Bosnia and Herzegovina Day Trip: Best of Mostar & Kravica Waterfall 🇧🇦

Nestled along a river in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar is famous for its Ottoman-era architecture and its unique blend of Eastern and Western influences. Its most iconic site is their Old Arch Bridge, a symbol of unity and resilience that was originally built in the 16th century and reconstructed after its destruction in the Bosnian War. Beyond that stunning bridge, the city offers mouth-watering traditional dishes along its busy cobblestone streets and enchanting waterfalls that look like they belong in fairy tales. Bosnia and Herzegovina certainly is a country that shouldn't be missed. One of my favorite things about Europe is how close the countries are because it makes day trips and crossing the border into other countries possible. And so today we are taking a day trip from Croatia over to Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically the city of Mostar. And this day trip is possible from Split or Dubrovnik. We are traveling over from Split today. And we have heard nothing but wonderful things about Bosnia and Herzegovina, so we are so, so excited and honored to be crossing the border into their country today. So without further ado, let's head to our bus. We have just made it to the Croatian and Bosnian border and according to our guide, it can be a little tricky to do this border crossing. We've handed over our passports, we've paid the 5 euro fee, I guess the tax fee, to get into the country, so fingers crossed everything goes well. We've officially made it into Bosnia and Herzegovina and our first stop of the day is at this small village that has a lot of influence from the Ottoman Empire. So we learned a lot of history on our drive over. Our guide did an amazing job because it's very complex and it's influenced by so many different historic events. But the main thing that you could know between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is that in Bosnia, the Ottoman Empire actually made it this far, so there's a lot of influence with the Islamic culture. So as we're walking around, you can actually see some minarets here in the small village and with the town that we're going to later, we'll be able to see that as well. Back in college, Chad was an RA or a resident assistant and one of his residents was actually from Bosnian heritage and she reached out to us asking if we wanted any recommendations or any help while in the country and we said yes. And she sent over an amazing list of foods to try and the very first thing we've done after crossing the border into the country is come to a pekara and it's kind of like a bakery. They had so many delicious baked goods in there and we got these traditional breads called pizze. The person selling us the bread, she was saying that it's plain white bread with a little bit of salt. It is so soft. It's so fresh. So I actually walked around to the side of the building and I saw like a whole pallet of flour that they're using to make it and then as we were going to the other side of the building, I saw one of the women working on making the bread. Like they're doing everything in-house, so it's very fresh. And then the other thing that we have is something we tried over in Croatia. This is zurek and it's this flaky, crispy pastry that's filled with all sorts of different things. We got the meat one because they always say the meat one is the best, but you can also get cheese or spinach or potatoes inside of there. Oh man, I think we're in for a treat. Okay, which one do you want to try first? I want to actually start with this. I want a photo. I feel like you can always tell the quality of a bread when it's just plain white. There's no extra ingredients. So simple. It's almost like a dinner roll. Yeah. Very soft on the inside and the outside provides some chewiness. It's a really nice snack. Yeah. You can eat it with like anything. Really. Yeah, Mel was saying that we should go pick up some chicken pate from the grocery store and spread it on. Oh, good idea. Me first? Yes, you first. I'm just going to go straight through the loop. Go through whatever you want. That's so good. It smells amazing. Chewy. I love the chewiness of the bread. You know what that reminds me of? The scallion pancake. Ah, it does. You know, like all the layers of it and then the meat almost tastes like there's some onion in there. You know? Really reminds me of that. Yeah. And if you don't know, the scallion pancake comes from Taiwan. Chewy, delicious, that QQ texture. Yeah. I could eat that all the time. That's so good. That's really nice. Welcome to Bosnia. Yeah, the Bosnian cuisine is hitting it out of the ballpark right now. Well, technically, we learned we are actually in Herzegovina. That's right. Which is the southern part because it's broken up. Yeah. So, Herzegovinian cuisine. Wow. Our guide was telling us that we really have to try this pomegranate juice and so we picked one up. It was only one euro. Although, the one we got is frozen so we might have to wait a couple of hours before we can taste it. But man, look at that color. It's like a fuchsia. Alright, it has melted a little bit. Yes, we can both have a taste. Chad requested the first taste though. You never know if Claire's going to drink more. I would never. What do you think? That is very refreshing. I also think it's pretty cool because we're drinking it right next to a pomegranate tree. I also think their production is pretty good because this cap was