What is a Repositioning Cruise?

A “repositioning cruise” is when a cruise ship repositions itself to another area in the world for the next season of cruising. Our cruise ship had been in the Caribbean all winter and was moving to Europe and the Mediterranean for the summer. In the fall it will come back across the Atlantic and spend another winter in the warm Caribbean. If a person has flexibility to watch for a deal, often these repositioning cruises can be purchased for quite a great price. The cruise company wants to fill up the boat and usually less people are looking for a cruise that only has a couple stops, consists mostly of sea days, and ends in a different location than it started.

Getting on the ship in Miami

The trip started off a bit rough before we could even see the boat. The port area of Miami was a disaster with so many cars backed up. This is the first time we have had this experience, but have read that it can be fairly common in the Miami port area. There were port workers directing cars off the main road along a loop, all the way to the end of the port area just to turn around and slowly creep back to almost where you started. Then you turn again and finally head along the road that leads to the cruise ships. It took us over an hour from entering the port area until we reached our drop-off.

The trip turned around after getting out of our Uber though. The onboarding process was quick and easy. The only steps were to show our passport to a staff member, take a photo, and send the luggage through a screening x-ray. Then we were free to walk onto the ship and find our cabin.

Once settled into our room, we explored the boat, ate in the buffet, and grabbed a couple ciders at the bar by the main pool. Time to relax!

Exploring the Ship

The next two days were spent on the ship in transit to our first port. During these days we explored what the ship had to offer. The MSC Grandiosa has 3 pool areas, each with a few hot-tubs nearby. There is a children’s pool and play area as well which has a couple waterslides that adults can enjoy. A high-ropes course can also be found here.

We found the gym to be kind of small and very busy. It was best to go when it opened right at 6 am otherwise it was challenging to get any piece of equipment. There was lots of waiting around for weights, machines, or treadmills in the later mornings.

For breakfast and lunch each day we joined the chaos of the buffet. The food offered was at least 50% the same each day, with some varying options. It can be challenging to see what food is available as you walk around because of how many people are lined up at the counters.

Every night a sit down meal was offered (free of charge) in an assigned dining room. Guests are committed to the same dinner time every night of the cruise. There is always the option of dining in the buffet whenever you please though. We enjoyed the more relaxed feeling of the sit down dinners over the buffet most nights. The ship also has a few restaurants that cost extra if you desire something different but we stuck to the free options to save money.

Deck 6 and 7 had shopping and the restaurants that were an extra cost. This area had a bit of a Main Street feeling with its indoor promenade. The high ceiling above was an LED screen which changed the view throughout the day. Sometimes it looked like blue sky and clouds above you, sometimes it was artwork, and occasionally it displayed a short audio and visual show.

Many of the bars on this ship are a bit boring, feeling quite similar to each other. These had just a line of stools along the bar and a small seating area. These bars are situated on consecutive floors and look into the open area around the stairs linking decks 4-7. The bars we found to have more ambiance included an English pub and the Sky Bar that looked out over the main pool area. There are also bars at each pool area if you want a cocktail by the pool.

We also enjoyed the Grandiosa Bar because it had a cool ceiling, a great bartender that poured extra wine into our glasses, and dance classes were taught here multiple times each day. Throughout our cruise we attended 4 dance classes. Each class is just 30 minutes, but you can learn the basic steps within that time. We joined for the Waltz, the Charleston (really fun!), the Disco Foxtrot, and East Coast Swing.

As well as dance classes, some exercise classes, trivia, crafts, and short lectures were offered. What was offered changed each day. It was nice having various things to do on the boat, but they wouldn’t put out a schedule for the day on their app until midnight of that day. If they had the schedule for a couple days out in advance it would be easier to plan around what interests you.

Each evening a free show was presented in the theatre. We went to a variety of these including a Whitney Houston tribute singer, an illusionist and a woman that created impressive pictures in real time with sand and a projector. My favorite show was a talented Spanish couple; he played the violin and she danced.

Port Stop #1: Sint Maarten

On the morning of day 4 our ship docked at port in Sint Maarten. This island is actually occupied by two nations. The southern portion is Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands. The northern half is the French territory of Saint Martin. Since we had visited this island and checked out the capital city of Phillipsburg on a previous cruise, we chose to go on a snorkeling tour this time.

We booked a four hour tour with Captain Allan’s and paid extra for a pickup from the port area to make it easy. We had a friendly driver that drove us north to their boat docks. We signed waivers, paid our fees, and were set up with fins. The process was well organized and not rushed. Soon we were on a boat and on our way to visit three stops.

The first stop was just off of Tintamarre Island. This location is known for spotting sea turtles. We snorkeled above the sea grass and looked for interesting sea-life. While there wasn’t an abundance of things to see, we were happy with the experience. We spotted a couple sea turtles, an eagle ray, and 2 nurse sharks.

The second stop was Creole Rock which is known for having colorful smaller fish. It wasn’t as impressive as I had hoped, initially looking like just a bunch of rocks. But when I slowed down and really looked between and under the rocks, I noticed there was coral growing in these areas. We saw a good variety of colorful fish. They were never abundant, but they would swim out and around the rocks. I even spotted an eel that must have been at least 3 feet long!

Our final stop was just off a sandy beach with a restaurant and shops along it. Most of the passengers on our boat checked out the beach, but a few of us just relaxed on the boat. We enjoyed taking in the views and drinking a free beer while enjoying the sunshine.

Back on the Ship

We had another 6 days on the boat before our next stop. It was a surreal feeling to look out at endless ocean and realize how far away from any land we really were. During these days the boat rocked more than while in the Caribbean but we soon adjusted and hardly noticed it.

We filled the days with the gym, dance classes, hot tubs, pools, a few free shows in the evenings. I also joined a couple yoga classes on the boat, learned about octopuses in a lecture, and we tried out the waterslides.

Since we were traveling east, we would need to adjust our clocks ahead 6 hours by the end of the transit. So night after night we kept losing an hour. Soon we weren’t waking up early enough for that 6 am gym visit. Instead of setting an alarm, I just accepted the wait for each piece of equipment in the crowded gym.

Port Stop #2: Funchal, Madeira

On the 10th full day of the cruise we arrived in Madeira. We took an Uber from the port to the pretty streets near the center of Funchal. We chose to just wander around and enjoy the nice day. We started at “Jardim Municipal do Funchal”, a city garden. Then we stopped by a confectionery shop next door called “Nata 7” where I ordered a capachino and we each had a delicious pastel de nata.

We wandered on down Av. Arriaga admiring the pretty Portuguese pavement. Portuguese pavement is comprised of small pieces of stone that are arranged in a pattern or mosaic. We passed by Blandy’s Wine Lodge (where we had tasted Madeira wine the last time we were in Funchal). We saw the pretty facade of the Bank of Portugal and stepped into the Funchal Cathedral. A mass was taking place, so I didn’t snap any photos, but we both thought the geometrically designed wood ceiling was lovely.

We wandered down the narrow street of Rua de Santa Maria filled with restaurant tables, and enjoyed all the cool painted doors. We had stayed in this area back in 2023 and it was fun seeing the artwork again. Walking a bit farther, we found ourselves at the Fort of São Tiago. Locals were swimming in what looked like chilly waters next to the fort, just as we saw them doing the last time we were here. It was really hot during our last visit but this time it was only in the low 60’s.

As we made our way back from the fort, we stopped at a place called Banana’s and ordered a poncha. Poncha is a local alcoholic drink made from sugar-cane spirit, honey, sugar, and lemon juice. It was originally created by fishermen to stay warm and is now a popular cocktail. We grabbed some Nepalese/Indian food nearby and then stopped at another table in a crowded small alley for a sample of Madeira wine. It was then time to head back to the ship.

Final Days on the Ship

Another day with nothing to see but water all around us.

However, it did get more exciting that night when the boat passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unfortunately, since it was night and very dark it was hard to see very much. We could see the flashing from a couple lighthouses and lights of the towns glowing on shore. It was much easier to see the mountains on the coast of Africa than any of Spain. We saw the first glimpse of land in Africa a little after 9 pm and I stayed awake to see the Rock of Gibraltar just before midnight. While it was dark, a bit foggy, and the Rock of Gibraltar was quite a ways away, I am glad to have seen it. I then adjusted my watch another hour ahead to be on Barcelona time and went to sleep.

On our final cruise day we woke up late and took it really easy. Our views from the boat were just fog, fog, and more fog over the water pretty much all day. Although we were likely not sailing far from the Spanish coastline, we couldn’t see it. We were ready to get off the boat and on to something new, so we were excited to reach Barcelona in the morning.

Disembarking was pretty easy. We only had carryon luggage, so we were able to get off whenever we chose. Those with larger luggage were assigned to a time when they would get off and their luggage would be ready for them. The line to get off the boat moved pretty slow, but once off we just got our passports stamped and were free to head into Barcelona.

We spent one week in Belgrade in the beginning of July 2025. The daily temperature highs ranged from 92 - 99 degrees Fahrenheit during most of the week. We started by scheduling our medical appointments and organized our sightseeing with the rest of our time.

Our Medical Experience in Belgrade

We had exposure to both dental and medical experiences in Belgrade. We found it easy to get appointments, very cost effective, and easy to communicate with the providers.

Dave had broken a crown earlier in our travels and decided it was time to fix it before heading back to the United States where we knew the cost would be high. He contacted a dentist and was able to get an appointment the next day. The dentist did an exam and then sent him to get an x-ray down the street for about $15. A couple days later he went back to the dentist and had the crown replaced. The total cost from the dentist was around $300.

My medical experience was to address the knee pain I had been having for the last 6-7 weeks. I contacted a hospital in the morning and requested an appointment to see an orthopedic doctor. They got me in that same day. We were taking the train from Novi Sad to Belgrade, and just went straight to the hospital from the train station. The orthopedic appointment cost $77. After the doctor’s exam, he sent me down one set of stairs for an MRI. Within 20 minutes I was in the MRI machine. The cost for the MRI was $200 and the results were available the next day. I had my followup with the doctor on the next business day for $55.

The MRI showed that nothing was torn in my knee, there was just lots of inflammation and a suprapatellar fat pad impingement. So I was told to just rest it and see a physiotherapist. I felt that my medical experience was pretty good, though I am still struggling with this knee injury. Physical therapists and doctors in the United States have yet to figure out how to fix the issue either. It is still a work in progress 11 months after the injury.

Sightseeing around Belgrade

Struggling with my injured knee, we still saw a fair amount around Belgrade. Google Maps worked well for deciphering which bus would get us to our desired destinations. Most of the buses were free around the city, making it simple to just hop on and ride. This was a fairly new thing in Belgrade, which we really appreciated.

Saint Sava Church

My favorite spot in Belgrade was Saint Sava Church. I’ve seen a lot of churches throughout my travels, but this one really stunned me. It is the largest church in Serbia and its large impressive white domes were modeled after the Hagia Sophia. While pretty from the outside, it was the interior that moved me. As we walked in, the beautiful domed church was filled with heavenly music. The sparkling white marble and gold surfaces, beautiful mosaics, and the hypnotic music created a deep feeling that I can’t describe. The interior is lit up by sunlight streaming in the high arched windows and the great bronze central chandelier. The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, the first Serbian archbishop and the nation’s patron saint. It was built on the site where the Ottomans burned Sava’s relics in the 16th century after a Serbian uprising.

St. Mark’s Orthodox Church.

Another beautiful church in Belgrade is St. Mark’s Orthodox Church. It was built in the Serbo-Byzantine style and is the 2nd largest church in the country. It was modeled after the Gračanica Monastery in Kosovo.

We Were Just Children Monument

Tašmajdan Park is just southeast of St. Mark’s. In this park is the “We Were Just Children” monument. This monument is in remembrance of the 89 children that were killed in the 1999 NATO bombings of Yugoslavia. The design is of a 3 year old victim in front of an inscription “We were just children” in both Serbian and English.

Raša Popov Statue

Not far from Tašmajdan Park is Popov Square where a statue of Raša Popov is made entirely from screw-nuts. Raša Popov was a journalist, author, and actor who lived near this square. There was a sticker stuck to the book being held by the statue. The sticker was from student-led protesters that were protesting the government while we were visiting Serbia. The sticker when translated to English said “Schedule an election COWARDS”.

More Beautiful Buildings in Downtown Belgrade

More beautiful buildings in downtown Belgrade include the House of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Old Palace, and The New Palace. The palaces were royal residences that have been converted into government buildings. Across the street from the palaces was a small park with a monument to Tsar Nicholas II Romanov. It was a gift from Russia honoring the last Russian emperor and his support for Serbia during World War I.

Sava Square and Stefan Nemanja Monument

Sava Square was just opened in 2021. The centerpiece of the square is the monument to Stefan Nemanja. Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Serbian Grand Principality from 1166-1196. He founded the Nemanjiċ dynasty and what would become the Serbian Empire and the Serbian Orthodox Church. His youngest son would become known as Saint Sava (and the church I loved was named after this son). An old iconic railway station building still stands in the square and the space in front of it has been planted with trees and grass.

Gavrilo Princip Statue

A short walk from Sava Square is a bronze statue of Gavrilo Princip, the man that shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparking the start to World War 1. The statue was erected in 2015 on the 101st anniversary of the assassination. He is thought to be a hero and a symbol of the idea of liberation and protection of Serb interests by some while a controversial figure by others.

