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Mostar Culinary Adventure & More
Location: Bosnia & Herzegovina
Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights
Rating: Standard
OVERVIEW
Engross yourself into the unique charm Bosnia & Herzegovina as step back in time and wander throughout the fascinating history of this region. Stay overnight Mostar, learn how to make traditional Bosnian cuisine with local people, explore quaint villages, soak up the natural scenery and find peace in Medjugorje. You will be amazed by the beauty and culture of this captivating country.
Soak up the beauty and history of Mostar and watch a traditional jump from the top of its iconic bridge by a member of the Divers Club Icary
Dance and dine, the Bosnian way, and learn traditional dance moves to take home to impress your loved ones
Hone your culinary skills as you learn to prepare traditional cuisine with locals during three Bosnian cooking courses
Relish in the natural beauty of Kravice Waterfalls and explore the pilgrimage mecca of Medjugorje
This 6 Day/5 Night short break includes accommodation in three star hotels, lodges and bed and breakfasts. Activities include three Bosnian cooking classes, guided tours of Počitelj, Rujište Mountain, Stolac, Dorson, Kravice Waterfalls, and Međugorje, wine tasting, and a traditional Bosnian dance lesson.
Eat, pray, drink, dance and love the Bosnian way! This all-encompassing short break will immerse you into the vibrant culture of this region, taking you through its fascinating and turbulent history and to fascinating attractions along the way. Gain appreciation for the region, as you enjoy there cooking courses with locals that will teach you how to make some delicious homemade Bosnian cuisine to impress your friends and family at home.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival to Mostar/Guided Tour
Arrival is planned by 12:00. After you check into your accommodation, you will meet your local guide who will take you for a 2 hour guided visit of the Old Town of Mostar. The guide will give you some background information about Bosnia & Herzegovina, the region of Herzegovina and the City of Mostar. Listen as he shares his personal experiences that will gives you insight and understanding of the people and culture. The guide will take you on a trip through time, telling interesting facts along the way, starting with the early civilizations inhabiting these regions, through different periods, including the Ilirian Tribes, Romans, Bosnian Medieval Kingdom, Ottomans, Austro-Hungarian, and modern times, including the demise of Yugoslavia.
All of these periods in history were marked by conquest, rebellion and courage of warriors and ordinary people. The tour is designed to allow you to understand the history of the region, the different intertwining cultures and underlying conflicts. It will help you understand about the people that lived here in the centuries long gone, as well as about the people that live here now.
Enjoy a walk in the shoes of the ancient Mostari along the cobbled streets of the old town, enjoy the aroma of the freshly baked bread and an array of different delicacies of the traditional restaurants. The guide will take you to the see the insides of a Mosque and up the winding stairs of the minaret, opening up a wonderful 360 degrees panoramic view of the town below. Here, the prayer fo the ancient Mujezins continues to echo in the stone walls of the Minaret.
Following the guide, you will see the Kujundžiluk, the street leading to the old town, with shops of traditional artisans displaying unique timeless works of art. Continuing down the cobbled street, we reach the Old Bridge, the iconic symbol of Mostar, built more than 500 years ago. While here, the guide will tell you more about the bridge, when it was built, what it was used for, what meaning it had to locals, and finally when it was destroyed and then rebuilt, pouring hope back in the hearts of people of Mostar.
After the talk, a member of the Divers Club Icary will perform a traditional jump from the top of the bridge in the same way the brave young boys of Mostar did for the last 500 years.
To conclude the tour, the guide will take you to see an emotional video showing images from Mostar in the past, before the war, during the war, as well as the images of the destruction and rebuilding of the bridge. After the tour, you will have free time for lunch and exploration. The guide will recommend a good restaurant before saying goodbye (lunch is not included).
In the evening, you will meet your guide once more and join him for a very interesting activity we call “Dance & Dine, the Bosnian Style“. As the name implies, we will invite you for a dinner and traditional Bosnian dance lesson. We will eat, drink, and practice a short dance choreography, you can later show off to your friends.
After dinner, you will have free time to enjoy Mostar at night, a spectacular view in itself.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: Three star Hotel
Transportation: All transportation included
Day 2: Počitelj Tour/Cooking Lesson
We will start the second day at 9am, after a traditional Bosnian breakfast of cheese, cream, dried ham, plum jam and traditional dough dumplings called “uštipci”, that will leave you energized for the day ahead of us! You will first head to Počitelj, a quaint oriental-style town located about half an hour's drive from Mostar, less than 30km south on the M-17 road towards the Adriatic. After a guided tour of Počitelj, you will have free time to explore on your own and climb the Guard Tower of Počitelj, from where on a clear day, you can even get a glimpse of the blue waters of the Adriatic.
Around 12:00, we head back to Mostar. The coach will take you to the accommodation where you will have one hour to refresh yourself. Afterwards, the guide will pick you up, and take to a local family where the first cookery lesson will take place.
