Anybody cycled through Bosnia?

[CyclingTerrier]

Hi guys, looking to get some any information about cycling through Bosnia.

I plan to come down the Eurovelo 6 and cut across Bosnia to get to Dubrovnik, via Mostar and wondered if anyone has done this or part of the route?

Its part of a bigger trip and is the only leg which I have found comparably little info on, obviously because its a little used route, however I'm sure some of you seasoned tourers will have ventured though this neck of the woods!

[Tigerbiten]

Look in the "Crazy guy on a bike" journals.
Just put "Mostar " as the search criteria.
You'll get loads of hits.
Hope that helps.

[jamesgilbert]

I find the search facility a bit hard to use on Crazy guy on a bike, this link should give you the 30 journals where the author has specified "bosnia" as a locale:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/search/ ... les=bosnia

[Curly5a]

Hi - I cycled through southern and eastern Bosnia & Herzrgovina for three weeks during June 2013 and had no problems. The people are very friendly and welcoming. Enjoy your trip.

[Dean]

You could do worse than reading Emily Chappel's blog. I'm mildly surprised there are people who haven't:

http://thatemilychappell.com/2011/10/th ... e-balkans/

[kawa9999]

Hi,
we did Ploce-Mostar-Sarajevo-and then further on to Nis in Serbia last summer on the way to Istanbul.
We did not have any sort of problems, just be prepared to some (sometimes pretty long) tunnels, and quite a heavy traffic (cars and trucks) on the Ploce-Sarajevo road. Lights were for us a must-have.
Scenery is very nice, food is cheap. Food an bakeries pretty much available everywhere, accomodation only in some cities (not necessarly related to the size of the city), anyway quite cheap. We had a map prepared via Google before leaving, to see in shich cities there was accomodation. I do not remember seeing almost any Camping, except in the coastal area.
If you can and you love mountains you can think of secondayry roads, but I would not adventure too much on offroad sections alone. Be aware there are some land mines still laying around, anyway if you stick to the roads there is no problem.
People outside major cities speak little or no english, but we managed it someway. Be prepared that sometimes the road can get pretty steep.
I would avoid if possible the Ivan tunnel south of Sarajevo, take the old road few hundreds meter north of it.
If you need some more specific informations, fee free to ask. Balcan is wonderful, one of the best places we have been.
manuel

[CyclingTerrier]

Cheers guys.

I was initially anxious about this leg of the journey but after further research I think its going to be the best!

The new route will take us from Vukovar on the Danube up the Drina and onto Pluzine and Kotor. I would love to visit Mostar as it looks like such a beautiful place but everywhere looks potentially beautiful so im sure I will get my fill of scenery.

Thank you Dave for linking me that blogsite. Wasn't much help in the way of info for Bosnia but by god its a brilliant read. I have been reading it almost non-stop since yesterday and has inspired me to do my own blog for the trip, as mundane our trip will be in comparison!

The one thing that does worry still are landmines. We plan to wildcamp all the way bar a few hostel stops in cities thus the idea of stepping offroad to camp out only to be blown up is a scary notion. If anyone has any detailed info/links about mines in Bosnia or the Balkans in general that would be grand.

Any questions on my route/trip/me are welcome too.

[simonhill]

Funnily enough, when I saw your post my first thought was landmines. Maybe it is because I cycle a lot in Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam. I decided not to post because I don't know much about mines in Bosnia and was sure you would have done your research and wouldn't be wild camping. Now I am not so sure.

Unless you are absolutely sure that the area is clear do not go there. I would not be wild camping unless sure an area was clear. I don't know about Bosnia but areas that look suitable for wild camping, ie not farmed or occupied are usually like that for a reason!

Last year I cycled to Pailin in Cambodia. This was the Khmer Rouge's last stronghold and one of the most heavily mined in the world. To left and right of the road were signs saying who had cleared the area eg UK, France, etc. At one point they had taped out either side of the road for c!earing. I was literally cycling through a live minefield. What struck me at the time was that this area looked ideal for wild camping.

I suggest you do a bit of reading about the dangers of landmines and UXO. I have seen too many limbless people to take this stuff lightly.

Be careful.

[BE1]

I know a bit about landmines in Croatia and Bosnia and I would not wildcamp along the route you are suggesting, certainly not around Vukovar (even though a great deal has been done in the last couple of years and the Drina.

In Croatia the areas are relatively well signposted but it is not really worth the risk, and in Bosnia there are areas where stepping off the path is not a good idea. As Simon has said the areas which look like they would be great for undisturbed wild camping are undisturbed for a good reason.

To note that when an area is clreared it is "statistically cleared" rather than cast iron 100% clear

More info here for Bosnia

http://www.bhmac.org/en/stream.daenet?kat=18

and here for Croatia

http://www.hcr.hr/en/minskaSituacijaKarta.asp?ID=12

[Dean]

Thank you Dave for linking me that blogsite. Wasn't much help in the way of info for Bosnia but by god its a brilliant read. I have been reading it almost non-stop since yesterday and has inspired me to do my own blog for the trip, as mundane our trip will be in comparison!

Dave?

[CyclingTerrier]

Dean.

I do apologise. But seriously thank you, her blog is brilliant!

Looks like I will be couchsurfing/legitimately camping through Bosnia etc.

Having been to Croatia a few times, I very much doubt there will be as much of a problem (I plan to cycle from Neum up the coast to Triest) but I will have a look at your links now (probably should look at them before posting this!)

Best to brush up on my Bosnian so I can camp in some random farmers' field!!!

Time to wiki the Bosnian war, I'm only 22 and didnt study much modern history at uni! The idea that i will have to turn back due to landmines is a wee incomprehensible having lived a comparatively sheltered life, I suppose thats why we go touring!

P.S if anybody as a touring frame/bike available message me, I may be interested!!

[Dean]

No worries, I've had worse. And it is a brilliant blog (award-winning, in fact).

If you're couch surfing, have you looked at Warm Showers? Pretty much the same deal, except for cycle tourists:

https://www.warmshowers.org

I met some pretty cool people on there, and no nutters.