It is always nice to be able to see a few cities in various countries to really get an idea of what the country has to offer. I left Sarajevo to head south to Mostar to see another side of Bosnia. My hostel is just a few blocks from the center of old town and I immediately headed to one of the most famous landmarks in Mostar, the Old Bridge. For a different view of what the bridge has to offer, take a look at some crazy Red Bull cliff divers.

I decided to take a day tour and see some of the site that aren’t exactly within walking distance of the hostel. The first stop was a little village town called Blagaj that had some of the clearest and most beautiful water I have ever seen! Along the river is a house/monastery that was for Dervish cults and is still considered one of the most mystical places in all of Bosnia. Out of respect, we were asked to cover up and scarves were provided.

The next stop was to the St. James church at Medjugorje. This town became famous because three teenage girls said the Virgin Mary appeared to them. The city is now considered a pilgrimage site for people from around the world.

Even though the weather has been dreary, nothing was going to stop me from jumping into the beautiful Kravica waterfalls! The water was about 8° Celsius and definitely woke up all my senses!

The last stop of my great day was at Pocitelj. According to the locals, after the war in 1991, only 5 families returned to the area and the damage caused ruined any chance of the area being added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list.

Overall, Mostar and the surrounding areas proved to be a fantastic experience!