Bosnian cuisine is a unique mix of delicious specialities from the Balkans, somewhere between Middle Eastern and Occidental cooking. It uses a wide variety of meats (mostly veal, lamb, chicken and fish) with moderate seasoning (mild or with no spices, usually basic salt and pepper, some red pepper, a lot of parsley, sometimes bay leaves). This allows for the original yet rich flavours of the dishes, especially since all the ingredients are of good quality, fresh, and organic.
For the lesson of the day we choose among the typical Herzegovinian delicacies:
Appetizer: Prosciutto and bag cheese with traditional doughnuts followed by wine and rakija tasting.
1st course: Begova corba-a soup made with chicken meat and vegetables
2nd course :
Dolma — fried peppers stuffed with minced meat and spices
or
Sogan dolma — fried onions stuffed with minced meat and spices
or
Japrak — stuffed cabbage leaves with minced meat and rice
Side dish: potato puree
Dessert: Tufahija – Apple boiled in sugar and stuffed with minced walnuts and with cream on top
For vegetarians we will make the same, but meat will be substituted with potatoes.
While the food is being cooked, you can enjoy the wine and interesting stories your guide has to tell you. After lunch, we say goodbye to our hosts and then the rest of the evening is free.
Dinner on your own.
Meals included: breakfast & lunch
Accommodation: three star hotel
Transportation: All transportation
Day 3: Rujiste Mountain Hiking/Cooking Lesson
You will meet your guide at 8:00 for a day full of activity. We will board the coach that takes us to a local mountain called Rujiste, a very-known destination of Mostarians, located on the slopes of Mountains Prenj and Velez, only 25 km north from Mostar. This mountain area, being at 1050 m above sea level, has the greatest concentration of oxygen in this part of Europe.
When we reach the top of the mountain, we will proceed to the lodge where we will enjoy a cooking lesson. Upon arrival, we will have some refreshments and then we will prepare for a hike which lasts approximately 3 hours. After the hike, we return back to the lodge to will proceed with the second cooking lesson.
Appetizers: Peksimeti and livanjski cheese followed by wine and rakija tasting .
1st course: Bosanski lonac (meat stew cooked on lively flame)
2nd course: Musaka- auberigine and minced meat
3rd Dessert: Hurmašice
While the food is being cooked, enjoy the wine and interesting stories your guide has to tell, go for a short walk to a nearby spring, or just relax and enjoy the nature. After lunch, we say goodbye to our hosts and then the rest of the evening is free. Dinner not included.
Meals Included: Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Three star hotel
Transportation: All transportation
Day 4: Stolac Tour/Cooking Class/ Daorson/Mostar
The guide will be waiting for you at the reception, at 9am to take you on a fifty minute drive to Stolac, a lovely town situated in the south, with stunning Ottoman architecture, perfect for history buffs and excited by anthropology.
History dates back all the way back to 15,000 years ago, with evidence found in the markings in the Badanj Cave. Today, these cultural town boasts a wide-range of artists, intellectual, leaders and poets and strolling through this quaint town you will also feel inspired as you listen to the sounds of the Bregava River and songbirds.
The local guide will take you on a tour through the fortified old town offering great views over the city. Afterwards, you will explore the newer settlements of Stolac and the most important architectural landmarks. You will also visit Pjene and Provalije waterfalls, where you can enjoy the refreshing waters of the Bregava River and the generous Herzegovinian Sun.
Afterwards, meet a local family where you will have your next cooking lesson. Enjoy a small snack and refreshments before beginning. Once the food is cooking, spend a couple hours swimming and enjoying the sun, before returning to indulge in your self-prepared meal!
MEAL PLAN:
Appetizer: Prosciutto and bag cheese with traditional doughnuts followed by wine and rakija tasting.
1st course: Jalan sarma
2nd course: Burek
3rd dessert: Bosnian Apple pie
After lunch, we will go for a hike to Ošanići Hill nearby to explore the remains of Daorson — the capital of a Hellenised Illyrian tribe called the Daorsi, who lived in the period from 300 to 50 BC in the valley of the Neretva River.
Daorson consisted of three ensembles, the central one being the fort – an acropolis surrounded by the “cyclopean” walls made of huge stone blocks (similar to those in Mycenae, in Greece). All the important administrative, public and religious buildings were situated there. The defensive wall extending from the southwest toward the northeast was 65 metres long, 4.2 metres wide, and from 4.5 to 7.5 metres high, with doors and towers on both sides.
We will spend some time here exploring the site and waiting for the sunset. Sunset at this place is a remarkable sight and will allow for a breathtaking photos to be made as memories for a lifetime.
After sunset, we go back to Mostar. The rest of the evening is free. Dinner on your own.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Transportation: All transport included
Accommodation: Three star hotel
Day 5: Kravice Waterfalls/ Medjugorje/Mostar
On your final day, enjoy the opportunity to do some shopping as well as to relax while tasting different wines, and have an opportunity to do some soul searching in Međjugorje.
The guide will meet you at the reception at 11 am to give you time to do some last minute shopping. On our way to Međugorje, we will make a stop to appreciate Kravice Waterfalls, a pearl among the most fascinating natural attractions of the region. Soak in the sparkling waterfalls, where waters of the Trebižat River branch out, cascading from the tuff walls from a height of 30 m, forming a natural amphitheatre 150m wide, creating spectacular effects that bring to mind, even if in a more modest dimension, the imposing Niagara Falls. Between May to October, one can even plunge into the refreshing emerald waters of the lake beneath the waterfall!
