MOSTAR
Heading south west towards the Croatian coast we pass close to Mostar, and decide to spend a couple of days visiting the area. We find a lovely small campsite right alongside the river in the village of Blagaj, a short bus ride from busy Mostar.
BLAGAJ is only a small village, 3000 residents but it has a number of interesting sites to see. Inhabited since 7000BC and once an important Roman fortress town, it has a massive fortified complex, a couple of beautiful stone bridges and the Dervish House. Built around 1520 under a high cliff and next to the spring of the Buna River, and the religious home to the Nakshibendi Dervish order, the Dervish dance, a ritual of spinning into a trance is regularly performed here.
Our campsite the ‘Aganovac River Camp’ is just a small camp, and would accommodate only about 5 campers, it is situated right along-side the River Buna and one of the most picturesque camps we have stayed at. Fish are abundant in the river and we have an excellent meal of freshly caught trout (not by us) at a restaurant close to the camp.
Most means ‘bridge’ and Mostar has a very famous bridge, the ‘Stari Most’, a single arched stone bridge dating from the 16th century. It was repeatedly bombed by the Croatian Army in an act of deliberate and provocative vandalism, and dramatically destroyed on Nov 9th, 1993. Targeted because it was a graceful symbol of a proud city, where Muslims and Christians had lived in peace together for centuries.
Reconstructed in 2004 using some of the same methods used originally as well as modern technology, it is now under the protection of UNESCO. It is a beautiful bridge and hopefully will stand forever more as a symbol of reunification
The bridge is also famous for it’s divers, crazy men that plunge over 20 meters into an icy river. The day we were there a couple stood on the railing and tried to get enough people to contribute for a dive, 150 euro a dive, 40 euro a jump, but alas not enough interest, they did look pretty good standing on the rail in their Speedo's though.
posted by Brian and Julie @ 5:08:00 AM
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