KOMARNA Sightseeing
A
train journey to and from Sarajevo
The Capital of BiH
The Capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Paris of the Balkan. The old centre was built under Austrian rule and is architecturally related to other central European cities such as Vienna.
Sarajevo is a treat in itself. Going there is a pleasant experience for the eyes as well. Going by rail or road you will pass through some of the most beautiful and varied landscape on the Balkans, and you can do it all on a day trip.
By Train to Sarajevo
How about a fantastic train journey with the railway planned and build by Austrian engineers during the Austria-Hungarian rule?
If
you start in the early morning from Ploce or
Metkovic, it is possible
to return again late in the evening, and you will have had more than
six
hours to explore Sarajevo. You will be
pleasantly
surprised by how much has been rebuilt since the civil war in the 90s.
Today the city and its people are thoroughly modern. However, it is
unfortunately
also now a city sharply divided into a Serb and a Croat/Bosnian part.
It is also possible to just jump off in Mostar, and return with the next express which will give you about four hours to see Mostar. However, if you do get off in Mostar you will have missed a trip through the wildest and the most romantic country side on the Balkans.
The
train starts in Ploce, but it is most convenient to board it in
Metkovic. In the beginning train follows the Neretva
River and gives you a good impression of the fertile delta and the
areas
that have been left as a natural reserve. At Gabela, the old border
town
with Herzegovina the train starts a gradual and - at first - very
modest
climb up along the Neretva River. After 1.5 hour, you reach Mostar.
From Mostar, the scenery really starts to be impressive. The train rides on through the Naranta River valley with waterfalls and hydroelectric power plants, on to the Glogosnica Valley and to Jablanica that is famous for mountain climbing. If you come there by car, the delicious roast lamb that you can buy everywhere makes an unrivalled meal. Some of the roadside restaurants even use the water in the mountain streams to power the spears rotating with roasting lambs.
Then the
train runs into
Trascanica Valley, a wild and romantic
countryside. After that it runs along the frontier
between
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is also the watershed between the Black
Sea
and The Adriatic.
Finally, there is a steep slope where the train goes into two serpentine turns. It used to be a toothed rail, and the last 10 minutes go through suburbs into Sarajevo.
In Sarajevo
If you need to change money to the convertible BiH Mark, you
may do so at
the post office next to the railway station.
There are several places and museums worth visiting in Sarajevo. Please
check this web page on
Virtualturist to plan your visit. 6-7 hours may be too much
for just shopping and walking
around.
Take the tram (streetcar) outside the station and jump off in
the centre.
Be careful going back that you take a tram that will stop at the
railway station. It used to be number 1.
The
National Museeum is quite close to the station. It only takes 10
minutes to walk there, and it is really worth a visit. Especially, the
archaeological part is very well-organized and interesting. Apart from
archaeology, there is a natural history and an ethnological museum. To
find the museum walk south-east following the tram tracks. At the first
big road crossing at the technical school and the US consulate you will
see the museum on the opposite side of the road. Do spend some time at
the museum and rest in the beautiful botanical garden in the center.
From the museum there is 30 minutes brisk walk to the center, or jump
on a tram. The train returns around 18:00 - and check the timetable!!
There is a 45 minute fast walk from the center to the train station and
don't rely on the trams. There are often problems late in the afternoon
where everything stops. When that happens, all taxis are off course
also occupied. Leave the center with plenty of spare time to enable you
to walk - should there be problems.
Planning the trip
Going to Sarajevo you can catch the train in Ploce or in Metkovic. You can check the times by visiting the railway station in Ploce or Metkovic or call (385) (1) 457 74 61.
The price of a train journey is quite reasonable. It almost makes
you think about the "good old days" in the 70s
where prices were way lower than in Western Europe, but also be
prepared that it will not be a journey in luxury. The material is old
and worn down, but acceptable.
If you make the journey off-season, please remember that Sarajevo is in
the mountains (it was the seat of the Winter Olympics in 1984) and the
weather can be much colder than it is at the coast.
Please remember your passports as you are going to cross an international border.