Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 9:00-16:00; Nov-March Mon-Fri 7:00-15:00, closed Sat-Sun; tel. 036/
752-705,
www.muzej-jablanica.com
)
.
Continuing alongthemain road,thenextmajor townis
Konjic,
knownforitstraditional
woodworking.ThemountainsaboveKonjicareapopularplaceforwhitewaterrafting.Also
in those mountains, Tito had a failsafe bunker—one of many such complexes throughout
Yugoslavia where he could retreat in case of invasion or worse. This one has been opened
as a museum, but it requires a reservation (call the Konjic TI at 036/728-123). Konjic's old
bridge (which you'll see on the right as you drive over the modern bridge) dates from the
same era as Mostar's Old Bridge. Both Jablanica and Konjic were held by Muslim forces
during the 1990s war, which made them relatively safe havens, especially compared to
Mostar or Sarajevo.
From Konjic, the road climbs up to
Ivan Planina
mountain, the geographical boundary
between Herzegovina and Bosnia. Along this rugged road, you'll pass the deserted village
of
Bradina;
soon after, just before the tunnel, is a huddle of abandoned homes. This is
the birthplace of Ante Paveli
ć
—the Bosnian Croat who led the ruthless Nazi-puppet Ustaše
forces during World War II.
Passing through the
Ivan Tunnel
(nearly a half-mile long), you enter Kanton Sarajevo
(
kanton
, based on the Swiss canton model, means roughly “county”). In addition to sep-
arating Herzegovina from Bosnia, this tunnel marks a dramatic weather divide—from the
balmy, Mediterranean climate around Mostar to the chilly, continental climate of Sarajevo.
Windingdownintotheplainaround
Sarajevo,
you'llenterthecitylimits.Justbeforethe
Hotel Radon Plaza (on the right) is a pink, destroyed, student building—marking what was
the front line of the besieged area of wartime Sarajevo. Everything you'll pass from here on
out was under constant sniper fire for three and a half years (you're driving straight up what
was called “Sniper Alley”). As you continue to drive into town along the main drag, watch
for these landmarks: on the right, the wartime UN offices (in the former university student
center); on the left, the national TV headquarters (with a huge antenna array on the roof);
on the right, a huge new mosque built with donations from Malaysia (one of 10 in town fin-
anced by wealthy investors from the Muslim world); on the left, the distinctive, blue, and
aptly named Avaz Twist Tower, hosting the offices of Bosnia's main newspaper (
Dnevni
Avaz,
“DailyVoice”);alsoontheleft,theUSEmbassy,followedbythefamousHolidayInn
(built for the 1984 Olympics, and later a safe refuge for wartime journalists); and, across
the street from the Holiday Inn, the restored Bosnian Parliament building. From here, keep
following the river into the city center—going through the Austro-Hungarian part of town,
passing the place where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, andwinding upat Sa-
rajevo's Old Town, the Baš
č
aršija.
