Balkans Day 3: Sarajevo – Dubrovnik

Day 3 of my Balkans road trip included a morning in Sarajevo, afternoon bus ride to Dubrovnik, and a tasty BBQ to cap off a long day. Read on for how you can easily book a Sarajevo – Dubrovnik bus trip.

Read more of my classic trip report through the Balkans

Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans
Review: US Airways A330-300 Business Class Philadelphia To Munich
Balkans Day 1: Sick In Belgrade
Balkans Day 2: Belgrade – Sarajevo

After another good rest at the City Boutique Hotel, I was finally back to 100%. I took great care to cover up for the remainder of the trip,  but was finally to a point where I could enjoy myself again.

Sarajevo is a historic city, a beautiful city, but a tragic city. It’s hard to imagine that one assassination eventually triggered World War I, but death had a way of returning, as Sarajevo also marked ground zero in the Bosnian War. But you’d never know today just by looking. It’s now a peaceful, bustling city filled with religious diversity and an eclectic mix of architecture and cuisine…and dogs.

Take time to stroll through the Baščaršija, a historic market in the city center.

For students of history, Latin Bridge is where the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria occurred in 1914, which eventually triggered World War I. I explore that issue further here.

If you want to familiarize yourself with history while you are there, check out the National Museum and History Museum, which are open every day but Monday.

> Read More – 100 Years Later: My Reflections On World War I

The Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque was built in the 16th century and a reminder of the city’s Ottoman past.

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is also worth a look at:

We stopped for lunch at a place that served Ćevapi (grilled minced meat) served with onions in a warm pocket of bread. It was one of our best meals of the week.

Our Bus Trip

After lunch, we headed to the bus station, picked up our bus tickets (bought here the night before for about 23EUR) and prepared for our 6.5-hour journey to Dubrovnik.

The ride was picturesque in some points, but otherwise not memorable.

The border formalities were painless. We stamped out of Bosnia and Herzegovina, into Croatia, and were soon on our way.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this was Šolta, which we passed at one point:

Finally we reached Dubrovnik around 9:00PM. We had booked at the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik for two nights, a pricey hotel, but in a prime location.

Our room was a huge disappointment. Rather than being placed in the historic wing, we were placed in a more modern annex building. No view from the room, which felt sterile and dated.

But we did enjoy a tasty, delicious BBQ at the hotel, which included cooked meats, fish, and vegetables as well as salads and a beautiful array of dessert choices.

We went to bed full…tomorrow would be a great day spent exploring Dubrovnik.