Republic Square

Just a short walk from our Airbnb was Republic Square. The square had a water feature and was surrounded by the National Theatre and the National Museum. It was interesting to see the words posted along a building easily visible from the square stating “The only genocide in the Balkans was against the Serbs”, expressing the tensions still held from the Bosnian War.

Knez Mihailova Street

A famous shopping street is near this area as well. Knez Mihailova Street is a large pedestrian street and both sides are lined with impressive buildings from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

Skaradlija

Skaradlija is a neighborhood known for its cobblestone lane lined with restaurants and murals on some of the walls. A few of the restaurants we passed had musicians performing. Within this neighborhood is the Sebilj Fountain, a replica of the famous Sebilj fountain in Sarajevo.

Belgrade Fortress

The Belgrade Fortress is pretty impressive and fun to wander around. I would recommend it over the fort in Novi Sad. It has a view over the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers below. The fortress is the oldest part of Belgrade, and the whole population of the city resided within its walls for centuries. The Romans built the original fortifications in the 2nd century CE. Over the years the city and fortress were ruled by many different peoples including Romans, Bulgarians, Byzantines, Turks, Austro-Hungarians, and Serbs and went through many rounds of destruction and rebuilding.

Most of the current look of the fortress was constructed between the two World Wars including the “Victor” monument and the Grand Staircase. The “Victor” statue is perched high above the top of the Fortress. This bronze sculpture of a nude man holding a pigeon and a sword is the symbol of Belgrade and victory over time.

Some sites to watch for while wandering the fort are the Clock Tower, the Military Museum, and Zindan Gate. The 18th century Clock Tower rises up from the main gate to the upper level of the fortress. Old military machines are visible outside the Military Museum and the Zindan Gate is a great selfie-spot.

Ružica Church and chandelier

The Rušica Church is found in the lower level of the fortress. While a popular tourist stop, it is also a busy functioning church. When we arrived a service was in process. We sat outside, listening to the music for about half an hour. Once the service ended, we entered and enjoyed viewing the murals and chandeliers. The chandeliers are made entirely from bullet casings, swords, and cannon parts. The church was damaged during WWI and when it was being rebuilt, the chandeliers were constructed from the weapons materials that were available, making it a rather unique church.

Hoping to Visit Again

There is a promenade that runs along the riverfront that I had dreamed of running along during our time in Belgrade. Sadly with my knee, this was not to be. So I hope to return to Belgrade in the future to see much more of the city and run along the promenade.

While there were plenty of streets in Belgrade that were lacking in beauty, there were also many that were the opposite. We found the city inviting and would happily spend more time here.

That wraps up our time in Europe for 2025. We were off on a plane back to the United States to visit family.

Bermet wine is a desert wine made with 20 different herbs and spices and is generally between 15-18%. It can be made from red or white grapes. Bermet recipes are secret and only held by the winery families in Sremski Karlovci. A fun fact: Bermet wine was on the Titanic’s wine list!

We visited Sremski Karlovci on a day trip from Novi Sad. It took less than 20 minutes by bus to reach the town. We wandered around, saw some beautiful buildings, and drank lots of wine. Below I’ll show you some of the highlights of the town, then a quick description of our wine tasting experiences.

Four Lions Fountain

In the middle of the town square you will find the Four Lions Fountain with water flowing from each lion’s mouth. It was built in 1799 to celebrate the first water supply system in the town and it was renovated in 2007. They claim that anyone that drinks from the fountain will return to the town someday.

Karlovci Grammar School

The Karlovci Grammar School is the oldest Serbian grammar school, founded in 1791. The current building here was erected in 1891. Today this school is a high school where modern and classical languages are taught. We were not allowed to enter the building on our own, so we only saw the entryway. A sign was posted on the door saying to ask at the tourist center for a tour.

Patriarchal Court

The Patriarchal Court, also known as the Patriarch’s Palace, is one of the most impressive building of the 19th century in this region. The palace houses the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is the seat of the Bishop of Srem.

The Clerical High School of St. Arsenije Sremac

The Clerical High School of St. Arsenije Sremac is the oldest Serbian Orthodox Seminary, founded in 1794. The building holds the Archives of Sremski Karlovci, the oldest modern Serbian archive.

Church of the Holy Trinity

The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1768 in Baroque style on the site where the Benedictine basilica used to stand. It is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

St. Nicholas Cathedral

Right next to the Catholic church is the Orthodox cathedral. St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in 1762 and reconstructed in 1909/1910.

Chapel of Peace

The Chapel of Peace was built in 1817 where the Treaty of Karlowitz was signed between the powers of the Christian Alliance and Turkey in 1699. The gates were closed when we were in town so we didn’t get to see this church except from the side and below. I meant to get a better photo of this chapel after we left our final wine tasting, but after all that wine I forgot. Whoops..

Wine Tasting

Early into our exploring of the town, we were invited into Vinarija Mrdanin. (Vinarija is Serbian for winery.) The lady working there was very friendly. She shared information about Bermet wine, about the winery, and about her life. We enjoyed the visit and tasted 3 wines including a red Bermet.

After our sightseeing around town, we went in search of another winery that was open, as many were closed. We found Vinarija Verus Kiš and tasted more wines here. They had a large selection. We tried two white wines and both the red and white Bermets. I really liked the Grašac Beli which was crisp and fruity. We tried the Misterija which had a minerality taste rather than fruit. I also really liked both the red and white Bermets!

Our final stop was Vinarija Kosoviċ where I had made a tasting reservation in advance. The tasting was insane! It was a full tasting of all (or almost all) of their wines. The tasting included 4 white wines, 2 red wines, a red and a white Bermet. Their wine was really good though there were so many I can’t really remember specifics except that I liked multiple wines and especially their cabernet. Then at the end they even offered a taste of their rakja. Thankfully after all this wine we were heading back on the bus to our Airbnb to crash.

That wraps up our time in Sremski Karlovci. If you plan to go wine tasting here, I recommend booking at least one tasting in advance. Many places will not be open if they don’t have any tastings scheduled that day.

A lovely park rests within the historic center and small popcorn stands are a common site. Novi Sad is an easy place to be a tourist. It is walkable, safe, and most people know English.

Outside of the historic center many buildings are the concrete communist architectural style. Though there are still beautiful buildings scattered around in these areas.

Most of the tourist sites in Novi Sad are located either in the historic center or a short walk from it. Below are the sites we visited that I would recommend.

Liberty Square

Liberty Square is the main square in the city and is surrounded by the most important buildings including City Hall and Holy Name of Mary Church.

In the center of liberty square is a bronze statue of Svetozar Miletić. He was the most important political person in Novi Sad in the 19th century. His ideas and politics helped mold the Serbian nation.

City Hall

City Hall is the Neo-Renaissance building closest to the statue in Liberty Square. It was built in 1894 in the Neo-Renaissance style. I particularly like the statues of Greek goddesses surrounding the building on the second level. At night, the building is illuminated giving the square an inviting atmosphere.

Holy Name of Mary Church

The star of the square is the Neo-Gothic style Roman Catholic Church, Holy Name of Mary. Construction finished in 1894 and it is the largest religious building in the city with a tower that is 73 meters high. I love the colorful roof and spire. The orange, green, and purple designs add a unique character to this church.

Bishop’s Palace

A short walk from the above square is the Bishop’s Palace erected in 1901 in Serbian Byzantine style. In front of the Bishop’s Palace is the monument to the famous poet Jovan Jovanović Zmaj, though I didn’t get the monument in my photo.

St. George Cathedral

St. George Cathedral, a Serbian Orthodox church, is located near the Bishop’s Palace. It can be seen sticking up in the background on the left when looking straight at the Bishop’s Palace. It was built between 1860-1880, and a new tower and the stained glass windows were added in 1905.

The National Theatre

The National Theatre is on the edge of the historic center. The modern design contrasts with all the historic buildings around it. The current building opened in 1981.

Jewish Synagogue

The Jewish Synagogue is a short walk south from Liberty Square and the National Theatre. It’s outside of the pedestrian-only historic center, but not by very far. The building is built between 1906 and 1909 in Art Nouveau style. Signs outside the synagogue provide information about the synagogue and the fate of the local Jewish people during Nazi occupation. In 1944 the Jewish population was rounded up, kept in the synagogue for 2 days, then deported to concentration camps. The majority were sent to Auschwitz.

Futoška pijaca

Futoška pijaca is a popular morning market not far from the Synagogue. We visited on a Saturday morning and it was busy with locals purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables from rows of stalls. There were also areas of the market selling clothing and other areas selling house goods and toiletries like shampoo.

After the market we stopped at a shop to try a local snack called Palačinke. Palačinke is a thin Balkan style crepe that is covered with a sweet or savory filling and folded. It was very sweet, decadent, and delicious. A popular topping to add is “Plazma” which I ordered not knowing what it was. It is a brand of biscuit that they crush up as a topping.

Petrovaradin Fortress

Petrovaradin Fortress is famous for never being conquered. It looks over Novi Sad from just across the river and was built in the period from 1692 to 1780. The Clock Tower is found in the Upper Town portion of the fortress and is unique because its large hand shows the hours while the short hand shows the minutes. The clock was nicknamed “The Drunken Clock” by locals because the old mechanism that runs the clock is affected by temperature, causing it to run fast or slow at times.

The fortress has many underground tunnels which run over 16 km but you will need to find a guided tour if you want to access them. We didn’t visit these tunnels.

A few art studios reside within the fort as well. We were invited into the tapestry museum where we saw experts creating new tapestries as well as some impressive ones on display. It is one of only five tapestry ateliers in Europe.

The Lower Town of the fortress was shaped into a military complex during the 18th century. It includes housing, barracks, churches, gates and bastions. We passed the Roman Catholic Church of St. George as we found our way into the fortress. I did find it a bit confusing that the Orthodox Church in the historic center and this Catholic Church are both named St. George.

Each July a popular music festival called “The Exit Festival” is held at the Petrovaradin Fortress. We saw gates that were already being set up in preparation for the festival as we visited at the very beginning of July. More than 200,000 people come to see over 1,000 performers on more than 40 stages at this epic event each year.

That wraps up our time in Novi Sad with one exception. We visited the nearby town of Sremski Karlovci and tried out the local wine created in the area. The next post will be about this cute town.

Buying a Ticket for the Train

From what we could find from our research, you must buy the tickets in person at the train station. We chose to purchase them a week early as we were in Podgorica for a few days before our trip up to Durmitor National Park. The bus station we arrived into is very close to the train station. The train was to leave at 10 am and was scheduled to arrive in Novi Sad at 9 pm. It would be a long day, but hopefully a fun journey.

First Train from Podgorica, Montenegro

Chaos Boarding the First Train

The train pulled up to the station about 10 minutes late. Everyone briskly walked over to the train and it became confusing immediately. Our ticket stated that our seats were seats 12 and 15 in car #1. The train employees were directing most of the people away from car #1 to car #2. So we questioningly climbed up the steps to car #2 and tried to pass through the door connecting to our car #1. The workers standing by that entrance told us “the entire car is reserved for them”…. and they didn’t want to address the information on our tickets.

Since we had been denied entrance to car #1, we tried to turn around but a tide of people keep climbing up the steps and cramming into car #2. It seemed impossible to enter into the walkway of the car towards the seats. We finally squeezed into the chaos with our large packs, getting separated from each other in the process. People were standing confused in the aisles and running into each other, with no idea where they should go. It looked like there were too many people for the train, but I think it was just because so many people entered the same door and didn’t know where to go.

Finally we found a couple of free seats towards the back and settled in a cabin with a French couple and one Serbian lady. The train itself was actually pretty comfortable. It had fairly large windows, comfortable seats, and a functional though a bit decrepit bathroom.

Riding through the Dinaric Alps of Montenegro

As the train rolled north of Podgorica, it traveled through increasingly more scenic landscapes. The journey through the Dinaric Alps had impressive sights but also lots of blackout tunnels hiding the beautiful scenes from your eyes. The best views of the whole journey are during the first 2 hours and out the left windows.

We were in the center seats of our cabin and the lady on my left decided to put her feet up on the empty seat opposite her and nap for much of the ride, blocking our exit out of the seats to the hallway with the big windows. However she did get up to stand next to the bathroom and smoke a cigarette, giving me a chance to get to the left window to take in the views and snap some photos.

Second Train through Serbia

Boarding and Crossing the Border

We switched trains in the Montenegrin town of Bijelo Polje, about 2 1/2 hours into the journey. The train into Serbia was very different than our train in Montenegro. It was modern, clean, had plugins available in each seat set, and had functional Wi-Fi. It was a very calm process getting on board and there were more than enough seats available.

On this train an official walks down the aisle and checks each person’s passport and stamps them out of Montenegro before the train leaves the station. I had been concerned that they would check our tourist tax receipts since we hadn’t realized this was something we needed to get when we were in our first stop in Montenegro, so we were missing one. All that worrying was for nothing as nobody asked us for our city tourist tax receipts to cross the border.

About 45 minutes after we boarded, the train left the station. We were over the border and heading north into Serbia in less than 20 minutes. This train traveled much slower than I had expected and slower than the train in Montenegro. We leisurely glided through Serbia for the next 8 hours.

Traveling though Serbia

Southern Serbia is covered in rolling mountains green with trees. A few hours further north on the train and the mountains have become hills. The travel through Serbia isn’t a wow like Montenegro, but it’s still very pretty and enjoyable.

