The research work of Trans Dinarica’s Bosnia and Herzegovina southern leg is completed
Why are there two legs (northern and southern) of the Trans Dinarica cycle route in Bosnia and Herzegovina, what can you expect from cycling and what interesting things did we learn along the way.
Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the heart of Trans Dinarica. Already at the beginning of planning, we decided that there should be two legs in this country. Why? We were able to connect Bosnia and Herzegovina with the two neighboring countries — Serbia to the east and Montenegro to the south — and thus the Trans Dinarica cycle route is now a full circle. At the same time, it was already clear that this country is so diverse that it will be worth spending a little more time in it. And we were right.
The most adventurous section of Trans Dinarica?
After last year’s exploration of the ‘northern leg’, from the border with Serbia via Sarajevo to Livno, we have just completed the route from Livno through Herzegovina, Mostar and the mountains south of Sarajevo to the border with Montenegro. The GPS tracks are still being processed, but our impression is that this is one of the more adventurous sections of the Trans Dinarica with a mixture of challenging, rolling terrain that mixes asphalt with gravel. In this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, expect wonderful scenery, but also exhausting cycling. Sometimes, from morning to evening, you will encounter nothing but some remote farm, where a sign ‘jaja’ (homemade eggs) will invite you to stop and say ‘dobar dan’. But these are also the moments when you realize (again) how friendly, warm and hospitable the locals are and that they are excellent cooks.
People are comming back to live (and work in the outdoor tourism!)
On the other hand, we realized that outdoor tourism is developing. In the middle of wild Bjelašnica mountain we slept in a comfortable new wooden cabin with a bicycle workshop in the basement, while in Mostar we met two active sportswomen who returned to Mostar to live – one from Slovenia, the other from Australia. Maybe the emigration trend is reversing? We hope so and believe travelers on bicycles can help with this.
Go to Bosnia and Herzegovina physically fit, equipped for all kinds of weather conditions, but also with a heart longing for adventure and warm human relations.
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