Bósnia e Herzegovina
Antes de visitar a Bósnia e Herzegovina, eu tinha uma capital assustada, sombria e triste em mente - Sarajevo. No entanto, ela era completamente diferente do que eu imaginava: centro da cidade moderno, arranha-céus, um charmoso mercado antigo otomano e os bairros de diferentes estilos arquitetônicos - todos misturados, mas mantidos em ordem ao mesmo tempo.
Sarajevo é limpa, maravilhosamente localizado em um vale verde rodeado pelas colinas. É um lugar bastante agradável de se ver num fim de semana, é definitivamente um lugar único e fora da rota...
... mas não tão único e espetacular quanto Mostar e Blagaj - essas cidades parecem ter sido tiradas diretamente de um filme da Disney ou de um belo conto de fadas. Quase completamente destruída durante a guerra na Iugoslávia, agora perfeitamente restaurada e ficando bastante popular entre os turistas - então se apresse antes que ela perca sua autenticidade, como tantas outras cidades européias.
Mais sobre a Bósnia e Herzegovina nos artigos abaixo:
Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is probably one of the least known and visited European capitals. It's not big, populated by less than half a million people. However, the history of Sarajevo is so rich, complex and turbulent that even if the city had given half of its past away to some of the world's greatest metropolises, it would still be enormously interesting for a foreign visitor. Strolling down the streets of the old town, you'll get the impression that it was glued together from pieces that came from all parts of Europe and the Middle East: at one corner, you'll think you're in Prague admiring Christian churches and a street later when you notice oriental stalls, bazaars and Ottoman Mosques, you'll feel as if you were transported to Istanbul.
Mostar is a really living fairy tale town. The stone bridge, the cosy houses and the unreal, green river will transport you to a different, fantasy world. Mostar is very easy to get to, not so expensive and still considered off the beaten path. However, due to its tiny size, during the peak season, you may find it hard to believe as there are so many crowds everyhwere that it's difficult to squeeze through while walking down the narrow, little streets.
It's unbelievable that this unique, one of a kind place was almost completely destroyed by the devastating war as recently as 30 years ago. You won't find many traces of it in the old town area, however. It’s been perfectly restored but it’s a bit sad to realize that the amazing bridge is rebuilt, not original. There are still a few bullet holes in some of the walls that are silent witnesses of those tragic events. Nevertheless, nowadays, the overall atmosphere is idyllic and Mostar is extremely picturesque. If you didn’t hear about the war, after visiting Mostar, you wouldn't even notice that it actually happened. It’s perfectly safe and it's one of those many amazingly charming towns you must see in the Balkans.