Hostel Nina is the kind of place you could stumble upon in Mostar and feel like you have just come home.

The family living there owns the huge mansion with so many rooms spanning three floors. They are gracious hosts, picking one from the station on arrival and dropping you off on the day of your departure. They offer two kinds of packaged tours. The first, a war tour that essentially is a walking tour in the city about 4 hours long with a price tag of 15 euros per person. The second, a day trip offers a visit to four different attractions; Blagaj, Pocitelj, Kravice waterfalls and Medjugorje and the price for this tour is 30 euros per person including breakfast. The guides not only know the area very well, but had experienced the war and can relate to you first-hand what life was like when Mostar was under siege.

Tour of Mostar

Our tour guide. He shared what life was like as a teenager growing up in the Bosnia War. Many of his classmates didn’t survive the war.

Our first stop is Blagaj tekke or the Dervish Monastery. The tekke located at the spring of the Buna river, is a building made specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood.  It was built around 1520, with elements of old Turkish-Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style, and considered a national monument in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  There is a Turkish restaurant nearby and some kiosks that sell souvenirs, turkish artifacts and religious clothing.

Dervish house

Kiosks nearby the Dervish House selling crafts, souvenirs, religious artifacts

POCITELJ, a beautiful ancient fortress known for its 15th century Oriental architecture is our second stop.  This Ottoman-era fortress built in 1383 by Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko, as a main stronghold against Turkish conquest in Neretva valley, is one of the most picture-perfect architectural ensembles in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Pocitelj fortress

Climbing the fortress

Fortress walls

Inside the fortress

Views of the River Neretva and mosque near the fortress

KRAVICE WATERFALLS, very popular with tourists is a great place to relax in the summer. There is as well nearby, a little cafe serving Bosnian food, a picnic area and camping place. There are rafting activities, kayaking and swimming if you would want to cool off in the chilly clear waters.

Kravice waterfalls

The restaurant at Kravice waterfalls

A Bosnian meal of Cevapcici ( grilled meat sticks) and bread accompanied by salad

Swim at your own risk

Plank pathway to the waterfalls

Wedding at Kravice waterfalls

Our final stop is at MEDJUGORJE which is considered quite unique to the Catholic faithfuls as it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to a group of children in 1981. This village parish as a result has become a place of gathering for a multitude of pilgrims from the whole world. During the time of our visit there was an annual youth fest celebrating 25 years, and crowds of faithfuls thronging the church.

Booth at the Youthfest Medugorje

Faithfuls attending the youth fest at Medugorje

Church service going on

Confessionals in language of choice

This tour made possible by our friendly hosts at Hostel Nina. Opinions and pictures my own of course.