sealed. So, like, they put it in there and then they sealed it off. It's really nice. That's a lot sweeter than I thought. I, for some reason, thought it was going to be very tart. Ooh, but that's like candy. We have to wait for it to thaw more. Yeah, it was like an appetizer and then later you can get the full thing. Yeah. This will be really nice in Mostar. Oh my gosh, yes. Alright, we gotta head back down. Welcome to Mostar, which is the fifth most populated city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And what's super cool about being here is obviously there's so much history all throughout this region. But this city specifically is where the East meets the West. And you can actually see it in the architecture here because about 50% of the city is, like, Croatian Christian and the other 50% is Muslim or Islamic. So, you can see the minarets behind me. And we just heard the call to prayer going off from all the different minarets. But that is what's so cool about coming across the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's almost like a culture shock. It feels like we've just stepped into another part of the world. And we're currently sitting in front of the historic Mostar Bridge, which is actually super high. But the original, unfortunately, after standing for over 400 years, collapsed back in the 90s because of the war. But they have rebuilt it and apparently it is just like the original. And what's been cool is we've been watching the divers dive from the top of the bridge into the water. They are not doing that for fun, I must say. They're actually collecting tips from tourists or locals who want to cheer them on as they make that really, really big jump. And once, I believe, they get to 50 Euro, they'll take that leap of faith into the beautiful bluish-green waters of Mostar. And it is quite a sight to see. It's a long way down. Our guide was actually saying they're kind of like the guardians of the bridge, which I thought was, like, very special. Because they are standing there, like, all day long in the heat, you know, just making sure the bridge is doing okay. It's safe. And then they make that jump over the edge. Down they go. Down the hatch. Quick pause as we say thanks to today's partner, Rosetta Stone. One thing we've learned from traveling is how much richer the experience is when you can communicate with the locals in the native language. From ordering your favorite dish to striking conversations at markets, language is the bridge to authentic connections. That's why I've been focused on learning Spanish these past few months. Although I'm not using my Spanish skills on this trip, it's nice to know that I can practice anywhere we go and even download the lessons with their audio companion tool. What makes Rosetta Stone unique is how it teaches. There's no overwhelming back and forth with translations. Instead, it immerses you in the language using visuals and context to help you think and respond in Spanish in a natural way. Another feature we love is the voice recognition tool. It's like having a personal coach guiding you to improve your pronunciation and sound more fluent. I've made it a part of my nightly routine spending just 10 minutes a day practicing. Right now, Rosetta Stone is offering an amazing deal with 60% off their lifetime subscription. This would be such a good gift for yourself or even a friend or loved one. Because with this one purchase, you unlock access to every language they offer as well as all future updates. If you're ready to feel confident speaking with locals on your next adventure, click the link in the description box below to learn more. Thanks again to Rosetta Stone for supporting this channel. And with all of that, back to the video. The one thing that Mel told us we could not leave Boston without trying is the cevapi. And these are small grilled beef sausages. They're so cute. I think we got 10. And then they also come with this grilled bread. I think you might be able to stuff it in there or just eat it all together. She also said that we had to try it with onions and cream cheese. But I don't think we have the cream cheese on this plate. I might ask the server for that. And then she also said that we must try it with a yogurt drink. And it looks really, really yummy. Very liquidy. And then we have something for dessert as well. I'm blanking on the name of it. Sorry, it's just so hot outside. I'm not doing as good as I normally do. But this dessert is a really delicious cookie. And they pour a syrup, like a sweet syrup on top of it. And I believe it's topped with crushed walnuts. So that's gonna be dessert. That looks good. Can I give it a try? Looks like a glass of thick milk. Yeah, it's like a thin yogurt. But it's really good. Kind of sour and tart. But I could see how if you grew up with this, you'd really crave it. Oh my goodness, these sausages are so soft. I just peeled this pita. It is also equally soft. It's just like tearing apart so easily. Very, very moist. And this paste here, it almost tastes like a pepper paste. A little bit bitter. Tiny bit of spice. Overall, this feels like a very healthy meal. Especially washing it down with this yogurt drink. It literally tastes like plain yogurt, liquefied. And it has almost like a cheesy aftertaste. There's something very addicting about the combination of the savory meats with this creamy yogurt. Alright, I want to give this dessert a little try. It's actually harder than I thought it would be. I thought it was gonna be very soft. It