After Kravice, we will go to a wine cellar of a famous wine producer to enjoy a wine tasting tour of the vineyard and lunch. After lunch, we will proceed to Medjugorje, one of the most famous and most visited pilgrimage places in the entire Catholic world. The place, a small Herzegovinian village in the middle of rocky hills, became famous when six children claimed to have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary’s apparition on Crnica Hill, on a place called Podbrdo.
After some time for meditation and soul searching, we will go back to Mostar. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner and presents for guests – a surprise.
Each guest will receive a CD with photos and videos from the past week.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transportation: All transportation
Accommodation: Three star hotel
Day 6: Departure day
After breakfast, end of services.
Inclusions/Exclusions:
Inclusions:
5 nights accomodation with breakfasts in a 3 star accomodation (motel, B&B or equivalent)
Transportation during the programme.
3 cookery lesson lunches
Refreshments during cooking
1 dinner during activity «Dance & Dine, the Bosnian Style“
Farewell dinner
High end support vehicle with driver
Bilingual local guide
Entrance fees to important sites
Guided visit to Mostar Old Town
Mosque entrance fee + climbing the Minaret
Traditional Jump from the Old Bridge performed by Ikary Divers Club
»Dance & Dine, the Bosnian Style“
Guided visit of Počitelj
Visit to Kravice Waterfalls
Visit to Rujište with a hike included
Guided visit to Stolac
Visiting Daorson
Visit to a wine cellar, wine tasting with tour of wineyard and Lunch
Presents; CD with photos
Detailed travel itinerary
Exclusions:
Personal Travel insurance
Meals outside the programme as specified
Pocket money
Visa and visa related costs
International flights
Local transportation during free time
Drinks
Snacks
Airport pick up transfer
Meeting Place/ Pick up:
After the tour is booked and payment confirmed by our Sales representative, you will receive an E-mail with the meeting point details. Guests will be responsible to organize their own transportation to and from Mostar — in this case, meeting point will be at the reception of the chosen accomodation provider in Mostar.
If you would like us to organize the transfers to and from Mostar, please send us an inquiry – in this case the driver will transfer you from the airport or any other location to the meeting point in Mostar. This will be charged extra but at minimum cost.
What to Bring:
Herzegovina has a warm Mediterranean climate with very high summer temperatures. It is recommended to use sun protection, sun hats, and keep hydrated. There will be opportunity to take walks in the mountains or swim in rivers so we recommend to bring hiking shoes and bathing suits and beach towels.
Practical Info:
Local currency in Bosnia-Herzegovina is Konvertibilna marka (KM or BAM)
1 EUR=1,95 KM
Dinner/meal price in Mostar appr. 10EUR/20KM, local beer bottled 1.5 EUR/3KM, draft 1.25 EUR/2.5 KM medium size.
Local night club at Old Town in Mostar: Ali-baba cave, cocktails and mixed drinks price: 2, 3, 4, 5 KM (from 2 EUR up)
Additional Disclosures:
All activites of the project are of moderately challenging character.The following activities include some climbing/ walking elements:
Mostar: Climbing up the Minaret
Dance & Dine, the Bosnian Style: Activity requires moderate dancing
Počitelj: Climbing up the Guard Tower
Rujište: Hiking
WHAT TO TAKE BACK
You will surely want to buy something characteristic for this region to take back with you. There is a great variety of souvenirs that you can buy here. First of all, there is the Old Bazaar where you can find many artisans selling their traditional handicrafts from little shops by the side of the street. There are several interesting copper items to buy, such as pots, jewellery, and old-fashioned weapons. There are also beautiful carpets, traditionally made on old wooden frames. Wool used for weaving comes from domestic sheep and is colored by natural colors made from local plants and minerals. The patterns are straight and zigzag lines, squares, triangles and other shapes, motifs of stylized flora and fauna. There you can also find wood-carving items, resembling a real lacework in wood. There are also clothes, scarves, pipes and smoke-pipes. There are some really good paintings you will find there as well as painted pottery with the motifs of figs, pomegranates, Old Bridge, etc. Do not be surprised to see the war souvenirs, such as empty shells and bullets, helmets, etc.
The tourist guides, maps and postcards can be bought everywhere in town.
Some nice things you can also find on the local markets. There are two big ones in town. There you can find all kinds of food, and you might wish to bring some of that back home. Highly recommended are local wines, especially famous Žilavka (white) and Blatina (red) and spirits (the local grappa is called «loza»). Herzegovina also has a long tradition of honey production so ask for honey and related products. Tobacco can still be found in the market in the original version, just picked, dried and cut in the old-fashioned way. The highest-quality tobacco is grown in Neretva valley and the true connoisseurs will appreciate this rich original taste. The markets will offer also a great variety of local dairy products, and the local cheese is something you should definitely try. You will also find a good selection of medicinal herbs, and ready-made mixes for many health conditions.
