By Travis Gill of viajarMOTO.com
A Winter Paradise No Longer In Conflict
My earliest childhood memory of the Winter Olympic Games was in 1984. I have fond memories of our family gathered around our 25-inch television and watching the ABC Sports evening broadcasts from a strange-sounding city called Sarajevo (Sar-uh-yey-voh) within the communist country of Yugoslavia. I remember watching events like speed skating, alpine skiing, ski jumping, and bobsled racing for the first time in my life, and I discovered an interest in learning about the athletes who would come to compete in this pinnacle of world competition.
It felt surreal to be entering a country in which I never would have imagined visiting in the childhood version of myself, yet here we were crossing the border from Montenegro UPSHIFT ISSUE 59 into Bosnia and Herzegovina. These Balkan border crossings were now becoming routine, and consisted of the standard documents: passport, motorcycle registration, purchasing insurance from the nearby kiosk, and a negative PCR test for COVID. The professional border agent stamped our passports and handed us our documents with a smile. We returned with a courteous “Hvala” (thank you), twisted our throttles, and pointed our handlebarstowards the capital city of Sarajevo.
Sarajevo – The Jerusalem of Europe
The capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina is steeped in history that originated from the Ottoman Empire of the 15th century. The Turkish influences can still be seen today in much of the marketplaces, bazaars, mosques, and architecture throughout the city, especially in the Baščaršija – the cultural center of the city. We enjoyed walking along Bravadžiluk Street where markets were abuzz with merchants, elderly ladies feeding pigeons, children playing and laughing, and the occasional call to prayer that blankets the city in the soothing sounds of rhythmic Arabic being broadcast from the loud-speakers from the minaret towers.
In the 16th century, the city’s first Serb Orthodox church was built. Jews, fleeing persecution from Spain and Portugal, arrived and built the first synagogue of Veliki Hram. Within the next century, the Sacred Heart Cathedral was built by the Roman Catholics. Today, this scenic city has over fifty mosques, synagogues, cathedrals, and churches that symbolize the religious and cultural diversity that has existed for centuries.
Ethnic Rooted Conflict
Although Sarajevo had enjoyed centuries of religious tolerance and freedom, the ethnic hatred between Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats continued through the 20th century. Under the iron-fisted leadership of Yugoslavian President, Josip Tito, the ethnic tensions were kept in check. When the dictator died in 1980, Yugoslavia spiraled into chaos as the various republics and ethnic groups expressed the desire to be independent. By April 1992, tensions escalated into an all out war that resulted in ethnic cleansing, shelling of cities, towns, and landmarks, the death of nearly 100,000 people, and the displacement of over 2.2 million. Prior to the recent Russian invasions of Ukraine, it was the most devastating conflict in Europe since World War II.
Although the Bosnia War ended in December 1995, we could still see reminders of the devastation 26 years later. We came across the skeletal remains of many buildings with large sections of broken concrete, warped rebar, and collapsed roofs. The destruction was seen on apartments, military barracks, churches, and in cemeteries where we noticed many headstones dated from 1992-1995. We observed many memorials of red-colored resin that filled the scarred remains of broken concrete, created from mortar shell explosions that fragmented into patterns that look similar to a flower. Each of these “Sarajevo Roses” are a reminder that at least three people were killed here, and there are over 200 of these memorials throughout the city of Sarajevo.
If the violent past of the Bosnian War makes Bosnia and Herzegovina sound dangerous, it’s important to remember that the country of today is not defined by its challenging past. All throughout our travels of this beautiful country we found a feeling of hope and excitement for the future. Locals would stop and talk with us about our travels and generally wanted us to enjoy our time in their wonderful country.
Plenty of Roads to Ride – With a Caveat
Not only is Bosnia and Herzegovina an excellent place to be a tourist, it also happens to be a brilliant country to ride a motorcycle. We thoroughly enjoyed some memorable early spring riding through picturesque mountain passes and lush grassland valleys surrounded by snow-capped mountains. For those looking to enjoy the remote backcountry there are many dirt roads to explore as long as you observe the warnings about land mines.
Yes, land mines! Unfortunately millions of land mines were buried along political and military borders during the war, resulting in a country that has the most severe land mine problem in the world. Although efforts are being made to clear the mines, there are still tens of thousands that are waiting to be cleared or have not been found. Sticking to established trails that have been routed by locals is the best practice; for example, the Trans Euro Trail that winds 380 miles (610 km) through the southern part of the country and connects Croatia to the west and Montenegro to the south.
Mostar – A Symbol of Reconciliation and Cooperation
Two hours southwest of Sarajevo is the historic town of Mostar. This UNESCO World Heritage site is rich in history, culture, and a famous bridge that was originally built in 1566 during the Ottoman era. This iconic arched bridge is simply named Stari Most (old bridge) and connects the city which is split in half by the Neretva River. During the Bosnian War, Croatian forces shelled the stone bridge until it collapsed into the river below. This was a historical blow to the Bosniak Muslims which considered Stari Most to be an exemplary piece of Islamic architecture.
After the war, the United States and other European nations provided millions of dollars to restore the town and the historic bridge. The reconstruction was done through the combined expertise of Hungarian, Spanish, and Turkish engineers to ensure it remained historically close to the original. In July 2004, the bridge was inaugurated with the hopes that it would help reunify Mostar from the wounds of war. As we admired this beautiful town and bridge from the river shore, we hoped that time would indeed heal the country and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Olympic Ruins
The highlight of our time in Bosnia and Herzegovina was visiting the Olympic sites that I remembered watching as a child. Most notably are the ruins of the bobsled track at Mount Trebević and the ski-jumping facility at Mount Igman.
We decided to reach the bobsled track by leaving the motorcycles at our hotel and riding the Sarajevo Cable Car up the mountain. The modern cable car provided a relaxing 9-minute ride that transported us from the hustle of the city streets to the relaxed forested hiking trails of Mount Trebević and the 4,300 foot (1,300 meter) bobsled and luge track, built specifically for the Winter Olympic Games of 1984. This track continued to be used for World Cup competitions until it was damaged during the Surge of Sarajevo in 1992 when Serb forces used the area for artillery positions. After the war, it became a canvas for graffiti artists and thrill-seeking mountain-bicyclists who would plummet down the largely intact concrete track. We ended up walking the entire length of the track while watching YouTube videos of bobsledders from the 1984 Olympics.
About 40 minutes southwest of Sarajevo is the ruins of the Olympic ski-jumping facility near Mount Igman. Like many places in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this facility was also destroyed during the Bosnian War. We cautiously entered the facility from a dirt-road to the north and parked our motorcycles in a lot halfway up the side of the steep slope where two massive ski-jumps were built. With a bit of trepidation, we slowly climbed the chipped concrete staircase of the tallest tower that was built (and never maintained) almost 40 years ago. Reaching the top and looking down the ski jump was adrenaline filled! The steepness and sheer height made us dizzy at the thought of fearless athletes plunging themselves down the ramp and soaring over 330 ft (100 meters) to the landing arena below.
After climbing down the tower we got back on our motorcycles and rode to the grassy verge at the bottom of the facility. This is where the 90,000 spectators of the 1984 Olympics would have watched the athletes soar from the ramps and land gracefully on the slopes below. We parked our motorcycles at the iconic Olympic podium and reflected on the incredible opportunity we’ve had to travel and experience the places of our childhood memories.
