Tyvand Family Adventures: Pocitelj

We're back. Experimented with another blog only to learn many of you were unable to view. Then, we got lazy. Missing from this site are our travels to Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic last Christmas, our massive snow storm in Sarajevo this Jan/Feb, a Spring Break trip to the Italian Alps, and many other shorter trips that we should be documenting here.

So welcome to Pocitelj, a UNESCO World Heritage site, located right here in Bosnia and Herzegovina about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Sarajevo. Colleagues of ours from work arranged for us to stay at this 15th century fortress this past weekend, once a key strategic site during both medieval and Ottoman times. It now functions primarily as a tourist spot and an artist colony.

If you're interested in the history from a Bosnian perspective, check out this link:
http://www.bhtourism.ba/eng/pocitelj.wbsp

Mosque and Watch/Clock tower in the background. Bell from the Clock tower was melted during WWI to make weapons. Much of the site was damaged during the Bosnian War, while repairs and rebuilding began in 2000.

Same structures, eye-level view, and at sunset.

View of the Citadel from rebuilt defensive wall.

View of minaret from the building we stayed in.

Talin and Alma standing near the bottom of Pocitelj. Talin's prized possession from the trip, a replica dagger that has her swashbuckling all over our house.

Path leading to the Citadel. As we explored the tower, we discovered it was not "kid" friendly, as one could easily crawl out of any of the windows. Bosnia has a different standard for access to historical site, the benefit being up close experiences, the downside being a bit of danger from time to time.

View of the site from the Citadel, looking down upon the Neretva River. The road you see takes us to the Croatian coast, where we will be visiting this upcoming weekend.