By the time the train is about an hour from Belgrade, the land has mostly flattened. Little towns are now plentiful and fields are scattered between them. The sun soon set and we were in the dark as we passed through Belgrade. The little we saw of Belgrade looked industrial.

Within another hour we reached the train station in Novi Sad. In total the journey took 11 1/2 hours from the time we were supposed to board until we had our feet on the ground in Novi Sad. We were surprised to discover we were on the east side of the river. This is not where we expected the train station in Novi Sad to be. We soon found out this was because the roof collapsed at the normal Novi Sad train station in November of 2024. The roof of the other train station had still not been repaired, so this alternate station is currently where all the trains arrive and depart from. It was still just a short 10-15 minute taxi ride to our accommodation.

Do I Recommend this Train Ride?

The train journey was beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing more of both Montenegro and Serbia. I wish there were less tunnels through the Dinaric Alps and that more of the journey had scenery as impressive as that area. It was a really long train ride, so you need to be ready for a long day. I would recommend the journey to anyone who really likes trains and wants to see some of the countryside in these two countries. If the stunning scenery is your top reason for this trip, it may be worthwhile to start in Bar to have a bit more Montenegrin landscapes included.

Getting to Žabljak

A bus ride of just over 2.5 hours transferred us from Podgorica to the small town of Žabljak. The mountain views from the bus window got better and better as we neared the town. Once we pulled into town we had a quick lunch at Nal Restaurant Tara, then walked to our nearby Airbnb.

Our Airbnb host’s father met us outside to welcome us to our home for the next few days. Although he didn’t speak English and we only knew a couple words in Montenegrin, he still made us feel very welcome. He even offered us a drink upon arrival which we accepted. He ran up to his place on the second floor and returned with a bottle of rakija. Rakija is a strong brandy that is popular throughout the Balkans. He poured one for each of us and himself, we raised our glasses in cheers, drank the strong liquor, and then he left us to get settled in.

Day 1: Black Lake, Durmitor National Park

Black Lake (Crno Jezero) is the most well known sight of Durmitor National Park and it is easy to reach from Žabljak. Black Lake is just a little over 2 km from the center of town and easily reached by foot on a nice sidewalk or by car. It can also be reached by a hiking trail through the woods from the western part of town.  

The view of Black Lake with the tree covered mountains rising up behind it is stunning. After enjoying the view for a while, we decided to explore the trail around the lake. We walked clockwise along this hiking trail for about a quarter of the lake. Here the land on each side squeezes in, almost cutting the lake in half. We normally could have easily walked all around the lake, but we kept our walk short due to my knee which had been causing me pain for a few weeks since we were in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trail around the lake also connects with other trails that can lead hikers up the mountains beyond and other areas of Durmitor National Park.

Day 2 – Rest Day

Since we are full-time traveling and my knee was limiting what we could do in this area, we took day two as a rest day. We did check out a bakery to get some spinach and cheese burek, but otherwise had a rather uneventful day.

Day 3: Walking around Žabljak

On our third day, we spent a few hours wandering around the little town of Žabljak and found it quite charming. Žabljak offers gorgeous views of the Durmitor Mountains from around town. We visited the tiny Orthodox Church on a hill in the northern part of town and found what I think might be the best view in town.

On the same hill as the Orthodox Church is the Monument to the Heroes and Partisans of WWII. It is located just southwest and across the cemetery from the church. Inside the monument, the back wall depicts people rising up against oppression and hundreds of names are carved into the side walls.

Day 4: Savin Kuk Mountain Summit

Savin Kuk is a 2,313 meter high mountain with great views over much of Durmitor National Park. It is an easy mountain summit to reach and therefore very popular with tourists.

We took a taxi to the base of Savin Kuk, though it is also possible to reach it by hiking. A trail connects it to the trails that surround Black Lake. Once at the base there are two options for reaching the peak of Savin Kuk. You can hike up or take the easy option (what we did) and ride the Savin Kuk Ski Center ski lift which will carry you most of the way to the summit.  The ski lift is comprised of two separate lifts that connect by a short walking path, carrying tourists up just 100 meters shy of the summit. 

Dismounting the ski lifts is a bit of an adventure since they don’t slow down as you come into the small step off platform.  You need to move quickly and jump off the platform to the side before the chair hits you. I would hesitate to recommend this to anyone that isn’t nimble. We saw a lady that had gotten injured with what seemed like a broken ankle and I suspect the fast dismount may have been the culprit. The cost of a roundtrip ticket was 12 euros when we were there. 

Once you have survived the ski lift dismounts, a fairly easy hike will take you to the top of Savin Kuk where awesome views will surround you.  To the east is an expansive view over lower grounds.  To the north you see a huge forest of green trees, Black Lake, and Žabljak far below.  The best view is to the west where you are looking over many impressive peaks of Durmitor National Park including Bobotov Kuk, which is the highest peak of Montenegro.  

Day 5: Hiking in Durmitor National Park

Against my better judgement, day five was spent hiking with my bad knee. We walked the forest trail from the western part of town back to Black Lake rather than the main road this time.

From Black Lake we turned right and proceeded along the lake trail. We found the connecting trail leading to Ice Cave and started climbing up in elevation. Most of the hike was through the trees with just a few lookouts along the way.

We only hiked up to the “Mountain View” area of this trail because of my knee pain.  It was about 1,000 feet of elevation gain to reach the view. The hike up wasn’t too hard, but the hike back down was a miserable experience for me. As soon as we turned around and started hiking downhill, I was met with sharp pain in my knee. It was a very slow, painful, struggle to get to the bottom. For anyone that is a hiker and is not injured however, this would be a fairly easy hike.

When we finally reached the parking lot of Black Lake, we luckily found a Dutch couple willing to drive us back to town. Back in Žabljak we celebrated that we had finally made it back with a local Nikšićko beer.

Time to Leave Durmitor National Park

It was now time to leave this beautiful part of Montenegro so we took the bus back to Podgorica.  Two days later we boarded a north-bound train and headed into our next Balkan country: Serbia.

To read more about our time in Montenegro check out my blogs on Herceg Novi, Kotor, and Podgorica.

We went through Podgorica twice while traveling through Montenegro. First as a multi-day stop-over on our journey from Kotor to Durmitor National Park. After our time in Durmitor National Park we took the bus back to Podgorica and from there we traveled up out of Montenegro into Serbia by train.

The Sites in Podgorica

The Old Clock Tower

The Old Clock Tower was built in 1662 and is 62 feet tall. It is one of the few Ottoman structures that survived the bombing that occurred in Podgorica during World War II.  The Yugoslav Partisans under Tito requested the Allies bomb Podgorica (1943-1944) after it was taken over by Germany. This bombing campaign largely destroyed the city, which is why there is very little left of the Old Town.

The Old Ribnica River Bridge

The Old Ribnica River Bridge is the oldest bridge in Podgorica.  It was built during Roman times and underwent some reconstruction in the 18th century.  It is located where the small Ribnica River flows into the larger Morača River.

On the hill just south of the Old Ribnica Bridge is the Ribnica Fortress which seems to also go by the name Depedogen Fortress. The fortress was built above the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača Rivers in the late 15th century by the Ottomans. It is mostly ruins now, but a few walls remain.

The Orthodox Temple of Christ’s Resurrection

The Orthodox Temple of Christ’s Resurrection (built in 2013) is a striking building.  The fascinating architecture has layers of various size and shape mashing into each other, visible from the sides and back.  A base of large white stones create the base. At the top, large domes and A-frames hold up gold crosses. The front view displays 3 bell towers in a single plane and a large stone arch over the main entrance. 

Colorful frescos cover every surface in the interior of the church.  The most famous of these is the controversial depiction of Tito, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels in the flaming depths of hell.  This scene is on the wall above and to the right of the main door.  In my photo, it is near the center in the red section of wall.

Beyond the Tourist Sites

Podgorica has lots of small parks to provide green and shady spaces for the locals to hang out in.  Multiple pedestrian bridges connect the city over the rivers and plentiful sidewalks provide easy walking options.  There are also lots of good restaurants and of a large variety of cuisines to enjoy while in the city.

The Moraća River offers a chance for a refreshing dip. There are a few areas that are easy to walk down and access the edge of the flowing water. Even in summer the water was quite cold but welcome in the June heat.

Time to Leave Podgorica

After seeing the few sites in Podgorica and having some down time to work on planning for our next couple destinations, it was time to catch the bus to our next destination of Durmitor National Park.  If you are thinking about visiting Montenegro, check out my posts of Kotor and Herceg Novi for two great destinations on the Bay of Kotor.

While visiting Kotor you should spend time in the Old Town, enjoy the cats, hike up the mountain for great views, and enjoy the beauty of the landscape and the bay. Below is a summary of highlights I recommend checking out while in this charming little city.

Visit Old Town Kotor

The top thing to do during a visit is to wander through the medieval fairytale that is Old Town Kotor.  The charming old town is so well preserved and I loved getting lost in the small stone walkways.  The entire historic area is surrounded by impressive fortress walls that creep up the mountain behind the town connecting to the fort high above. 

Walk the Walls

Visitors are welcome to climb on the fortress walls and walk around the edge of most of the encased old town for free.  Benches offer a nice place to enjoy the view from the top of the northern wall. The river hugs the wall on one side and on the other is a view of towers and the steep mountain.

The walls extend far beyond the Old Town, climbing up the mountain behind to a fort perched high above. These grey stone walls mostly blend into the mountain during the day but at night the walls are illuminated an orangish glow snaking up the mountain.  

The Sea Gate

The Sea Gate was built in the 16th century and is the most commonly used entrance into Old Town by visitors.  Above the gate opening is the coat of arms of Yugoslavia which has been there for almost a century.  Below this is engraved a quote from Marshal Tito: ‘Tuđe nećemo svoje ne damo/ Do not take ours we do not take yours.”  

River Gate and Gudrić Gate

There are 2 other gates into and out of Old Town.  These are the River Gate with its arched bridge on the northern side of Old Town and the Gurdić Gate on the southern side which is guarded by a bastion and has a moat-like bridge leading to the entrance. The Gudrić gate actually has 3 parts to it, the oldest being built in the 12-13th century and the newest in the 18th century.  

Clock Tower and Arms Square

Walking through the Sea Gate leads you directly into Arms Square named after Venetian times when munitions were stored here.  The stone Clock Tower will be the highlight of your view as you enter Old Town.  It was originally built in the early 17th century but was rebuilt in 1979 after an earthquake. Notice how you can see the mountains rising up behind the buildings of Old Town.

Churches

St. Tryphon’s Cathedral

St. Tryphon’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral consecrated in 1166 and dedicated to Saint Tryphon who is considered the protector of Kotor. It was badly damaged in the Dubrovnik earthquake of 1667 and was thereafter rebuilt with the addition of the bell towers. It was also damaged in 1979 by another earthquake and had more restoration completed.

St. Luke’s Church

Saint Luke’s Church is a small church with oxidized stone walls creating a scorched appearance. It was originally built as a Catholic Church in 1195. From 1657 to 1812 it served as a place of worship for both the Catholic and Orthodox faiths with two altars. It was then given to the Orthodox Church.

Church of St. Nicholas

The Church of St. Nicholas is a Serbian Orthodox Church that was built from 1902-1909. It was built in the location of a previous Orthodox Church (1810-1896) which had burnt down. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas who is considered a protector of sailors and travelers.

Old Winery Wine Bar

The Old Winery Wine Bar is tucked in a narrow street towards the back of Kotor’s old town. They have multiple Montenegrin and surrounding countries’ wines on offer. We really enjoyed sitting at a table surrounded by the historic stone buildings, sipping our wine while listening to music drifting out of the open windows of the winery.

Get Your Cat-Fix

Kotor is well known for all the friendly cats and the most friendly are those in Old Town.  They are everywhere and adorable.  You will find them perched on windowsills, napping on stone steps or cafe tables, and hanging out in Cat Park hoping you sit on a bench so they can sit in your lap. Cats are considered good luck in Kotor and are treated well.

Cats are so loved in Kotor that there is even a Cat Museum in the Old Town.  The museum is filled with cat art, cat postcards, cat postage stamps, etc.  It only costs 1 euro to enter and the money helps feed the town’s furry felines.  You will also see lots of “Cats of Kotor” items for sale in the souvenir shops.

Take a Refreshing Dip in Kotor Bay

During our visit in June it was quite hot with clear skies in Kotor so we especially enjoyed submerging ourselves in the chilly bay water.  While we loved the water, we were less excited by the beaches. Kotor only has a couple actual beaches which were small and rocky.  Rocks aren’t the most enjoyable to sit out on or walk upon to wade into the water.

We preferred hanging out on one of the cement platforms built out over the bay with a ladder for easy access into the water.  The bay has a line of restaurants with outdoor seating just a short walk from Old Town.  These offer a perfect way to spend a couple hours hiding from the sun under the tarps while enjoying the gorgeous view and the light breeze coming off the water.  I enjoyed a mid-morning coffee at Restaurant Mondo multiple mornings during our stay.

Go on a Hike

There are two very popular options for a hike with views while in Kotor.  Rising up behind Old Town, an old fortress wall climbs up the steep mountainside.  This mountain can be hiked and there are two common routes. These are to hike to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and Fortress of Kotor or to hike the Ladder of Kotor.

Hike to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and the Fortress of Kotor

The most popular hike in Kotor is to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and then on to the Fortress of Kotor. You access this hike from a path that leads up endless steps out of the back of Old Town.  About half way up is a tiny church, the Church of Our Lady of Remedy. 

