Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Glavaticevo: A Hidden Getaway
Our Road Trip continues. After finishing up our stay at the Boracko Lake, we drove the road further south to the little village Glavaticevo. The village is located on the upper stream of the river Neretva, and from the Boracko Lake it only takes 20 minutes to get there. Our main goal was to have lunch there and I want to show you some sights from this place in this post.
click on the images for a bigger view
South to Glavaticevo
Again, here is a map to show you where Glavaticevo is located. To get there you take the same side road from Konjic you take for the Boracko Lake. It's definitely a scenic route, as mountain ranges, river streams and curious places will pass you by. It takes about 40 minutes to get there by car from Konjic.
And one of those spots worth a stop are the abandoned buildings I showed earlier, as well as this gas station, that closed only a couple of years back.
Restaurant "Vrelo Biser"
This small, river side, restaurant called "Vrelo Biser" (translated "Pearl Spring") can be found after entering Glavaticevo after crossing a bridge that leads out of the village. Right after the bridge, you have to turn left, drive to a small gate to the parking spot. This place is run by a married couple and while it doesn't offer much food, what's there is well worth eating.
During colder days you can sit inside the house here, but the day was sunny and warm and we had to sit by the river and enjoy the sights.
There are two fronts of tables. One in the small garden, and the other right next to the river Neretva. The stream here is fast and fresh, and amazing to look at.
Relaxing the Soul
As we sat down, calm immediatley took over. I can't really describe the feeling of sitting here. Maybe we needed the rest after a long drive, maybe we were hungry, but whatever the reason, I know that at this point we knew that it was well worth taking the road trip. A swinging chair can be found next to the tables, and while you wait for your food, you can enjoy it as well.
Lots of cats are living here, and are also waiting for your food order to arrive. But they are very cute and not to invasive. Mostly they enjoy the food and love here that they get from the visitors, but also sleeping during a warm and sunny day.
Food
We ordered freshly grilled trout, and they make it right outside on an open grill. The smells are so good, and make you even more impatient to eat. But its also very nice to look at, and I think that the owners build everything themselves here out of wood and stones. Everything is carefully designed and has a certain rustic charm.
The food is very affordable here, and you get a lot for your money. We ordered the fish, potatoes, salad, homemade bread and fresh cheese as well as drinks. 4 of us ate for a total of 30$, which was not a lot. We were surprised, but above all, it was fresh and delicious. I really recommend this establishment.
The Road Home
After our lunch was over, we drove a little bit more through the countryside, until eventually heading back home. The whole road trip took us 7-8 hours in total, and was very relaxing. On another note, it was a new part of Bosnia and Herzegovina that I didn't explore before. Upon returning I definitely made the decision to go back here, and explore this area even further. And I hope to do that very soon.
What do you think of Glavaticevo?
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Our Road Trip to Boracko Lake
This past weekend a previously unvisited destination waited for us. While I already posted some countryside images of abandoned buildings from our road trip, in this post I want to share one of two main destinations of our latest venture. As you will quickly notice, the images from this day were taken with my phone camera, since I forgot my Canon at home. Don't ask me how it happened. It was a first for me as well. But I hope you will enjoy the sights nonetheless.
click on the images for a bigger view
Getting to Boracko Lake
In order to get to Boracko Lake (by car), you have to take a side road out of the city Konjic, which will lead you up the mountains. The drive is not long from Konjic, only 25 minutes. Of course you have to get to Konjic first. We took the main road (M-17) from Mostar, which is a 1 hour drive. The same road leads from the capital city Sarajevo to Konjic as well, and is also about a 1 hour drive. I think the best option is to get here by car. Buses are few and far between, and I'm not sure if they get to the actual lake.
The Road up the Mountains
I will say that you have to drive carefully up these mountains. The road is narrow in some places, but mostly it's a two-lane road. Anyway, driving slowly up the mountains has another advantage (except getting to the lake safely). You get to really enjoy the sights. At a quick stop, I snapped the shot of the city Konjic in the distance (photo above).
You can see an example of the curvy and steep mountain road in the shot below. It only takes 15 minutes to drive up the hills, and then the drive stabilizes and you drive through the mountain valleys which is much more enjoyable.
Another stop along the way is a lookout spot before you arrive into the valley where the Boracko Lake is. From here you can see the surrounding mountains and landscapes. We took our time here, making photos and enjoying the sights.
Definitely bring food and water with you, since you won't find any stores here. Restaurants and cafes are also few an not to be found at the lake, especially during the off-season. I don't know what the situation in the summer is. There is however a great restaurant a bit down the road, where we ended up having lunch, but that will be the subject of the next post.
Arriving at the Boracko Lake
There is not much to be found on the actual shores of the lake that shows signs of life. Some abandoned buildings are dotted along the lake, and when you arrive you have the choice to park your car at a small parking lot or drive down the road to the auto camp which is on the other side of the lake (photo below). Parking is free in the off-season and as far as I have heard only costs 2 KM (cca 1.1 $) in the summer season.
We stayed on the east side of the lake, and took a stroll to the shore. You can park your car here and take a big hike all the way to the other side of Boracko Lake. But since we had more plans on this day, we decided to keep our visit short.
About Boracko Lake
Boracko Lake is nested between the Prenj, Bjelasnica and Visocica mountains. The lake is open to the public for camping, swimming and BBQs. On the west side, by the aforementioned auto camp you will find a restaurant (also only open in the Summer season) and a great freshwater stream and plenty of shade. Boracko lake is a glacier lake, which means that it's formed when a glacier erodes the land, and then melts, filling the hole or space that it has created with water.
Our Road Trip Continues...
As I mentioned, we had other destinations on our map for this day, so we only stayed at Boracko Lake for about half an hour. Our next stop was a small village located further south on the road we were traveling on. But more on that in my next post. As we departed the lake, the mountains took over again and spectacular views were in front of us (like the next shot with the Boracko Lake in the distance)
Rugged landscapes were on each side of the road, that took us to our next stop...
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Abandoned Buildings in Bosnian Countryside
While on a recent in-country travel (the fruits of which you will see in the upcoming week), somewhere in the vast countryside of central Bosnia and Herzegovina, I spotted these run-down and abandoned houses. I stopped my car on the side of the road, and took a look around. Even though there is lots of beauty here (and I hope to show that to you in the images from the actual destinations from that day) these rugged sights somehow caught my attention first.
click on the images for a bigger view
When you stand in front of these houses, you can't help but wonder, who lived here, and what these houses were used for. Like in the shot above, the huge entrance into the building is a mystery to me.
On the right side from the houses a destroyed building can be seen. I have no idea what it once was, but by the looks of it seems like a old school or factory.
But there were also functioning buildings here, waiting to be discovered.
After a couple of steps towards the houses I saw a well kept church and a gate leading towards it.
The church is located on the most beautiful field. A small graveyard can be found behind the church towards the hills.
After I took the images, It was time to continue the road trip.
Are there any sights in the countryside like these here, in your parts of the world?