KOMARNA Sightseeing
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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
Unfortunately the train no longer run from Ploce and Metkovic to
Sarajevo in the morning, but you can cross the border and jump on the
morning train in Capljina. Check train schedules here.
It is a fantastic journey with the railway planned and build by Austrian engineers during the Austria-Hungarian rule?
If you start in the early
morning, 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.
In the morning you can board the train in Capljina. In the beginning 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 to plan your visit.
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.
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 in the morning you can catch the train in Capljina
in BiH. The railway staion is at the very end of the main road leading
into and through Capljina
Please remember your passports as you are going to cross an international border on the way to Capljina.
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.
The trains can be very full Friday to Sunday.
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.
Remember your passports as you are going to cross an international border.