At the very top is the Fortress of Kotor, also called the St. John Fortress. I was in Kotor for just an afternoon back in February and I climbed up to the church but sadly didn’t think I had time to go to the fort on top.  Gorgeous views over the bay and Old Town are visible from the church and I’m sure they are even better from within the fort above.  This route unfortunately usually charges a fee which is currently 15 euros.  In February there wasn’t anyone there to collect money, so I went partway for free but be prepared to pay.

Hike the Ladder of Kotor

The other hiking option also brings you up to the Fortress of Kotor but from outside the walls.  This hike is called “The Ladder of Kotor” and it heads up from just north of Old Town.  The Ladder of Kotor offers lovely views of the fort walls and over the bay along this route as well. 

When you reach the elevation of the fort, you can walk around an old abandoned church and some ruins.  Then you can climb up on a stack of rocks and pull yourself into an open window of the fortress.  I might have made it through the window with some help, but it looked a bit sketchy trying to get back out.  We didn’t want to risk spraining an ankle so we chose not to sneak into the fortress. Once in the fortress you either leave back through the window or hike down the paid way, but if there are people at the payment kiosk on the way down they will likely make you pay the fee upon exit.

This hike can continue much higher past the height of the fort if you want an even higher view and a more intense workout. We did not continue beyond the fort.

When to Visit: January vs June

I found both January and June great times to be in Kotor.  They each have their pros and cons but I would recommend visiting any time of year.

Visiting Kotor in January

In January the city was quieter as less tourists visit during this time of year. I had arrived on a cruise ship, so plenty of cruise passengers came in with me but it did not feel crowded and many only stayed a few hours. It felt quite relaxed walking around Old Town. Another thing I loved about my January visit was the weather. I found the view of the mountains really stunning with clouds clinging to and gliding along the mountains. It was also cooler (around 55 degrees Fahrenheit) which was great for a walk up the stairs to Church of Our Lady of Remedy to get views over the city. The con of this time of year is it would be too cold for an enjoyable swim in the bay.

Visiting Kotor in June

In June we had clear skies and hot days with temperatures ranging from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. You could always see the mountains well as they were free of clouds. The heat also meant we really enjoyed dunking ourselves into the refreshing water of the bay. In Old Town the narrow walkways offer some shade from the sun during the day.  However the stones that make up Old Town absorb the heat throughout the day and in the evening when the air temperature has cooled down the stored heat radiates up and out of the stone pavement and walls.  Therefore I recommend dressing in light clothing still when going out later in the evening to enjoy some dinner or music during the summer.

Time to Leave Kotor

We loved Kotor and I think it will keep a part of my heart for many years to come. We leave this charming town and are off to see a bit more of stunning Montenegro. We are off to the capital city of Podgorica and then to Durmitor National Park.

If you want to hear about another charming town along the Bay of Kotor, check out my post on Herceg Novi in Montenegro.

Herceg Novi is a great place to spend a few days with a historic old town, nice walking path, and crystal clear water. Below are the highlights from our time in this quiet and relaxing seaside town in Montenegro.

Clock Tower

The 17th century clock tower is the most recognizable structure in Herceg Novi’s cute little Old Town. Unique by its placement at the top of a stone staircase, this is the most photographed image in Herceg Novi.  The tower was built in 1667 by the Turks and was originally the main city gate.  It held mechanical clocks on each side showing the Muslim prayer times. In 1995 the old clock was replaced with a new electrical one.

The clock tower is located in Nikola Djurkovic Square which is one of two main squares in the Old Town.  Nikola Djurkovic Square is lined with cafes boasting outdoor seating with views of the clock tower.

Belavista Square and Saint Michael Archangel Church

The second main square is Belavista Square which is found by walking up the stairs and under the clock tower from Nikola Djurkovic Square.  The stunning Saint Michael Archangel Church commands the center of Belavista Square.  Saint Michael Archangel Church is a Serbian Orthodox Church whose construction lasted from 1883 to 1905.  The Belavista Square also has an old Ottoman style drinking fountain that was once the main source of drinking water for the locals back in the 17th century.

Kanli Kula (Fortress)

A bit further up the hill from old town is the fortress named Kanli Kula. The name is of Turkish origin and means “bloody tower”.  It was built by the Turks in 1539 and additions were made by the Venetians in 1687 during their rule.

Forte Mare / Sea Fortress

Rising up from the seashore is another fortress.  Forte Mare (the Sea Fortress) was built in the 14th century by King Tvrtko I (the first king of Bosnia) who founded the city.  It guarded the city from invasion by sea through many periods including when the city was under rule by the Turks, the Venetians, and the Austro-Hungarians who all performed some reconstructions on the fort.  

Danica Pedestrian Way

One of my favorite features of this little city is the Danica Pedestrian Way.  It is a pedestrian/bike path that hugs the seashore, letting you meander undisturbed for a distance of over 5 km.  Some areas of the walkway are lined with restaurants and beach clubs.

Beaches offering access to the bay are scattered sporadically along the Danica Pedestrian Way. Beaches here are not necessarily sand or even pebbles. They are often concrete platforms that sun-seekers relax upon and jump into the bay from.  We swam at the Herceg Novi Beach which is a small pebble beach near the base of the Forte Mare.  The clear water was cold but refreshing.

Savina Winery

Another popular stop in the area is the Savina Winery.  We had hoped to do a tour and tasting. However when we finally got a response from the winery about options for a visit, the price was much higher than we had heard.  We decided it wasn’t worth the cost for us.  The lowest price to visit and taste a couple wines was about $50 USD.  The winery is about a 20 minute walk from town and there is also a monastery nearby. I included this in the post since many people do decide to include this stop in a visit to Herceg Novi.

Our Favorite Hangout in Herceg Novi

Gradska Kafana was our favorite restaurant in Herceg Novi.  The outdoor patio has a view looking out over the water with Forte Mare also visible.  Sitting in the shade taking in the gorgeous view was so relaxing.  This gem is great for any time of day being open from breakfast until midnight.

More Photos Around Herceg Novi

Here are a few more photos from wandering around Herceg Novi.

Time to Leave

That wraps up our time in Herceg Novi.  This was our first stop on our travel throughout Montenegro and we loved it! Once again we were sad to be leaving another city that stole a part of our hearts.  However, we were also excited for the following stop, the medieval fairytale city of Kotor.  

Below are the things I thought worth checking out in Trebinje.  A couple days in this small town would be enough to see it all, but we think it’s a great place to stay longer and just enjoy the slower, quieter pace here.  

Old Town

The small Old Town of Trebinje dates back to the 18th century Ottoman period.  It is surrounded by an old stone city wall.  There are a couple mosques, an old clock tower, and a number of other old stone buildings.  Despite or maybe because of its small size it has a nice, lively atmosphere.  Little cafes spill out onto the pedestrian streets and seem to always have locals hanging out enjoying a coffee, beer, or wine.   

Arslanagić Bridge

The Arslanagić Bridge is considered the most beautiful Ottoman bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  It was originally constructed in 1574 further north of town.  When a hydroelectric dam was built in 1965, the area flooded and submerged the bridge under the newly created reservoir lake.  The Arslanagić Bridge was dismantled and reassembled closer to town in 1966 to preserve it.

Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery

The Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery overlooks the city of Trebinje from a high hill.  This Serbian Orthodox monastery was built according to the last wish of a famous Serbian poet and diplomat named Jovan Dučić.  He stated that he wanted to be buried on a hill over Trebinje in a church like “the one in Kosovo”.  The church in Kosovo that the Hercegovačka Gračanica was designed after is the Gračanica Church which has strong religious importance to Orthodox Christian Serbs.  Although Jovan Dučić died in 1943, construction on the church didn’t begin until 1999 and was finished in 2000 at which time his remains were transferred here.  Inside the church, most of the pillars are square but one is round.  This round pillar contains one stone from the Gračanica Church in Kosovo at its base, bringing the spirit of “old home” to “new home”. 

This hilltop location offers a nice view of Trebinje filled with orange roofed buildings. You can easily spot the Arslanagić Bridge spanning the Trebišnjica River.

Temple of Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord

The Temple of Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord is another Orthodox Church that was built from 1888-1908.  This tall, white stone church is located in the center of town next to a park.  It’s an easy spot to check out while walking around Trebinje.

Trebišnjica River / Walking Path

The Trebišnjica River cuts through the city.  Each day we saw locals rowing down the river in long skinny kayaks. A lovely pedestrian pathway hugs the river banks, perfect for a morning walk. This pathway has nice views of the river, the surrounding hills, and leads out of town to the Arslanagić Bridge.

Bazen Bregovi

The Bazen Bregovi is a swimming area in town created by filtering river water into a large cement-bottom base. Sadly, while we were there they had drained the swimming hole for maintenance.  I had been really excited to swim in the Bazen Bregovi as it looks really nice in photographs. We are hoping we find ourselves passing through the area in the future to enjoy this cool feature.

Tvrdoš Monastery / Winery

The Tvrdoš Monastery is located about 5 kilometers southwest of the center of Trebinje. Although not that far away, there isn’t a path to walk there so a car or taxi is required to visit.

The monastery was founded in the 15th century.  It was damaged during the Turkish-Venetian War in 1694 but renovation on the entire complex began in 1955.  Inside the renovated church, the 4th century foundations of the first Roman church on the site are visible through glass on the floor. 

Surprise, this monastery is also a winery!  The monks produce wine on the grounds using old wine making methods which date back to the 15th century.  The monastery has 2 cellars.  The old stone cellar is where the Vranac wine matures in centuries-old oak barrels.  The second is a new cellar with modern wine-making technology.  

We had a hard time figuring out where to taste the wine as there were no signs.  Tastings are located in the building connected to the tallest stone tower, through the large arched wooden door.  Once seated inside, we tasted the most popular wine varieties in the region: the Vranac (red wine) and the Žilavka (white wine).  I would have tasted a couple more, but the man serving was needed elsewhere and decided to close up, so no more wine for us.  We really enjoyed both wines and even chose to purchase a bottle of the Žilavka.  

Time to Leave

We were a little sad to leave Trebinje and hope to come back someday.  It was time to move on to our next country.  Next we take a bus across the border into Montenegro and our first stop will be Herceg Novi just 40 km away!  

If you enjoyed this post and want to hear about our other stops in Bosnia and Herzegovina, check out my other 2 blogs:  Travel to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Top Sites in Mostar.

To get to Mostar we took a 2 1/2 hour bus from Sarajevo.  Incredible scenery along the route made this a fun bus journey.  The Prenj Mountains and Lake Jablanica were a couple highlights we passed on the drive.

Stari Most

The most famous site in Mostar is the Stari Most (Old Bridge).  Stari Most is a single arch, stone bridge that connects the two parts of the city across the Neretva River with fortified towers on each side. This Ottoman bridge was built from 1557 to 1566.  It is 30 meters across and 24 meters high.  At the time of its construction Stari Most was the widest human made arch in the world.

After spanning the river for over 400 years, Stari Most was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War (part of the Bosnian War).  It was rebuilt in 2004 using the original stones.

Young local men collect money to jump from the bridge to the frigid river water below.  Once they collect enough, one of them will make the jump and swim to shore.  People have been jumping from the bridge since the mid 17th century and since 1968 an annual bridge jumping competition is held each year in late July. The bridge has been a stop on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

A nice view of the Old Bridge can be found from the west banks of the river just south of the bridge.  If you visit early in the morning you might get the viewing area and the bridge all to yourself.  By mid-morning the bridge will be packed with tourists.

Mostar’s Old Town

Old Town spans out on each side of the Stari Most bridge.  The city of Mostar developed in the 15th and 16th centuries and Old Town is full of Ottoman style architecture.  Narrow pedestrian cobblestone streets weave through one to two story, stone buildings.  I found the slick, bulbous cobblestone to be challenging to walk on.  They are quite slippery especially after a rain shower.  Like the bridge, this whole area was damaged during the war but has been restored.

Today almost every building in Old Town is filled with souvenir shops and restaurants.  Souvenirs are set out in front of the shops each morning in an attempt to lure the mass of tourists that arrive each day in for a purchase.  So many people come here on day tours that the narrow streets get packed and it becomes challenging to move through them.  I strongly recommend spending at least one night here to wander this idyllic setting when it’s nearly deserted in the early morning or later evening.  

Cute restaurants fill terraces along the Neretva River as well as a smaller river that feeds into the Neretva. West of the Neretva River in the Old Town stands the Crooked Bridge, a smaller charming bridge with a similar style to Stari Most.

The Old Town contains a couple of mosques.  The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque is next to the river and you can pay to enter it and see the view from the backyard and up in the minaret.  It should be a nice view of the Stari Most bridge, but we didn’t pay to enter.  The Karaðoz Beg Mosque is on the north edge of Old Town and has a small Muslim cemetery next to it.  This mosque is easier to photograph.

Mostar Gymnasium

The architecture of the Mostar Gymnasium makes it a worthwhile building to visit. It is called a “gymnasium” but it’s a historic secondary school, not a place of physical exercise. The word gymnasium in much of Europe refers to a type of school that prepares students for university. During the Austro-Hungarian rule of this region, a new style of architecture emerged in the region called Moorish Revival Architecture. The design came from the Islamic styles of Spain and Northern Africa rather than the previous Ottoman Empire of this area. The Austro-Hungarian Empire used this architecture as a way to create a unique sense of identity not associated with the previous Ottoman Empire or the growing pan-Slavic movement. Construction of the building finished in 1902. Another example of this architecture is the Hotel Neretva which was destroyed during the Bosnian War and is still being reconstructed.

