Dubrovnik is an awesome destination in its own right. But it also happens to be a great base for day trips to other areas of the Balkans. While in Dubrovnik for a week in late May 2022, I took the opportunity to take a day trip to the Kravica Waterfall and Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina with some friends.
However, this day trip almost did not happen for two main reasons:
- I knew I wanted to spend more time in Bosnia & Herzegovina than just a day trip (and I still do). I’d like to go back to spend a bit more time in Mostar and see Sarajevo.
- The weather forecast had a 90% chance of all-day thunderstorms in Mostar.
I learned an important lesson that day: Don’t trust weather forecasts in this area of the Balkans. When we woke up in the morning, the chance of thunderstorms had gone down to almost 0%, and the day trip was a go.
One of our friends offered to pick up a rental car and drive, so we did a DIY tour. It was an $80 rental car + a $20 border crossing fee. However, this is a very popular trip, and you can find several group tours at similar price points. Still, the car gave us a bit more freedom for stopping at lookouts and food.
The Drive & Border Crossing
We piled five people into the small rental car and began the trip to the border, admiring views of the sea as we left Dubrovnik. At the border crossing, they asked the usual questions of the reason for and length of our visit. Then, we had to show all our passports plus COVID vaccination cards. One of my friends had gotten all three of their doses documented on three separate cards, which caused some confusion as we tried to explain that there was one person with three cards.
I’m 99% sure we crossed at the Ivanica Border Crossing to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Afterwards, we continued driving through the countryside. I’m not sure if this route is what larger tours take, but the roads were very narrow, and I was glad not to be in a large van or bus. Be prepared if you’re prone to carsickness because the drive has a lot of twists.
We admired absolutely gorgeous scenerty, surrounded by mountains and valleys that were several shades of green. At one point, we had to pull over to properly appreciate the view. We saw a pair of cyclists who had come all the way from Mostar on the same road.
We continued driving for a little bit until we saw a restaurant. Everyone was hungry, so we pulled over. The restaurant in the small town served traditional Balkan food. I got some bread, meat rolls and a glass of white wine and was very happy.
With full stomachs, slightly less carsickness and incredible views, we continued on to the falls.
Kravica Waterfall
Kravica Falls is a waterfall and national reserve in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Getting there takes about a 2.5-hour drive from Dubrovnik, or a 1-hour drive from Mostar. It’s a worthwhile day trip from either city.
At the ticket booth, I asked the seller if they spoke English…in Croatian. During all my planning, I forgot one crucial aspect of visiting another country: Learning basic phrases in their main language. Luckily, the Balkan languages in that region are relatively mutually intelligible, so he understood me. My Croatian accent and language skills are…not stellar. Everyone was shocked when he asked if I was Croatian. Somehow, he seemed surprised when I said we were from the US. Although it is a relatively popular tourist spot, I guess we were visiting slightly off-season.
That said, I think we visited at an excellent time of year (late May). It was not crowded, the falls were flowing nicely, and the weather was warm enough to swim. Note that I said weather, not water.
We wasted no time changing into swimsuits and applying sunscreen before jumping into the entirely freezing water. I decided to rip the band-aid off, as is the best way to enter cold water. I plunged right into the frigid depths, head and all. As I surfaced, I didn’t even look to the shore to see if my friend was still there or had followed. I knew I had to keep moving and headed straight for the other side of the falls, chanting a string of expletives mostly under my breath. Good thing it wasn’t crowded. I heard a splash and scream as my friend followed suit.
Worth it!
It was completely worth it, though! As is typically the case, I felt warmer the more I moved. I made it to a small island in the middle of the lake, then over to the waterfalls themselves. I reveled in the fact that I was swimming in a gorgeous national treasure of a country I’d wanted to visit for years.
After hanging out near the waterfalls, we took the plunge back into the water to swim to shore. Luckily, it was not as cold this time. Either we got more used to it, or just knew what to expect and properly braced ourselves.
If you want to get up close to the falls, but don’t want to swim in freezing cold water, you can also take a ride in a small boat. On the shore, there is a company that takes people up to the falls and chastises anyone getting too close to them. We did not get chastised, but witnessed it happen to others.
On shore, we dried off and enjoyed warming up in the sun and taking pictures of the falls. We also discussed our next course of action. Should we travel on to Mostar, or head back to Dubrovnik? Since there were no longer thunderstorms in the forecast, Mostar was the easy decision.
City of Mostar
I’m always skeptical when I see a city described as a fairytale. However, Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina definitely deserves the praise. The city straddles the teal waters of the Neretva River. Stari Most (literally, “Old Bridge”), a medieval bridge reconstructed after the war, connects the two sides.
The city also has a dark recent history, with the war and genocide in the early 1990s. It is very much still in the minds of residents. Good etiquette says you should not discuss the war in Mostar.
There is still evidence of the war just outside the city center. For example, there is an old bank that was used as a sniper tower during the war, covered in graffiti and bullet holes. According to Atlas Obscura, people go into the tower despite the trespassing warnings, but we decided not to risk it.
Instead, we took our time walking through the alleys in the city and looking out from Stari Most. If you’re in Mostar earlier, you can watch a group of men who collect money from tourists then jump from the bridge. We were too late in the day to see that event, but enjoyed looking out from the bridge regardless. Mostar also has a bridge called “Crooked Bridge,” the oldest (reconstructed) bridge in the city.
Dinner was delicious
We ate at a restaurant overlooking the river and bridge and shared a dinner platter that came with a combination of ground beef, chicken and sausages and bread. We also all enjoyed a local beer. It was one of my best meals in the region While we ate outside, the inside had great ambience and artsy decor. There was also a book of photography that depicted history and horrors of the war.
After dinner, we went and got some Bosnian halva and baklava for dessert. Unfortunately, it was too late to experience the Bosnian coffee that I’d read they take very seriously. Fortunately, the sweets were absolutely delicious.
I’d read the two sides of the river are very different, and this was most apparent after nightfall. The side where we’d had dinner was still very lively, with music starting up in the alleys. It was much quieter across the bridge.
After dessert, we had a fairly uneventful drive back to Dubrovnik in the dark.
Safety
The US has a level 2 travel advisory for Bosnia & Herzegovina due to terrorism and land mines. On further research, it didn’t seem like terrorism was a big current concern in the country. Unexploded land mines from the war remain a concern and do kill a handful of people each year in the country. Just follow a few rules to stay safe:
- Don’t drive on unpaved roads
- Don’t go inside old ruins or dilapidated buildings
- If hiking, stay only on well-marked trails and look out for signs warning about landmines
Other than that, the country is safe and people were friendly. Take typical precautions like keeping your wallet and phone out of your back pocket.
