So I’d decided that at some point in our Croatian/ Bosnian trip we would need to see some waterfalls because it’s not like I can go find some falls in my backyard at home! Some research led me to believe that Kravice Waterfalls, B&H, would be less touristy than the Croatian Plitvice falls so I booked onto a day trip. We booked through Explore Mostar, for 30 euros each, which tends to be the average price amongst most companies.

We had an Old Town pick up and then met up with the rest of the group, around 12 people in total.  Our first stop was Tito’s underground bunker, a huge hanger built to house military fighter jets when Yugoslavia ruled over Bosnia. It was interesting to see something different like this. We ventured inside, which was absolutely pitch black, and stumbled around with our guide showing us some interesting little side rooms. At one point we all screamed and marvelled at the echo. It was quite creepy!

Our next stop on the tour was Blagaj, a small village famed for its beautiful monastery. The building, dating back to 1520, is considered a national monument and is incredibly beautiful, sitting atop the river.

We were given 45 minutes here so people could have the chance to enter the monastery if they wished but Adam and I went and found a quiet bar for a beer instead. My understanding from research is the surrounding area is far more impressive than inside the monastery so I wanted to sit and enjoy it.

We then stopped at Pocitelj, a walled town that sat as a fortified complex during the 16th century. It was incredibly pretty and the guide gave us an hour there to climb up to the top fortress.

I didn’t feel quite right, I had a bit too much heat and not enough water,so I didn’t feel up to walking up to a fortress in what was now the midday sun. Adam and I climbed for about 10 minutes, which took us level to the mosque, but afterwards returned for a cool drink. Over the next hour we were joined by various members of the group who had attempted to climb to the fortress but all had given up, due to the heat.

We soon arrived at Kravice Waterfalls, which looked gloriously inviting in the hot sun. The tour had reserved us a waterside table at the restaurant so we had somewhere to leave our belongings as we went swimming.

Although there were quite a few people at the restaurant there was no crowds when it came to getting in the water. We spent about 2 hours there and it was so wonderful, the water was so clear and cooling. I’d recommend heading to Kravice if you get the chance, it was the perfect summer activity.

After drying off and having a spot of lunch we soon returned to the cars and made our way to our final destination, the Hill of Crosses. Atop Hum Mountain sits a 33m cross, to represent the Christians of the city. As you can imagine the presence of the cross itself causes tension in an already divided city.

The mountain itself was particularly important in the war, as snipers would control the city from its aerial position. Our guide took this moment to talk about his own feelings about the war, something that is certainly still at the heart of the city. It was a powerful end to what had been a wonderful day seeing some interesting and beautiful parts of the country.