Franciscan Church and Peace Bell Tower 

The Franciscan Church and its “Mostar Peace Bell Tower” are also worthwhile to visit.  The bell tower is 107 meters high and is said to offer a great view over the city.  We didn’t pay to go to the top of this but we did visit the inside of the church which was free and really beautiful.  The current building was built in a new contemporary design on the foundations of the original church that was destroyed during the Bosnian Wars.  The front of the white church has a simple curved top with concave topped buttresses swinging out on each side.  The single skinny bell tower reaches dramatically into the sky on one side.  I was most impressed by the ambiance inside the church.  Shimmering frescoes of gold, yellow, and orange cover the inside walls.

War Scarred Buildings

Derelict ruins of buildings are scattered around Mostar.  Much of the city has been repaired since the wars, but quite a few buildings still stand devastated.  Some of the ruined buildings have green plant life taking over creating a post-apocalyptic image.  Others are still functional but covered in bullet holes.

Street Art

Murals add a more modern and artistic flare to the city. This art is being used to express a hopeful future for the youth of Mostar. Artwork is spread out around the city, but the easiest to find is that on the west side of the river, north of Old Town.  The highest concentration of murals we saw was on Alekse Šantića Street which turns into Tvrtka Miloša Street.  The wall in front of Zatvor U Mostaru Prison was covered in artwork.

More murals can be found by wandering through the maze of buildings on the north-east side of Tvrtka Miloša street.  Murals cover the facades of many of these homes. 

Another nearby area to checkout is the old sniper building found where the Kneza Domagoja and Kralja Zvonimira streets come together.  This tall building was built to be a bank, but the war began and it was used as a sniper tower. The sniper tower has lots of interesting artwork on it as well.  The bullet holes from the war add extra character to the some of the art. My favorite was the mural that seems to depict an army-green war machine destroying a city. 

WWII Memorial

A really interesting WWII Memorial was created in the western part of town.  Sadly it is not being maintained and you will find some of the stones scattered and also some garbage.  We still enjoyed wandering around it, but hopefully in the future it will be restored and taken better care of.

Gorgeous Natural Surroundings

Mostar is naturally gorgeous.  The Neretva River rushes through the middle of town. Its tumbling ice-blue water and the lush green foliage along the banks is mesmerizing.  Add to that the mountains that surround this historic city and it really is a joy to just go for a walk and look around.

Day Trip to Kravica Waterall and Počitelj 

Not far from Mostar is a dramatic waterfall that I really wanted to visit.  I couldn’t figure out how to get there by public transportation, so we found a tour on Get Your Guide to join.  I kept reading that the waterfall becomes packed with visitors by the afternoon (because all the tours show up then).  I really wanted to beat the crowds so I found a tour that went to Kravica Waterfall first.  When we arrived around 10 am almost nobody was there.  The forecast showed rain all day so I think that helped scare off other tourists as well.  It didn’t rain until the afternoon, so our plan worked perfectly!

The sound of rushing water increased as we walked down the trail.  Soon we could see the curtain of rushing cascades filling a pool below us.  It was awesome!  We continued down the path to the edge of the water.  The waterfalls were larger than we expected and we marveled at their beauty and power.  

Restaurants are set up along the shores of the water to sit, relax, and enjoy the view over a drink or food. Swimming is also allowed in the water, but beware it is really cold! I managed to get myself in for a swim but it was too cold to stay in long.

After a few hours at the waterfall, our guide picked us up and we drove to the town of Počitelj.  This town is visited for its medieval Ottoman architecture and hillside location overlooking the Neretva River.  We only spent about 30 minutes here.  We wandered around the old buildings, climbed the steps up to the old ruined fort and enjoyed the views over the landscape. 

Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed our visit to Mostar.  I think spending at least a couple days there if possible would be best to see the top sites with less crowds, enjoy some of the less visited areas, and go on a couple day trips.  Mostar also has museums about the Bosnian Wars.  We went to a couple war museums in Sarajevo, so we didn’t visit them in Mostar.  If you are only visiting Mostar, going to a war museum would be a good addition to your itinerary.

I would have liked to add on a day trip to the nearby town of Blagaj to see its fortress and monastery.  I also would have liked a hike into the hills around Mostar.  Unfortunately I injured my left knee and was unable to walk for our last couple days in Mostar.  This injury is still a problem as I write this blog, but we keep trying to see as much as we can as we journey on through more destinations.  Next we head to the little town of Trebinje in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If you are interested in hearing more about destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, check out my blog on Sarajevo and watch for an upcoming blog about Trebinje.

Intro to Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina in southeastern Europe. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains near the center of the country. The city fills the small flat section of land hugging the Miljacka River and continues up the steep hills surrounding the river. It is a city where “the east meets the west” because of the influences from both the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires.  Sarajevo has mosques, Orthodox churches, Catholic churches and a few synagogues all within close proximity showing the peaceful coexistence it had for centuries. The call to prayer as well as church bells are still heard throughout the city multiple times daily. This peace collapsed for a time and now Sarajevo bears the scars of a 1,425 day siege during the Bosnian War.

Brief History of Sarajevo

The land that is now Bosnia and Herzegovina has had a long and constantly changing history.  There is evidence of the area being inhabited since at least the Stone Age.  The Illyrian tribes were creating kingdoms there in the 8th century BCE and Celts were invading by the 4th century BCE. Later it was part of the western Roman Empire, then taken by the Ostrogoths, the Alans, the Huns, and then taken by the Byzantine Empire by the 6th century CE.  Slavs entered the area in the 6th and 7th centuries and Bosnia eventually became under its own rule.  In 1377 Tvrtko was crowned the first king of the Kingdom of Bosnia. 

In 1463 the Ottoman Empire conquered the area and the Kingdom of Bosnia no longer existed.  With the Ottoman Empire came the conversion of much of the population to Islam.  After the Turkish-Russian War, the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina was given to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1878 (to counterbalance Russia’s influence in the area as its allies Serbia, Romania, and Montenegro gained independence).  Bosnian Serb nationalists wanted to be free of occupation and be part of a Slavic nation.  This led to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the city of Sarajevo in 1914 which caused a cascade of events that led to World War I. 

After WWI, Sarajevo and the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.  It was occupied by the Nazis for a while during WWII. Under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz Tito, locals expelled the Nazis before WWII ended.  After WWII Yugoslavia became a communist state with Tito as its leader.  After Tito’s death, rising ethnic nationalism led to parts of Yugoslavia wanting independence.  When Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence in 1992, many Bosnian Serbs wanted the country to be Serbian, and there was also a movement by Croats for parts of the country to become part of Croatia.  Bosnian Serbs attacked Sarajevo which had a very mixed ethnic population.  A devastating siege on the city of Sarajevo lasted for 1,425 days.

The war ended in 1995 with Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent nation.  However, it was structured with a very complicated government.  Essentially the country is divided into two main parts: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, populated primarily by the Bosnian Muslim and Croatian ethnic groups; and the Republika Srpska, populated primarily by Serbian ethnic groups.  There is also a third small, neutral, ethnically mixed part called the Brick District.  There are three presidents, one from each ethnic group (Orthodox Serb, Catholic Croat, and Muslim Bosniak), and they share the presidency for 8-month rotations in a four year term.  I don’t believe I can explain the situation well enough, so I will stop there.  However if you are interested in learning more about the country, I recommend reading the Cultures of the World book on Bosnia and Herzegovina by David C. King or doing further research yourself.

What to do in Sarajevo

Wander Cobblestone Streets of Baščaršija

Baščaršija is Sarajevo’s old bazaar and was the main trading area during Ottoman rule.  Around 1460 the foundations for Sarajevo were set here and it became the largest trading center in the Balkans.  Pedestrian cobblestone streets weave between low rise traditional Ottoman architecture.  The Baščaršija is a bustling area filled with locals and tourists alike these days. There are lots of cafes, sweet shops, and souvenirs.

Shop on Kazandžiluk Street

Coppersmiths have been working on Kazandžiluk Street since Ottoman times. These days they create local souvenirs for the tourists that explore the narrow alleyways.  Artisans can be found working in their shops, the sound of their hammering heard from the streets.  Wander through the alley of Kazandžiluk Street in Baščaršija to see these beautiful crafts on display.   I really liked the colorful traditional coffee sets and intricately etched tea sets for sale.

Sebilj Fountain

The Sebilj is an Ottoman style wooden fountain in the main square (also known as Pigeon Square) of the Baščaršija.  It was originally built in 1753 but destroyed by a fire in 1852.  It was then reconstructed in 1891 by an Austrian architect.  There is a local legend that anyone that drinks from the fountain will someday find themselves back in Sarajevo. 

Old Clock Tower

The 16th century Old Clock Tower is a lunar clock indicating the times for the 5 daily prayers in Islam.  According to the clock, the day begins at sunset when the time shows 12:00.  A man with the titled job of “muvekit” recalibrates the time to keep it accurate for Sarajevo’s Islamic prayer times.  He has been climbing the tower twice weekly since 1967 even throughout the Bosnian War.

Gaza Husrev-beg Mosque

Gaza Husrev-beg Mosque was built in 1531.  An open courtyard with a large fountain for ceremonial washing is just inside the walls around the mosque.  This is considered the most important architectural monument in Sarajevo from the Ottoman period. It is found in the center of the Baščaršija area.

The Old Synagogue

The Old Synagogue was built in 1581 in what was then a small Jewish neighborhood in the Baščaršija. Two big fires occurred over the years and its current design is from the reconstruction in 1813. It was converted into the Jewish Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1966.  A newer synagogue was built right next to it.

The Old Orthodox Church

The Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel which is commonly known as the Old Orthodox Church was established in 1539.  It was built during Ottoman period and served the Orthodox Christians under Ottoman rule. It is a simple stone structure with a bell tower and a short stone wall surrounding it.

Tašlihan

Tašlihan is the archeological site where you can see the ruins from a stone inn (a caravanserai) that was built around 1540.  There were 3 of these caravanserai in Sarajevo during the Ottoman period.  Caravanserai were inns for travelers, merchants, and caravans and were common in much of the Islamic world.  It was a fort like structure that could accommodate an entire traveling group along with their horses.  A fire in 1879 completely destroyed it and most of the remains removed.  When the Europe Hotel (which was built on top of this site) was being renovated and expanded, the foundations of part of the old inn were uncovered and it was decided to make this area an archeological site and preserve it.  The foundation and a large wall are what still exists of this Ottoman inn.

East Meets West at the Meeting of Cultures Line

There is an actual line painted onto Ferhadija Street where the city changes from the Ottoman Baščaršija to the newer Austro-Hungarian part. The “Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures” line is where the east meets the west. Check out the difference in architecture on the two sides.  To the east is the older Ottoman buildings we have been exploring so far in this post. To the west, all the buildings have a grander and much taller European style. These were all built after the Austro-Hungarian empire’s occupation of the area began.

Eternal Flame WWII Memorial

The Eternal Flame is in honor of the sacrifices and lives lost during WWII. The flame has burned continuously since 1946 with the exception of during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995). It can be found at the end of the busy pedestrian street of Ferhadija in the Austro-Hungarian part of Sarajevo.

See the Assassination Site of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The famous assassination that triggered events leading to World War I occurred on the street just north of the Latin Bridge.  There are even footprints imprinted into the cement marking the place that Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip stood when he took the fatal shot that killed the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the presumed heir to Austro-Hungary. A group of Bosnians worked together to carry out the assassination.  The motivation of the assassination was to free Bosnia and Herzegovina of Austro-Hungarian rule and create a united South Slav state. 

The building next to the imbedded footprints is a tiny museum dedicated to the occupation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the day of the assassination.  If you don’t know the events that occurred, it might be worth a visit as it is pretty cheap.  Just go in knowing it is just a tiny room, a few items on display, and a short video reenacting the assassination.

Walk Across the Latin Bridge

The Latin Bridge was built in 1798 and is one of the oldest bridges in Sarajevo.  It was named after the Catholic neighborhood on the left bank of the Melaka River.  As mentioned above, it is at the cross-streets where the assassination occurred.  

Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is the main Catholic cathedral in Sarajevo and is located in the Austro-Hungarian side. Construction of the cathedral finished in 1887. It is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2014, a statue of Pope John Paul II was erected to the right of the main entrance.

Orthodox Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos is the largest Serbian Orthodox church in Sarajevo. It is located on the edge of Liberation Park just a couple blocks from the Catholic cathedral. Construction of this gorgeous church finished in 1868.

Watch Locals Playing Giant Chess in Liberation Park

Liberation Park is a small park situated right next to the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos.  On the south edge of the park is a giant chess board and it is always in use. Older local men take turns playing each other in spirited rivalries while a crowd watches every move. I recommend picking up some local sweets, finding a seat, and watching a game.  While there, check out the Multicultural Man Sculpture in the middle of the park.  A faceless man stands in the middle of the Earth with 7 doves (representing the 7 continents) surrounding him.  He and the doves are trying to connect the meridians of the Earth.  There are 6 multicultural Man Sculptures created by an Italian artist on 6 continents around the world.  

