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.
This August, my friend Ian and I signed up for a two-day hike to mine-free Bjelasnica, a stunning mountain only twenty minutes outside Sarajevo. There were six of us: a French diplomat and his Bosnian girlfriend, a German psychology professor, Ian (UN intern) and I, and our intrepid Green Visions leader. Before the war, our guide was a concert flutist with the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, and then spent most of the ‘90s as a refugee in Holland. His runner-up location for asylum, he told us, was Vermont – simply for its mountains.
I’ve lived in Vermont and so am spoiled for views, but beautiful Bjelasnica and the surrounding peaks that weekend still impressed. Bjelasnica hosted the men’s alpine-skiing events in the Winter Olympics of ’84, and the steep incline was pretty tough at the beginning until most of us hit our strides. After lunch, the French-Bosnian couple requested a less strenuous pace, and our guide generously accommodated them. By mid-afternoon, we were already in the tiny village of Umoljani, where we spent the night in a traditional lodge. Unfortunately, Ian and I only had 4 Bosnian marks between us (at the time of writing, two dollars and sixty cents) and so could not haggle for any of the handmade mittens being hawked by charming roadside vendors. We also could not purchase much to drink with the (otherwise included) delicious dinner, and this is my only real complaint about the trip.
Green Visions should tell you to bring a little money on the trail! Despite small finance issues, the quality of the meals and company was excellent, and the scenery was incredible. This country’s biggest assets are its natural resources, which anyone will see by doing a Google image search for ‘Bosnian mountains.’ Yet the German professor told the group he was traveling alone because he couldn’t convince anyone to come to Bosnia with him. “They just think of the war.” This is a common refrain despite the fact that the war was now fifteen years ago. Bosnia is a gorgeous and affordable gem, especially for anyone who loves nature.
Book a tour or DIY – either way it’s a must-see.
Photo Credit: tamasvarga67 via Compfight cc
I'm a motivation explorer, personality type hacker, behavioral investigator and storyteller. I help startup founders, entrepreneurs, and corporate managers to understand themselves, the people they manage and how to get the best of their people. Specialty is in psychological personality types and brain-based methods. When I don't do the above, I hop around planet Earth with TravelJo.com to learn the Art and Science of people from everywhere and to give you all the free travel and tips and advice in many cool destinations.
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.
