BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA
it is a strange country nestled between Serbia and Croatia who have fought over it for centuries, as well as the Austrians and the Turks.
In fact, the capital of Bosnia is the beautiful Sarajevo, a multi-ethnic city in a valley carved out by the river Miliacka is surrounded by beautiful mountains which were its fortune since in 1984 they hosted a beautiful edition of the Winter Olympics, but also its misfortune because from their peaks the city was bombed during 4 years of long siege by the forces between 1992 and 1996 with over 12,000 civilians dead, many hit by snipers who wanted to drive the inhabitants of Sarajevo crazy who instead heroically resisted and survived thanks to the aid that the UN sent through a tunnel that led from the airport to the center , dug by fortuitous means and only one meter wide and which can be visited today.
Sarajevo is also famous for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 by a Serb, an event which was the spark that caused the explosion the First World War.
The Serb occasionally found himself in front of the crown prince's car after the driver had taken a wrong turn and was making a U-turn. The bodyguards deflected the attacker's hands after a another blow which also killed the prince's wife.
The city is divided in two: the eastern part is completely Islamic-Turkish with low houses, several mosques, even a temple of the whirling dervishes, bazaars, many bars and restaurants that offer typical dishes of Bosnian cuisine with Turkish influences and the famous Turkish coffee which they serve in copper jugs and which is then poured into the cup, waiting for the grounds to settle.
There is a beautiful square with a wooden fountain and several interesting buildings, especially on the hill, a beautiful house from the 1400s with typical halls full of carpets, lamps and cushions, all in decorated wood, with a beautiful courtyard so much so that it is considered the most beautiful Turkish house in Europe.
the western part on the other hand is typically....western with the buildings built by the Austrians when they occupied Bosnia starting from 1878. There are many bars with all the young people drinking espresso coffee or local cappuccino and in the evening various pubs, some Irish which play rock music with live concerts.
I stayed in a beautiful apartment owned by a cultured lady (professor of French and Arabic and lover of Italian classical music through which she had learned our language. I was in a central position a few steps from the Islamic district, in front of the most well-known City Hostel which however was inconvenient on the third floor. elevator and with a dormitory with bunk beds which I don't like because you end up not sleeping.
On the other hand, by paying only 5 euros more (22 instead of 17) I had access to an entire apartment furnished with taste and elegance, but these opportunities only happen in the low season.
I then left for MOSTAR, the beautiful capital of Herzegovina which is inhabited mainly by Croatians. In fact the country is divided in two even if formally the Republic of Srpska, inhabited by Serbs, is part of the same country, having the same borders and the same currency, the Bosnian mark.
Strangely the average salary is around 700 euros per month and you can see from the prices that they are higher to the Serbian ones, but not by much, still better than the Croatian ones which are practically double, sometimes triple and very close to ours, sometimes, for certain genres, even superior.
In fact, the capital of Bosnia is the beautiful Sarajevo, a multi-ethnic city in a valley carved out by the river Miliacka is surrounded by beautiful mountains which were its fortune since in 1984 they hosted a beautiful edition of the Winter Olympics, but also its misfortune because from their peaks the city was bombed during 4 years of long siege by the forces between 1992 and 1996 with over 12,000 civilians dead, many hit by snipers who wanted to drive the inhabitants of Sarajevo crazy who instead heroically resisted and survived thanks to the aid that the UN sent through a tunnel that led from the airport to the center , dug by fortuitous means and only one meter wide and which can be visited today.
Sarajevo is also famous for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 by a Serb, an event which was the spark that caused the explosion the First World War.
The Serb occasionally found himself in front of the crown prince's car after the driver had taken a wrong turn and was making a U-turn. The bodyguards deflected the attacker's hands after a another blow which also killed the prince's wife.
The city is divided in two: the eastern part is completely Islamic-Turkish with low houses, several mosques, even a temple of the whirling dervishes, bazaars, many bars and restaurants that offer typical dishes of Bosnian cuisine with Turkish influences and the famous Turkish coffee which they serve in copper jugs and which is then poured into the cup, waiting for the grounds to settle.
There is a beautiful square with a wooden fountain and several interesting buildings, especially on the hill, a beautiful house from the 1400s with typical halls full of carpets, lamps and cushions, all in decorated wood, with a beautiful courtyard so much so that it is considered the most beautiful Turkish house in Europe.
the western part on the other hand is typically....western with the buildings built by the Austrians when they occupied Bosnia starting from 1878. There are many bars with all the young people drinking espresso coffee or local cappuccino and in the evening various pubs, some Irish which play rock music with live concerts.
I stayed in a beautiful apartment owned by a cultured lady (professor of French and Arabic and lover of Italian classical music through which she had learned our language. I was in a central position a few steps from the Islamic district, in front of the most well-known City Hostel which however was inconvenient on the third floor. elevator and with a dormitory with bunk beds which I don't like because you end up not sleeping.
On the other hand, by paying only 5 euros more (22 instead of 17) I had access to an entire apartment furnished with taste and elegance, but these opportunities only happen in the low season.
I then left for MOSTAR, the beautiful capital of Herzegovina which is inhabited mainly by Croatians. In fact the country is divided in two even if formally the Republic of Srpska, inhabited by Serbs, is part of the same country, having the same borders and the same currency, the Bosnian mark.
Strangely the average salary is around 700 euros per month and you can see from the prices that they are higher to the Serbian ones, but not by much, still better than the Croatian ones which are practically double, sometimes triple and very close to ours, sometimes, for certain genres, even superior.
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