City Hall

City Hall is an example of Austro-Hungarian architecture with a Moorish influence.  It was built in 1896 and was the last place the Archduke Franz Ferdinand stopped before he was assassinated.  The building was burned in 1992 during the Siege of Sarajevo but restoration began in 1996.

Learn About the Bosnian War

Visit War Museums

I think visiting a couple of these museums might be the most important thing you do while visiting Sarajevo.  We first visited the Siege of Sarajevo Museum. It is filled with daily items from people’s lives during the 1,425 day long siege of the city from 1992-1996. Next to each set of items is a story about the person’s experiences during the siege. Some stories were of children growing up in this dangerous time. Other topics were avoiding snipers, getting water, braving the market, fire-fighters, funerals, etc. The museum depicts the struggle of daily life during the siege.

The second museum we visited was the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide. I found this museum to be especially impactful. It has a similar setup of showing items and providing personal stories of experiencing these crimes against humanity. There are also photos and video footage of things that occurred during the war.

Bullet-scarred Buildings

Many buildings around the city appear old, damaged, and if you pay attention you will see they are pock-marked.  These are holes from bullets and shells during the war.  It is unbelievable how many holes are riddled in buildings all around you.

Sarajevo Roses

Look down while walking around as there are signs of the Bosnian War in the pavement as well.  They are called “Sarajevo Roses”.  Gouges from exploded mortar shells that killed 3 or more people have been filled with red resin as a kind of memorial.  A description and map to these Sarajevo Roses can be found here: sarajevoroses.net  The city has kept scars from the war in an effort to not forget and hope it never happens again.  

Hike or Ride the Cable Car to Mount Treveviċ

On the south side of the river, the city climbs quickly up the side of Mount Trebević.  This beloved mountain is famous for being one of the sites for the 1984 Winter Olympics.  Sarajevo is still very proud of having hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics and you will find Olympic rings and references to the event scattered around the city.

A very popular site to visit is the abandoned bobsled track about halfway up Mount Trebević.  It is in a state of decay, with moss growing on the old abondoned concrete track.  It was damaged during the Siege of Sarajevo when Bosnian Serb forces used it, Mount Trebavić, and the other mountains around the city to cut off and attack Sarajevo.  Local artists have transformed sections with beautiful artistic graffiti. You can walk along the colorful track for a short hike.

A cable car carries locals and tourists up from the city to about halfway up the mountain.  From here, there are nice views looking out over Sarajevo below.  It is also near the abondaned bobsled track.  At the time we visited, the cost was around 15 euros for a roundtrip ticket. We chose to save money and just hike all the way up to where the cable car drops passengers off.

Trails are scattered around this mid-section and continue further up through the forested mountain.  We hiked all the way up to the peak of Trebević for great views over the landscapes surrounding Sarajevo.  The peak of Trebević sits at an elevations of 5,341 feet (1,628 meters) a little over 3,500 feet above the city of Sarajevo.

Look for Stećak around the city.

Stećak are medieval tombstones that can be found around the Balkans but most abundantly in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  They seem to have been a regional tombstone used by Christians of various churches. They began to appear in the 12th century and then disappeared in the 16th century under Ottoman rule. A bunch of well preserved stećci are able to be viewed for free in front of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. 

Try Local Food and Drinks

Most of the food in the Balkans is meat, but we did find a couple of vegetarian items to highlight.  Our favorite item was the vegetarian versions of burek.  Burek is a pastry or pie made from thin flaky dough filled with meat, cheese, potato, and/or spinach.  The most common, and what you will likely get in Bosnia and Herzegovina if you just ask for “burek” is a meat one.  We absolutely loved the spinach and cheese one.  It was called “Zeljanica” and I recommend getting it from the bakery in the Bistrik neighborhood “Pekara Bistrik”. 

Sweets are on display in windows as you wander through the old town.  We tried a few different types of baklava and a desert called “Rabat Lokum”.  It’s a sticky gel-like candy that has been rolled in sugar.

For local beverages, there is Bosnian coffee (which is similar to Turkish coffee), rakija, and beer from the local Sarajevo Brewery.  Rakija is a sweet brandy often made from plums or grapes and it is really strong.  The Sarajevo Brewery beer was our favorite, especially the lemon radler.  We could find it in grocery stores, but less often on restaurant menus.  I also enjoyed the dark beer (tamno) that Sarajevo Brewery made which was more widely available.  The Sarajevo Brewery which opened in 1864 has some interesting history as well.  During the Bosnian War the brewery was an important site for locals to get water from.  Natural springs run below it and it continued to pump water during the siege to help the city survive. 

Enjoy Live Music

We managed to keep ourselves up late enough for some live music a few times while in Sarajevo.  City Pub is a dark, unappealing dive bar during the day but stop in at night and it may be filled with locals singing along to local live music.  City Pub has live music every night starting around 9:30pm. How exciting the show and experience will be depends on who the performers are so try checking it out a couple times or asking the staff for the most popular act during your stay.  The other music venue we enjoyed was Jazzbina.  I couldn’t find a show schedule online, so stop by or give them a call to find out when they have live music.  We were really impressed with the super talented and large jazz band performing the night we went.  Be forewarned that both of these bars will be very smoky.  It is unfortunate, but that is just how it is all around Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Lots of people smoke and they do it inside.

Visit Sutjeska National Park Day Tour

While in Sarajevo we spent a full day on an organized tour to Sutjeska National Park.  I really wanted to see the landscapes of a couple national parks in the country, but getting around these areas without your own car seemed impossible and we just weren’t interested in renting/driving during this trip.  We found a day tour with Funky Tours to visit Sutjeska National Park and even go on a gorgeous hike in the mountains. Here is a link to that tour: funkytours.com/tour/sutjeska-hiking-tour/

Even just the drive to Sutjeska was exciting.  The landscapes became more dramatic along the way, driving through gorges and into the mountains.  We stopped at a couple viewpoints in the park then started our hike that would actually take us over the border into Montenegro to see the heart shaped lake named “Trnovačko Lake”.  The hike isn’t too difficult, but it is multiple miles and a decent amount of incline, so you will want to be steady on your feet and in decent shape to join this tour.  

After completing the hike, we had one more stop at a WW2 monument.  It is a monument for the fallen soldiers of the Battle of Sutjeska where the Yugoslav partisans beat the German occupying forces in 1943.  The tour took all day and we were exhausted by the time we got back to Sarajevo, but it was well worth it!

Malaga

We started in Málaga simply because this is where we found a good flight into Andalucia, Spain.  We only spent a few days here which we filled with sightseeing.  We saw our first Roman site and two fortresses from the Arab time which were later used by the Christians. Christians conquered Malaga in 1487.  Malaga provided the perfect intro to the history of Andalucia.

Roman Theatre

The Roman Theatre can be found at the base of the Alcazaba fortress.  It was built in the 1st century CE and used until the 3rd century.  It was discovered in 1951 after being buried underground for centuries.  Parts of the theatre were taken and used by the Arabs to build the nearby Alcazaba fortress.

The Alcazaba Fortress

The Alcazaba fortress is an Arab palace and fortress. The first record of the Alcazaba as a defensive fortress was way back in 755 CE.  It was turned into a palace residence in the 11th century.  It functioned as a small independent medina, separate from the medina of the city.  The Alcazaba is actually 2 fortresses, one inside the other.

Wandering through the Alcazaba is a treat.  The outer fortress is essentially a walk through a green garden surrounded by high stone walls. Double arched walkways lead you further into the maze.  Once you reach the inner area, courtyards and small palaces surround you.  Mosaics are built into the cobblestone and doorways and windows have elaborately carved decor.  

Castillo de Gibralfaro

The Castillo de Gibralfaro is located on a hilltop with views of the whole city, bay, and the Alcazaba.  It was built in the 14th century by the Arabs to protect the Alcazaba.  It was connected to the Alcazaba through the coracha (a fortified walkway) to a single door which originally was the only entrance to Gibralfaro.  Later during Christian times, more access doors were created.

After Gibralfaro was occupied by the Christian troops, its mosque was converted to a church and the fortress was used as a barracks and prison until 1925.  During the Spanish War of Independence, the French who had built fortifications in Gibralfaro blew them up as they left. Restoration of the fortress and castle began in 1989.  

Amazing views over the whole city make it obvious why the Alcazaba Fortress and Castillo de Gibralfaro were built to watch for intrusions into the city.

Cathedral of Malaga

The Cathedral of Malaga was built where a mosque once stood.  Throughout our time in Spain, we find it is a recurring theme for the Christian monarchs to destroy the Arab mosques and build their churches at the same site after conquering the area.  A unique feature of this cathedral is that the south tower is left unfinished.  To save money we chose not to go inside this church but we admired the beautiful building from the outside.  The cathedral is so large and the buildings around it aren’t that far away.  Therefore it is challenging to create a nice photo of the entire structure. Thanks to the ultra-wide angle lens on my phone I managed a photo of the whole front.

Hiking the Caminito del Rey

We joined a day tour to hike the Caminito del Rey.  This is a really cool and easy hike.  Much of the trail is hanging from the walls of the sides of the Gaitanes Gorge, about 100 meters above the river below.  Below the platforms you stand on, you can see remains of a crumbling original path.  The original path was built in 1905 for workers on the hydroelectric dam to access various areas for maintenance.  The trail got its name when King Alfonso 13th walked the trail to visit the dam in 1921. It was now known as Caminito del Rey “King’s Little Path”. 

Eventually the original walkways were no longer used by the hydroelectric dam workers. Instead they were only used as recreational hiking. This continued as the walkways became increasingly more dangerous due to lack of maintenance, leading to accidents.  Therefore the Caminito del Rey was reconstructed and reopened in 2015.  It’s now much safer and a fun and beautiful day hike.

We took an organized tour that picked us up in Malaga.  You can do this hike yourself and for much cheaper if you plan ahead.  You will need to buy your tickets well in advance because the individual entrance tickets sell out.  You can then take the train to the city of Chorro or rent a car and drive to the park.  You can purchase tickets at their official site:  www.caminitodelrey.info  Be sure to check the train schedule before purchasing a ticket if you don’t want to stay overnight in the town of Chorro.

Ronda

We added the small city of Ronda into our itinerary because it is picturesque sitting high up on the cliffs and has a cool looking bridge over a gorge.  The city is split in two by this deep gorge and the only connections of those two halves of the city are 3 bridges. We enjoyed this charming little city, loved the views of the bridges, and were impressed with the Arab Baths there.  

The Old Bridge

The Old Bridge (Puente Viejo) was built in 1616 and is one of 3 bridges that cross the Guadalevín River, connecting the town across the deep gorge.  This stone bridge is only for pedestrians.

The New Bridge

The New Bridge (Puente Nuevo) is the newest and largest of the 3 bridges in Ronda.  It was completed in 1793 and is 98 meters high.  The bridge rising up from the gorge so far below is a jaw dropping site.  A hiking path leads down from the cliffs and out of town on the southwest side of the bridge.  There is a viewing platform that charges for access, but if you hike a bit further down you can get what is likely an even better view for free.  

The Arab Bridge

The Arab Bridge is the oldest of the 3 bridges.  It was built during the Muslim period and is near the Arab Baths.

The Arab Baths

The Arab baths are a thermal complex that was built during the Muslim period of the 13 and 14 centuries in Andalucia.  Three bathing rooms are in the complex.  Patrons would start in the hot room where steam would fill the air.  They would then move on to the warm room and may even get a massage there.  The cold room was last, and this is where an actual bath was located.  The rooms have arched ceilings and star shaped skylights.  We saw a few other Arab baths while in southern Spain but this was by far the most interesting.  A movie plays on a constant loop in the farthest room of the baths depicting how the baths worked and portraying them in their prime.

Córdoba

We really started to absorb the Muslim history of Andalucia while visiting Córdoba.  We watched videos on the history of this time period starting with the Muslim entry into the region on 711 CE. We also learned about the Reconquista by the Christians and how they retook section by section. Diving deeper into the history on our own heightened the experience of visiting the Mosque-Cathedral and the archeological site of the Muslim Medina Azahara.

Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba was one of my favorite sites in southern Spain.  The building was built as a mosque in 785 by Abd al-Rahman I who was the founder of the Islamic Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba.  The mosque was expanded a couple times until the end of the 10th century.  The Christians conquered Córdoba and turned the mosque into a cathedral in 1236.  Luckily for us visitors and all lovers of history, they chose to convert rather than destroy the mosque. Destruction was the fate of the other mosques throughout Andalucia.  In the 16th century a new Renaissance nave and transept were constructed in the center of the building and the bell tower was updated.  

The most recognizable characteristic of the Mosque-Cathedral is the endless rows of red and white two-tiered arches resting on columns.  The design on these arches is created by alternating red bricks and white stone blocks.  They cover most of the space except for the middle cathedral nave, the small chapels along the edges, and the mihrab (the alcove in the side wall of the mosque that indicated which direction to face to pray towards Mecca).  

The mihrab is gorgeous and has a multitude of colors including blue, red, black, white, and gold in the designs.  Quran prayers written in Arabic surround the arch.  A stunning golden dome covered in plant motifs and criss-crossing ribs towers high above the mihrab.

Spectacular polylobed arches and impressive domes are found throughout the prayer hall sections. Some of the columns inside are actually recycled Roman columns. The nave is set in the center of the building. It has high white ceilings with gold decor and a dome with arched windows letting light in to brighten the space.

