Bosnia 2025
The 2025 J&J trip was booked for November, slotted neatly between summer holidays and antenatal classes. With short days and colder weather, we opted for a credit-card tour and, for the first time ever, didn’t bring a tent. We are getting soft.
We had originally planned to bike tour and had lined up a guy in Sarajevo to buy bikes from. However, the quality was not great. They were dubbed “shimango” by a the proper bike shop we fixed a puncture at.
Day 1 After an early flight and a taxi into Sarajevo, we stopped for a coffee in the main square. On the one hand it was very clean and pleasant; on the other, we were struck by the remaining scars of the 1990s war. Deserted buildings and shell holes never far out of sight.
We collected the bikes from our guy and then headed out toward the mountains, booking a hotel on the outskirts of the city. The weather was cool but bright, with blue skies and t-shirt conditions in the sun. The hotel seemed to cater mainly to business travellers. We never managed to find the spa, but we did use the swimming pool. The food, a theme throughout the trip, was mediocre. At least the beer was cheap, at around £1 a pint.
Day 2 On our first proper day we set off toward the mountains, following the Bikepacking Highline Bosnia route. Unfortunately, we were plagued almost immediately by shimango bike issues, most frustratingly a loosening square-taper crank. Despite several helpful garages repeatedly tightening it, we could not get it to hold.
We made it through Hadžići and on to the “last food shop” at Tarčin, where we stopped for lunch. After that the route climbed steeply, and as we neared the top of the road it became clear we should divert toward civilisation. Accommodation along the route was sparse, and progress on the dodgy bikes was slow. We decided to aim for Konjic instead, enjoying a long descent into town.
Day 3 With the ongoing bike problems, we decided to try some hiking instead. The nearby peak of Zelena Glava seemed like a good challenge. The plan was to cycle to the trailhead, hike the mountain, then cycle back: a Zelena day trip.
Locals, perhaps a little wary of the mountains, warned us it was too late in the season and likely to be cold and snowy. With a good forecast, we decided to go for it anyway.
As usual, we didn’t start as early as planned. Things deteriorated further when I snapped a square-taper crank while cycling to the trailhead. We ditched the bikes and hitched the final few miles to the start of the hike.
The mountain itself was stunning. The initial climb followed a wide double-track path, then transitioned into a stream bed before finally narrowing into a classic single track. We nearly turned back due to fading daylight, but as we approached the summit we caught up with the early starters and decided to push on. The final section involved a bit of scrambling, but with cables in place it wasn’t too challenging.
On the descent, we ran into a couple of Serbians driving back through Konjic who kindly gave us a lift, saving a 10 km walk in the dark. Our bikes, it turned out, had been stolen from the roadside.
Day 4 With the bikes gone and hiking ticked off, we took the train south to Mostar. The journey was spectacular, following the river and lake, with views back toward Zelena Glava where we’d been the day before.
Mostar itself was heavily touristed, so we hiked up the mountain outside the city to get a better view from above.
I’m not sure you’d call it a highlight, but we also explored the abandoned sniper tower, which was used during the war as a hide. They don’t try very hard to keep you out, and the graffiti inside is surprisingly good. The tower rises several storeys and offers an excellent view over the city.
We took the train back to Sarajevo in the evening.
Day 5
We started the day with a visit to the 1984 Olympic bobsled track — more abandoned structure exploration. This was incredibly cool, and I’d love to come back and ride down it on a bike.
We finished the trip by ticking off some Sarajevo tourist spots, including the site of the 1914 assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Pretty cool to see the spot that sparked WW1 and arguably then shaped the course of the 20th century.
