightlife, try busy local favourite City Pub for live rock music, then head west to the bar Balkan Express on Maršala Tita. It imitates a Communist-era apartment, with gilded portraits pinned to yellowing wallpaper and dim, Soviet subway-style lighting. Opposite is basement club Jazzbina, which hosts live jazz, blues and DJ sets. Grab a Sarajevsko beer and settle in for the night.
thesingingnettle.com
citypubsarajevo.com
Right: Preparing to enter the water for some river rafting in Konji
JUNE 2023 47
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