The outer walls also contain a courtyard with a large fountain. Muslims used the fountain to purify before entering the mosque.  From this fountain, the Islamic architects designed an irrigation system.  Water flows out and into a grid of narrow waterways that are used to irrigate the trees that fill the courtyard.

Tickets to visit the Mosque-Cathedral cost 13 euros per person starting at 10 am daily.  However, the doors open at 8:30 am and entrance is free until 9:20 when visitors are ushered out.  At 9:30 mass is held in the cathedral daily.  After mass, the paid entrance begins.  We felt there was enough time for us to see the site during the free hours but if you want more time inside, the paid entrance is available.  We watched a video about the architecture which I strongly recommend: “Spain’s Architectural Wonder:  The Great Mosque of Cordoba” by Manuel Bravo. 

Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos or the “Castle of the Christian Monarchs” is a medieval castle that housed the monarchy. Honestly, I found this site underwhelming. There were some cool Roman mosaics inside, but they were unrelated to the history of the Alcazar. The gardens outside were nice, but I would recommend skipping this site. I did not find it worth the high cost to enter.

Roman Bridge

The Roman Bridge was originally built in the 1st century CE but has been reconstructed multiple times. Most of the bridge dates from the Arab reconstruction in the 8th century CE. It crosses the Guadalquivir River and leads to the Mosque-Cathedral. This pedestrian only bridge is free to walk across and the best view is from the southwest side of the river.

The Arab Baths (of Córdoba)

The Arab Baths in Cordoba were a major disappointment.  Don’t waste your time on them.  It was mostly just informational signs and a couple minor reconstructions.  Even if you haven’t gotten to visit another Arab bath, I still would not bother visiting this one.

Medina Azahara

The archeological site of Medina Azahara was another highlight for us.  Abd al-Rahman III decided to build this city-palace after proclaiming himself Caliph in 929 CE.  It was built a short distance from Córdoba and was termed “The Shining City”.  This city only lasted for about 70 years until it was destroyed during civil wars that overtook al-Andalus.  

The area is an active archeological site with only about 10% of the area excavated.  This means that the areas that will be available to be seen by tourists will be constantly changing.  Hopefully even more will be reconstructed when you come to visit.  Unfortunately for us, we didn’t get to see the reception hall of Ada al-Rahaman III, which I suspect is the most impressive section.  The rest of the site was still very interesting and we were happy we made the effort to see it. We could still see the huge gardens that were in front of the blocked off reception hall from a distance.  I especially loved the arches at the Eastern Gate, the Upper Basilica Hall, and the House of Ja’far.  

If you plan to visit the Medina Azahara, there are two videos I recommend watching prior.  “Road Trip Spain and Portugal #037” is a great video for some information about the site and lots of advice for planning your visit. You can access it here: “Medina Azahara, the Shining City”. 

This second recommendation is the video that the museum at Medina Azahara shows.  The first video I shared recommends and links this video as well.  You can watch it before going to Medina Azahara so that you can spend more time wandering the archeological site and seeing the items inside the museum.  You can access it by clicking here: “Ven,conócela! Madinat al Zahra La Ciudad Brillante”.

Granada

Alhambra

The Alhambra was the last stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain.  This palace/fortress is one of the best preserved palaces and most famous examples of Islamic architecture.  Construction of the complex began in 1238 by the founder of the Nasrid emirate of Granada.  It was continuously modified and the most impressive characteristics of the palace were created in the 14th century.  In 1492 when the reconquista pushed the last Nasrid emir out of Granada, the Christians took the Alhambra over.  Charles V started construction of his own Renaissance style palace in 1526 within the grounds but it was left unfinished.

The Nasrid Palaces are the stars of the entire Alhambra.  They were mostly built in the 14th century by the Muslim Nasrid emirate of Granada.  Rooms throughout the palaces are decorated from ceiling to floor with carvings, latticed windows, and tiles.  They have intricate decorations on the walls including repeating patterns and calligraphy of poems and verses from the Quran.  Reflective pools and fountains rest in open air courtyards.  These palaces were used by the Christian monarchy for a while after they conquered Granada, but then were abandoned.  Reconstruction began in the 1800s but more seriously pursued in the 1900s.

If you haven’t seen an Arab Bath in Spain yet, you can peer into a room of one while in the Nasrid Palaces.  There is also another bath within the Alhambra that you can walk through that is nice.  It doesn’t match the experience that Ronda’s bath provides, but is worth a walk through.

The Alcazaba is the oldest part of the Alhambra complex.  It’s the remnants of a fort that once provided protection for a town of 2,000 Muslims who lived in the Alhambra grounds.  Climbing up the towers provides great views over the city and other parts of the Alhambra.

The Generalife is full of green plants and constant bubbling of flowing water.  This area was outside the protective walls of the Alhambra, and the small palace here was used as a summer escape for the sultan. The sultan’s Summer Palace has some impressive decorations similar to the Nasrid Palace, though much less of it.

The Palace of Charles V is a Christian Renaissance palace built by Charles V.  The two level building has a circular courtyard surrounded by columns.  No ticket is required for this palace, it is free to enter.  The Alhambra Museum (also free) is located on the south side on the ground floor of the Palace of Charles V. 

Be sure to get a ticket for the Alhambra well in advance.  When we visited, they needed to be purchased about a month in advance in order to find an available ticket.  I also recommend watching this YouTube video on the Alhambra by Manuel Bravo (same guy that made the video about Cordoba’s Mosque-Cathedral):  “The Alhambra Explained”.

Granada Cathedral

The Granada Cathedral is the second largest cathedral in Spain.  Construction began in the 1500s and wasn’t finished until the 1700s.  The outer facade’s design was based on a triumphal arch, and knowing they built it over a destroyed mosque gives this more meaning.  The interior is mostly renaissance style though its facade is baroque.   It is technically connected to the Royal Chapel, though you must purchase a separate ticket and enter that from another door.  The Royal Chapel houses the coffins of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel.

Basilica of Saint John of God (Basilica de San Juan de Dios)

The Basilica de San Juan de Dios will visually stun you. Gold, statues, and decorations cover almost every inch of this church.  The ceilings are covered with murals depicting the heavens.  This baroque basilica was built between 1737 and 1759.  It holds the remains and personal items of Saint John of God.

San Nicolas Viewpoint

The San Nicolas Viewpoint is one of the best views of the Alhambra and takes you into the whitewashed neighborhood of Albaicín.  Albaicín has narrow roads retained from the Nasrid period between the 13th and 15th centuries.

See a Flamenco Show

We went to a Flamenco show in a cave in the Sacromonte neighborhood.  The cave setting was an intimate atmosphere to watch and listen to the performance.  The Sacromonte neighborhood was settled by Romani people that came to Granada after the Christian reconquista in the 15th century.   The Roma people are credited with developing the unique style of flamenco performed in Andalusia.  

Sierra Nevada Mountains

The Sierra Nevada Mountains are near Granada and can even be seen from the city.  To get some nice views of the mountains without needing to arrange transport, it just takes a bit of exercise. There is a hike from the Alhambra up into the park in the hills above that has nice views and a chance to walk in nature.

We also went on a short hike in Los Cahorros which is located on the edge of the town of Monachil.  This is a town close to Granada that you could take a bus or taxi to reach.  The hike has fun hanging bridges to cross before walking along a narrow trail along the stone walls of the mountains.  In some areas you will need to crawl under sections of stone to pass through.  Soon it opens up to see mountains surrounding you.  We were hiking with friends with a young child, so we didn’t get further than a couple miles into the hike.  On our return, the bridges were backed up with tourists.  If you hike in this area, you should go early in the morning to beat the crowds. 

Seville

Seville was a great place to end our visit.  Nearby is the famous Roman city of Italica which is the most exciting of the Roman ruins we saw during our Andalucia trip.  We saw a palace that has been in use since Muslim times and has over the top decor that can wow you even after seeing the Alhambra. 

Torre del Oro

The Torre del Oro is the “Gold Tower” which was used by the Muslims to defend the city.  They had a chain that they draped across the river that would destroy boats that tried to invade.  This was very effective until Ferdinand III managed to take the city in 1248.

Royal Alcazar

The Royal Alcazar in Seville is one of the top sites in the city.  This royal palace has been in use since the 10th century by the Muslim rulers at that time.  Then it was used by the Christian monarchy once they took over.  

The Royal Alcazar is really impressive.  The entire grounds are surrounded by protective walls.  Within these walls is a maze of a palace and enormous gardens that I got lost in.  The most stunning parts of the palace are the areas that were designed in the Moorish style.  The Christian king hired a Moorish architect to design the palace in the Moorish style and it is really incredible.  Much of the incredible ornamentation that we saw in the Alhambra’s Nasrid Palace was also present in this design. Since this palace has always been in use it is in better condition than the Alhambra is and the colors in the decorations are stunning.  There is even Arabic writing incorporated in the designs even though the rulers it was built for were Catholic.  The palace has some renaissance rooms as well with towering ceilings and walls covered in impressive tapestries. 

Italica

Italica is the active archeological site of the Roman city of Italica. Most of the buildings are yet to be excavated and restored, but the site is still impressive and will be increasingly so in the future. Italica is located just 7 km from Seville and you can easily take a bus to visit it.

Italica was founded in 206 BCE as the first Roman settlement in Spain. It was built along the Guadalquivir River. The well-known emperors Trajan and Hadrian were both born in Italica. The city had a forum, a temple dedicated to Trajan, baths, an athletic training space, as well as mansions, homes, and bakeries. The city began to diminish in the 3rd century CE.

Many parts of Italica were not built over, as often happened with ancient cities, though the current city of Santiponce does cover parts of it. Therefore, many of the structures were well preserved. However, the remains of this city were continually looted and destroyed for materials through the 18th century. Even in the 19th century, some mosaic floors were taken by the Countess of Lebrija for her personal collection. More on that in the next site.

The most notable site in Italica is its amphitheater. It was one of the largest amphitheaters in the Roman Empire (4th largest according to UNESCO). It was built during the reign of emperor Hadrian approximately between the years 117 and 138 CE. The information presented at the archeological site of Italica said that it could hold 35,000 spectators, though I’ve read 25,000 from some other sources. The city was an important place for celebrations and would host gladiator games in this amphitheater.

Huge mansions with impressive mosaic floors were a short walk from the amphitheater. Some of the mosaics have interesting themes like birds or the planetary gods that the days of the week were named after.

A Roman Theatre is also here, but it is outside the gates of the archeological site. It is in town and has homes built around half of it. It wasn’t open when we visited, but we walked around it and could see into it from a couple places.

The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija (Casa Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija) 

This 16th century palace was bought by the Countess of Lebrija in 1901.  She restored the building and used it to house her collection of historic items.  The palace is beautiful through not in the best condition. The main reason (in my opinion) to visit is to see the mosaics.  It contains large mosaic floors that came from Italica.  Some smaller mosaics are displayed on the walls as well.  There are also a couple sculptures that came from Italica.  

The cost is quite high to visit, but they do currently offer free entry to just the bottom floor (where the mosaics are) on Fridays at 10am.  It is limited so get there early and wait in line.  We arrived 30 minutes early and were first in line.

Seville Cathedral

Seville Cathedral is the 3rd largest cathedral and the largest gothic cathedral in the world.  Non-guided entrance was sold out when we tried to book so we did the tour.  We were actually happy that we ended up on the tour because our guide took us into areas that you can only access with a guide like the choir chamber and inside some of the side chapels.

Christopher Columbus has an interesting tomb inside the cathedral.  His tomb is held up by 4 statues that represent the four kingdoms that came together to create modern day Spain. 

Plaza de España

Plaza de España in Maria Luisa Park is the beautiful plaza that you most often see when searching for photos of Seville.  It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.  The large park that it resides in is full of fountains, trees, and birds.  

Holy Week in Seville (Easter Celebrations)

We hadn’t realized that Seville was the top place in Andalucia to celebrate Easter, so we were excited to realize we would be here for some of the festivities.  We were in Seville for Palm Sunday and until the Friday before Easter.

Holy Week has been celebrated in Seville since the 16th century with daily processions.  Every afternoon and evening from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, processions fill the streets.  Each procession has members from that brotherhood in their distinctive robes walking, a float portraying Christ being carried, and a marching band playing music.  The processions walk from their church to the Seville Cathedral.  The streets are crowded with locals and visitors excited to see the processions.

Conclusion

We loved learning about the history of Andalucia, Spain.  With our itinerary we saw Roman, Muslim, and Catholic era sites.  Every place we visited was interesting and each destination seemed to build on what we had already seen and learned about. 

While I loved each place we visited, if you don’t have enough time to go to all these cities, I would prioritize Granada and Seville. The sites I most recommend are The Alhambra in Granada and Italica near Seville. Then I would add Córdoba if possible for the Mosque-Cathedral.

I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into this region and if you are planning to visit, a sense of what to prioritize seeing.

This post gives a brief description of each day on the cruise.  If you are only interested in if we saw the Northern Lights, yes we did.  The night of day 2 and day 3 were both successful.  The best photos are from day three.

Why We Chose Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten offers cruises that go to the top of mainland Norway.  We spent multiple days above the Arctic Circle which offers the best chances of being in the range of the Northern Lights.  The ship is out at sea during the evenings, meaning you are away from light pollution.  The crew also announce when the lights are visible.  This way you can turn on an intercom in your room and hear the announcement.  You can go to sleep at night and know that if the Northern Lights are visible, you will be woken up and won’t miss out on the excitement.

