bosnia

History hits you at every turn in Bosnia & Hercegovina. The brutal war that ripped Yugoslavia apart was largely fought in the cities and hillsides of this formerly peaceful region, which lies at the crossroads of East and West, and the scars are still there to see in many places.

Sarajevo is the capital, and bears testament to the various cultural influences that shaped the country, from the Ottoman Turks to the Austro-Hungarian empire. But for the perfect symbol of Bosnia's resurgence, you need look no further than Mostar's Stari Most (Old Bridge). Bombed to destruction during the war, the bridge connecting the two sides of the city was painstakingly rebuilt over the course of ten years and was re-opened in 2004.

Today, the Stari Most is the centrepiece of one of the most breathtaking and buzzing cities in the whole of the former Yugoslavia. And with loads of local buses running every day to Split, Dubrovnik and Herceg Novi in Montenegro, Mostar is an ideal base for exploring the region.