The article was originally submitted by Rohit Agarwal, an architecture who loves exploring new places.
1. Dakshineswar & Kali Ghat
Photo by shankar s., CC BY 2.0
Dakshineswar is one of the most popular pilgrimage centres for Hindus. The town is located in the proximity to the city of Kolkata. Here you can find Kali temple, one of the many temples in the compound situated on the banks of the Hooghly river. There is also Kali Ghat in the temple which are the steps leading to the river. In the same complex, there are 12 Shiva Shrines, Radha Gobinda temple and the place where Ramakrishna Paramahamsa stayed for several years. Nature and bird lovers can arrive in the morning hours to see thousands of Pigeons being fed by bird feeders. After that, if they plan to visit Belur Math (another close-by place), they can take a boat ride from Dakshineswar.
This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Herzegovina.
The Ottoman rule over Bosnia officially ended in 1908 when the country was annexed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They have left the Bosnia for over 100 years now, but their influence over Bosnian culture is hard to ignore. The famous burek was a traditional Ottoman food; Bosnians still drink a lot of Turkish coffee; 40% of the population are Muslims; folk music sounds remarkably Turkish, and most old buildings in Old quarters were built in Ottoman style.
This article was submitted by alinesarajevo, a traveler in Bosnia.
If you are somewhat outdoorsy and planning a Balkans vacation, there is simply no excuse not to take a Green Visions (www.greenvisions.ba) trip. Green Visions, an eco-tourism agency based in Sarajevo, has been leading treks in the Bosnian mountains from May to October for over a decade now (as well as offering other types of travel, such as white-water rafting). They are well organized, decently priced, and their trained guides have a knowledge of all the mountain areas that have still not been cleared of land mines.
By ISA BELLE
The Old Town, or Stari Most as the locals say, is the pride of Mostar. It was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 2005. The showpiece is the famous Old Bridge (Stari Most), built by the Ottomans in the 15th century and characterized by cobblestones, truly a beautiful place. The bridge, however, is not as old as you may suspect. It was destroyed during the Bosnian war and has been rebuilt since and opened just in 2004.
This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Herzegovina.
Partisans or Yugoslav partisans were a communist-led resistance movement during the Second World War who fought both the Axis of power in Yugoslavia and their collaborators. Thanks to them, Yugoslavia was the only country in Eastern Europe not liberated by outside forces but by its own people. This led to a lot of praises for these heroes and massive support for the communists after the war. Because of the overwhelming support for former partisans, their leader, Josip Broz Tito, abandoned other political parties in Yugoslavia as he deemed it unnecessary.
This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Mostar, Herzegovina.
Trebinje is a city in the far south of Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of Republika Srpska entity. Only 10km from the Adriatic Sea and 24 km by road to the jewel of Dubrovnik makes it a perfect day trip from there. It is a little bit longer by bus from Mostar for those who want to start the excursion from there.
Banja Luka is the capital of Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As you can see from the name, the population of Republika Srpska consists of mainly Bosnian Serbs versus Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats from the Federation. Banja Luka has around 200,000 people, making it the second biggest city, after Sarajevo. Over the past year, I have visited a lot of places in the Federation, but I have never properly been in the Republika Srpska. Thus I was curious to go there and see whether it would be any different from the Federation. I know that I should visit the entire entity to come to a clear conclusion, but I don’t have the opportunity to do that–and nobody ever will see something in its entirety–so I thought the capital was a good place to start.
This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Mostar, Herzegovina.
45 minutes north of Mostar is an area perfect for hiking, called Diva Grabovia. It is a perfect example of Karst landscape, defined by layers of bedrocks. If you are not familiar with this geographical term, it’s just incredibly beautiful nature with high mountains and the magical turquoise Neretva River flowing in between. People made an effort to turn this area into a recreational place where you can have the most wonderful hikes.
This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Mostar, Herzegovina.
In my last article, you can read about the cross on the Hum, the hill dominating Mostar. Although being a topic for argument, it’s one of my favorite places. Not because it is a cross (I think it’s ugly) but because the space takes me away to nature while being in a big city, and offers stunning views of the hills and mountains that surround Mostar.
This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Mostar, Herzegovina.
You cannot miss it when you are in or around Mostar: the huge cross (33 m tall) on the Hum Hill which dominates the city. You can see the cross from most spots in Mostar because it is illuminated even at night. It seems to stand there quietly and peacefully, but nothing could be less real.
This cross has been a topic of discussion ever since it was first erected in 2000. The cross is, of course, a religious symbol for the Catholic Croats in Mostar; it’s a part of their religion. According to Bishop of Mostar who spoke at the opening ceremonies and dedication for the cross, “its presence there is “to spread the fruit of peace to all sides of the world.”
My name is Cindy, also rhymes with travel junkie. A friend said I was probably a gipsy in my previous life. One of my many secret missions in life is to convert you to run off every once in awhile.