The cruise provides free food and drinks on the ship.  You can get off at each port and explore on your own.  There are also excursions for each port, but these must be booked and paid for on top of the cruise base price.  Most of the excursions were between $100-$250 each.  Since our only goal was to see the Northern Lights, we opted to not add on any shore excursions.  You can find more information about these options on the Hurtigruten website.

Day 1: Boarding the Ship in Tromsø

We boarded the ship in Tromsø around noon.  We just explored the ship and got our cabin organized for the next few hours.  We left port at 6 pm and watched the city lights sparkle in the dark night as we sailed away from Tromsø.  

We were excited to try to see the Northern Lights on our first night out on the water.  Unfortunately, clouds filled the sky.  We searched the sky for quite a while.  There was the slightest white haze in the sky.  I thought to myself “That’s nothing… or is it?”  Hmmm.  I took a photo and that haze was a light green.  We had technically seen the lights but they were not impressive.  We left the intercom on in our room hoping the sky would clear and we would be woken by an announcement that the lights were happening.  We slept undisturbed as there were no announcements that night.   

Day 2: Honningsvåg and Seeing the Northern Lights

We woke up in our little cabin around 6 am.  We bundled up and headed out to the top deck to check out our surroundings.  It was cold but snow-splattered dark mountains surrounded us.  Every once in a while, a lone red cabin would be nestled next to the fjord shore at the bottom of one of these mountains.  We were stunned by the thought that someone actually lived in each of these secluded locations.

Around 8 am we pulled our big ship into the harbor of the tiny town of Honningsvåg.  This cute town only has a population of about 2,300 people.  We went for a short hike up the hills behind the town to get a view out over the fjord.  Parts of the walk were very icy and we had to walk carefully and slowly.  The streets in the town were far more icy than once on the trail.  We trudged through packed snow up to a great viewpoint, admiring the distant mountains behind the fjord.  The weather was starting to turn on us now.  Those far off mountains became more and more hazy, so we turned around and started the hike back.  Big snowflakes floated down onto us as we made our way back to town.  A little stroll to see the church and a bakery finished up our time here.  We headed back on the ship.

We decided to go to bed super early and get a couple hours of sleep before looking for the Northern Lights.  We set our alarms for 11 pm and crawled into bed at 8 pm.  At 10 pm, the ship announcement woke me up.  The Northern Lights were happening!  Dave slept right through the announcement, so I woke him and we bundled up.  

Up on deck 9 we scanned the sky and really saw them for the first time.  The lights had a tint of green but were mostly white to the naked eye.  The cameras showed bright green and even a tiny bit of red color.  They created curtains above us and we watched them for about 90 minutes before heading back to bed.  A successful night!

Day 3: Alta and Amazing Northern Lights

We again woke up around 6 am and watched the scenery from the deck for a while before breakfast.  We glided by more beautiful snow covered mountains.  The port today was the city of Alta.  We weren’t very interested in the sights in Alta, so we stayed on the ship.  We got workouts in, did some reading, and enjoyed all the free food.

This time we decided we would head out to look for the lights right after dinner.  Our plan ended up being perfect.  They announced the lights right as we were getting ready to head out around 7 pm.  On the top deck we watched a streak of light along the right side of the ship for a while.  Then we wandered to the back of the ship and this is where it starts to get good.  

The lights were actually green this time.  Not as bright as photos show, but a subdued green that was visible to the naked eye.  The lights showed up above and behind the snowy mountains around us.  I was surprised how well my iPhone 16 Pro captured the scenery.

The lights had decreased for a while and we were about to head inside to warm up.  As we were taking a last look, the magic really started to happen.  The lights started to fill the sky from right to left.  The intensity of light increased, changed shapes, and increased more until we were both in total awe.  All above us was a glowing green swirl.  Parts of the lights were dancing in movement.  I managed to find a place to set up my travel tripod and get a couple decent photos with my mirrorless digital camera.  

We finally headed inside after these lights dimmed.  Those last 30 minutes had really wowed us.  No matter how the rest of the cruise went, this show of lights made the entire trip worthwhile.

Day 4: Lødingen

Still feeling overjoyed from our previous night, we got up and watched the morning scenery around 7 am and once again it was beautiful! 

Around 10:30 the view had changed.  The mountains were not as high but lots of small communities were scattered along the shores.  

By the time we reached the port of Lødingen, it was snowing so hard you couldn’t see anything out the window.  We decided that another day on the ship would be ok due to the weather.  Many people did venture out and one excursion group got stuck out.  The road back had been closed due to the weather and they had to wait for it to reopen. 

We left an hour late due to the delayed excursion.  Once we got out to sea we had 4 meter waves hitting the boat on its side from 4 pm when we left until about 9 pm.  The boat literally rocked us to sleep.

Day 5: Rørvik

The views around the boat were less interesting this day.  We didn’t have any towering mountains around us like previous days.  We did see a small mountain with a small hole developing in the center from wind erosion.  

It was another cloudy day and it rained the entire time we were in port.  We decided that we needed to get off the ship anyway.  We went for a walk around our port town of Rørik.  There was a line of cute old wooden buildings.  They also have a unique church.  After the Rørvik church burned down in 2012, this modern church was built in 2019.  It is made of glass and concrete.  My best attempt to describe its appearance is like white and clear Legos on top of a glass bottom.  Other than that there wasn’t much to see.  Our whole walk and exploration of the tiny town took maybe 40 minutes.  

The boat left port around 3 pm and we had 6 meter waves this time.  The waves rocked the ship back and forth, and then sometimes in a circular motions.  We weren’t feeling so great after a couple hours of this.  The rocking ended just as I was falling asleep.

Day 6: Cancelled Port Due to Weather

The afternoon of day 5 the captain made an announcement that a storm was causing a problem.  We would have to skip our port on day 6 to beat the worst of the storm.  If we didn’t, we would end up with 8-9 meter waves which she said were “too much”.  

So day 6 was spent all day on the boat with lots of waves back and forth.  We didn’t do much but try to not be seasick.  It actually ended up not feeling as bad as the day before had been.  We managed to get past the open water part of the trip before the wind and waves built up too much thanks to the captain’s decision.

Day 7: Arrive in Bergen

We docked in Bergen sometime during the night, arriving early due to our skipped port stop on day 6.  We got off the boat around 8:30 am and headed to our hotel.

After the Cruise – Staying in Bergen

This was the end of the cruise, but we spent a few days in Bergen afterwards.  It rained every day here, which is common in Bergen.  The first area we visited was Bergenhus Fortress which contains Rosenkrantz Tower and Hakon Hall.  Rosenkrantz Tower was the residence of King Eirik Magnusson who was the last king to live in Bergen in the last 1200’s. The tower was extended and fortified in the 1500’s by Erik Rosenkrantz.

Hakon’s Hall was built in the mid-13th century. It was used to entertain and to celebrate important events including a few royal weddings. It is the largest secular building from the Middle Ages still standing in Norway.

We saw the famous buildings along the Bryggen.  The Bryggen is the old wharf wooden buildings in Bergen.  It was important to the merchants in the 14th century when Bergen was the biggest trading center in Norway.  Although many fires over the years have damaged buildings, they have been repeatedly rebuilt using old patterns and methods and therefore retaining the original structure.  The Bryggen is a world heritage site and the best known tourist site in Bergen.

We even saw the view over the city from Mount Fløyen.  The Fløibanen funicular quickly transports people up and down this hill in just a few minutes.  We chose to take the hard way and hike in the rain up to the top.  The hike was a couple miles and took about 1 hour 15 minutes at a slow pace, enjoying views along the way.  We actually could see the city from the top, though it was fuzzy from the fog and rain.  (I was happy there was any view!  I had been here in 1999 and we could only see clouds then.)  A bit wet and cold now, we chose to ride the funicular back down to the bottom.  

After a few days in  Bergen, we took the train back to Oslo.   The 7 hour journey was filled with lots of lovely landscapes along the way.  Back in Oslo, we hopped on the train to the airport, spent the night right next door at the Radisson, and left the following day.

Our trip to Norway has concluded.  We truly enjoyed our time here and hope to come back in the summer one year.  Next up, southern Spain.

If you are interested in reading about another Hurtigruten cruise, I traveled to Antarctica with them in December of 2018.  That cruise was really spectacular.  Almost every moment of the experience was exciting.  Check out my blog post about that amazing experience: Antarctica: Cruising to the final continent with Hurtigruten!

Saunas are very popular throughout the Scandinavian countries.  In Norway, combining sitting in a steamy sauna with refreshing dips in the cold fjords has become quite popular in many cities around the country.  Tromsø is one of those cities.

Getting to Tromsø

The flight up to Tromsø was short and actually an awesome experience itself.  It was just under 2 hours to fly from Oslo to the northern city of Tromsø.  As we got close, the views out of the plane window were stunning!  Clouds covered parts of the view, but below them the mountains and deep branching fjords spread out below us.  Gorgeous!

Making the Decision

We stayed in a private room in a shared house listed on Airbnb.  Our hosts were friendly and one afternoon they shared what they had done that day.  They had gone on a walk, a run, and then went to the sauna and fjord.  We started asking some questions about the sauna and it turns out they go every week.  That was enough for me to tell myself that we had to do it!  

There is only one floating sauna on the fjord in Tromsø.  It is called Pust Sauna and it cost 360 NOK for a one time / one hour visit.  If you want to stay for 2 hours, it is 540 NOK.  (In February 2025 these equalled $33 USD and $50 USD.). You can book your session online on their website:  www.pust.io/en/badstue/tromso/

Two types of sauna experiences are offered.  The original sauna is a silent sauna that has up to 12 people inside per session.  The Lavoo sauna has up to 16 people inside per session and talking is allowed.  We chose the Lavoo sauna so we could talk during the experience.

Floating Sauna and Fjord Day

We booked our one hour sauna session for 8:30 am.  This way we would get it over with early instead of dreading the freezing water all day.  We walked out to the floating buildings, checked in, and were able to enter the changing rooms 5 minutes before our session.  Inside the changing rooms there are cubbies to put your stuff in but no way to secure them.  This is Norway though, so nobody is concerned about the safety of their items.  There is a cold water shower inside but no toilets at the facility.

Now dressed in only swimsuits, we entered the sauna, placed a towel onto the wooden benches and let the heat built up a dripping sweat down our bodies.   The wooden structure has panoramic windows looking over the fjord around it and out to the mountains on the other side of the water.  The temperature was about 180 degrees F inside (85 degrees C).  It could probably get hotter, but nobody in our group was putting water on the coals to heat it up more.

Once we were overly toasty, it was time for the challenge of swimming in the icy fjord.  The water in the fjord was about 37 °F (3 °C).  I was up first.  I started stepping down the closest one ladder into the water.  The water was shockingly cold as I submerged my feet.  I slowly eased further down into the fjord until I was waist deep and on the last step.  Brrr!!  I wasn’t sure I would actually be able to swim while my body dealt with the shock of the cold water.  As I glided off that last step, I kept my hands gripping the ladder as I submerged myself to my shoulders.  Now it was hard to breathe calmly as my instinct was to start hyperventilating.  I only made it 10 seconds all the way in, though it felt like much more.  It was short, but I had done it! 

Now Dave was up.  He did great!  He stayed in longer than me and even let go of the ladder to actually tread water.  But soon he was up the ladder as well and we headed back into the heat of the sauna.  

Our bodies tingled as we sat in the sauna and started making conversation with the other people inside.  Everyone was a tourist and doing it for the first time like us.  Soon we had sweat dripping down us again and decided to go for round two.  We were feeling excited for it rather than anxious this time.  The second time was still freezing, but easier than the first.  

In the end, we dipped into the fjord four times during our hour.  Each time was for a longer period and more enjoyable.  At the end of the hour, we changed out of our wet suits and into dry warm clothes.  We left feeling elated that we had done it, agreeing that we would do it again if we had the chance.  We walked away with giant smiles on our faces.

Other Things to Do in Tromsø

Cable Car or Hike to Mount Storsteinen 

Taking the cable car to the top of Mount Storsteinen to see the view over the city of Tromsø is one of the most popular things to do here.  We really would have liked to do this, but we also needed to watch our budget.  The cost for the cable car with return was 545 NOK ($49 USD).  There are also trails to hike up but with the snow and ice we would have needed to buy some good hiking spikes.  We sadly chose to not see the view from the top this time.

Drink a Local Mack’s Beer at Øhallen

Mack’s Brewery claims to be the most northern brewery in the world, though now Svalbard Brewery also exists and it is further north. So I guess this claim no longer is valid.  Mack’s Øhallen brewpub is the oldest pub in Tromsø.  It was opened in 1928.  There are about 50 beers on tap, many Mack’s beers as well as other Norwegian beers.  Øhallen has a nice ambiance to hang out and enjoy a beer, but you are in Norway and drinks here are very spendy.  Expect to pay $15-20 USD for a half liter (about a pint).

Visit the Arctic Cathedral

The Arctic Cathedral is another tourist spot.  This unique structure is visible from the banks of the fjord.  It has a beautiful stain glass mosaic of Christ that covers the entire wall.  There is a charge to enter the church and since we were really trying to watch our spending during our trip we chose not to enter.  As of 2025 the cost was 80 NOK to enter the church.

Walk and Shop on the Storgata

Walk along the Storgata (the Main Street).  This street is a pedestrian only street for about 4 blocks.  The buildings that line this area of Tromsø are charming and full of souvenirs, shops, and restaurants.