almost tastes like a combination of lemon and vanilla. And then the walnuts on the top give it a nice little crunch. Very syrupy. It does remind me a lot of the desserts in the Middle East. Very tasty. It's gonna melt so fast. I'm so glad we didn't get a cone this time. One of the things that our friend recommended to get is a scoop of vanilla ice cream from Bosnia in Herzegovina. And she told us to get this because it's a unique flavor. And it actually has like a beige color of some sort. Don't get hit. Don't get hit by the car. I'm gonna give it a taste. Spectacular. I feel like any ice cream right now would be so, so good. I can attest. It is very, very creamy and yummy. All the good things. We just ran through the streets of Mostar to catch the bus. And luckily we are not the last ones here. I was so nervous that we were gonna be the last ones. We were the last ones. He just said don't worry about it. Because we are. Oh no. Anyways, we were running because we were trying to get this last item. This is just plain vanilla ice cream. But Mel said that it's one of the best vanilla ice creams in the world. And she says you have to look for the one that's like beige in color. And so this one is definitely beige. What I've noticed about the ice cream here is that it's so easy for them to scoop. I don't know if it's because it's so hot outside. But when they're scooping it, it just looks so creamy and delicious. It literally tastes like you're eating heavy cream. Like you can taste the fattiness in the ice cream. While in Mostar, I was shopping along the cobblestone streets. And they're selling all sorts of different things. From scarves to lamps to hookahs. Lots of different options. But I was looking for an ornament for our Christmas tree. And I decided to go with this beautiful donkey. It's holding a blue blanket as well as a little pile of hay. And it has a cute little bell on it. So I just thought this was so perfect. Weirdly, the eyes look very realistic. And so this is going to be our Bosnia and Herzegovina ornament Our final stop on our day trip into Bosnia and Herzegovina is Kravice waterfall. I'm so excited for this. I've actually been waiting because it has been a brutally hot day. We've been sweating buckets. Getting all the toxins out. Which is good. It's healthy to sweat. But I am very excited to cool off. We're also running very low on water. Just a tiny bit left. And we forgot our credit card in the bus. So we're a little nervous about that. If I have to ask you, I'll be like, spare some water for us. This water is a lot colder than I thought it would be. Honestly, colder than the Adriatic Sea. For sure. Okay, count me off. Alright, 10. Start with 3. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Come on. 3, 2, 1. Come on, this is nothing compared to ice swimming in Finland. I don't know. It's all about the difference. Because it's so hot, it feels so cold. Whereas when you're cold, getting a little bit colder is not as hard, right? Yeah, I guess. Alright, I'll go for it. 3, 2, 1. Oh my gosh, my vision is getting better. Because of the adrenaline. It gets really deep all the time. Or maybe we're just short, but I cannot stand right here. Okay, it feels pretty good now. This is what my body's been needing. Let's go to the waterfall now. I'm going to try to keep the microphone above the water, guys. I feel like this is what you would imagine a magical lagoon to be like. In stories, in fairy tales, when they write it out in all the dramatic writing that they do, this is what I imagine. Yeah, like a secret spot. Where the water's glistening and it just looks like it's sparkling like glitter. I feel like fairies should be flying around my head right now. I noticed that there are a lot of waterfalls like this in Croatia, but they do not allow swimming anymore. I think to preserve the waterfall, but in Bosnia, I suppose, they don't have any rules yet. Yeah, I mean, they do have the line. Yeah, they do protect the waterfall itself, but I feel like maybe in a couple of years, we might not be able to swim here anymore. I don't know. Maybe. Just over 12 hours later, we have made it back to Split from our day trip to Mostar, and I will say this trip was really incredible. There was so much that we weren't able to capture in this video. There's a cat distracting me on camera. Hi, kitty. Special guest. Yeah, but there's so much that we weren't able to capture in this video just because as you're learning the history, you're observing it, and the city itself really was this mix of East and West, as we said. And as we've made it back into Split, I feel like I have a newfound appreciation for Croatia as a whole just because I have a better understanding of their neighbor and Yugoslavia and this entire region altogether. Yeah, it was so hard to capture everything that we learned on this tour. Our guides covered so much history, and we just couldn't translate everything that we were able to get from this tour into this video. We do highly recommend this tour. If you're interested, we'll link it in the description box. But that was just so wonderful. It makes me want to go back to Bosnia and Herzegovina one more time, or seven, ten, ten more times just to keep learning and experiencing that wonderful country. But thank you so much for joining us on this quick day trip over there. If you'd like to see where we go next, hit subscribe as we travel to 50 countries around the world. And with all that said, I'm gonna get some sleep. That was a long tour. Bye bye. Bye guys.