Touring - Mostar, Bosnia-Hertzegovenis

From Kravica Waterfalls, it was a short drive to our next hotel, Villa Fortuna. The approach was a nightmare—narrow streets, two-way traffic, and cars parked along the sides. I’m sure there are plenty of scrapes and accidents on that road. Thankfully, a lovely woman checked us in, and we were relieved to find a parking lot attached to the hotel.

We immediately set out on foot toward the old town. It was packed with tourists, most brought in by minibuses from Dubrovnik and elsewhere. We saw Stari Most, the city’s famous bridge, and snapped a few pictures. From there we visited the War and Genocide Museum—a very sobering experience. It featured testimonies and videos from people who had lived through the conflict, which was fought between Croatians, Bosniaks, and Serbs.

The effects of the war are still visible all around Mostar. On our walking tour with Ivan, our free-tour guide (we love these tours—they’re usually led by young people and it’s a great way for them to make extra money), we saw many destroyed buildings, still standing since the war ended in 1995. Ivan explained that the city lacks funds to restore them, as housing is a greater priority than reconstruction.

Before our tour, we had a late lunch/early dinner and tried some typical Bosnian food. Scotty ordered ćevapčići (grilled beef sausages) with pita bread, while I went for a mixed plate. It came with stuffed cabbage, stuffed pepper, stuffed onion, a meatball-like patty, rice, and rice with tonatoes, peppers, peas and carrots that I think is Djuvec Rice.  That last dish ended up being my favorite.

Touring - Kravica Waterfalls

 It was a 2 ½ hour drive to Kravica Waterfalls, and we had to cross the border, which was just a matter of showing our passports.

The waterfalls were both amazing and disappointing. They were amazing because of the sheer volume of water rushing down in several places—it was beautiful to see. The disappointment came from the torrential rains, which caused so much excess water that the whole base of the waterfalls was flooded out. That sounds funny, but in normal conditions we would’ve been able to walk closer to the base. Instead, the water was so deep that most of the restaurants were closed, and the pool at the bottom was brown and swirling. Even so, I felt lucky to see them.

Touring - Dubrovnik

 From our hotel it was about a 15-minute walk downhill to Dubrovnik. Rain was forecast all day, so we put on raincoats, grabbed our umbrellas, and set off for adventure. We met our tour guide at 9 o’clock, and sure enough, the rain soon began—but we were well prepared.

This tour focused on the many wars Dubrovnik has endured since the 13th century. It was fascinating to learn how the city shifted allegiances through the centuries, with the most recent conflict in 1991 when Dubrovnik was fighting to break free from Yugoslavia. 

Memorial with photos of those killed during 1991-1992 conflict. Some were as young as 16.

The black dots indicate bombing sites during 1991-1992 war.

At one point, as we stood listening in a narrow street, the skies opened with unbelievable force. Someone described it as “biblical” rain. Water rushed down the stone streets in torrents, so deep that people were wading ankle-high through it.

One of the funnier moments happened inside a church. It had been bombed during the war, and when restoration work began after the 1979 earthquake, they discovered the ruins of a 14th-century church beneath it. As the guide explained, one man in our group crouched with a flashlight, peering through the wooden barrier into the ruins below. Suddenly his sunglasses slipped off his head and tumbled into the restricted area. I thought they were lost forever, but a woman from the church calmly unlocked the barrier, climbed down a ladder, and retrieved them—probably the quickest way he’ll ever “access” protected ruins!

Dubrovnik is truly a very charming city. It would be easy to get lost in it. It Is surrounded by the wall and the wall has four distinct corners. The guy told us that there were 67 streets and 5000 steps – I’m pretty sure we found them all! We also learned that there are some restrictions to the buildings in the city. Air conditioners could only be placed in the alleys and not on the main streets which made the main streets look more aesthetically pleasing. Doors had to be painted certain colours. All the awnings looked exactly the same. One of the things that I like the most were the warm coloured lights that many restaurants had hanging outside. Dubrovnik is also the site of many Game of Thrones Scenes. We found the walk of shame to be the most noticeable to us.

Eastgate in the distance

Westgate

This is the only square tile on the main street. It is placed exactly halfway on the street. But when you look to the east, the gateway is very large. Wet the gate is very small. So that when you enter from the east and look down the west it looks like it’s a very far off distance. Actually this is quite a clever trick.

Street where the ‘Walk of Shame’ occurred in Game of Thrones.

After the tour, we bought the Dubrovnik 

Pass. I’m so glad we did because the walk along the city walls was absolutely spectacular. I hadn’t expected it to be so impressive—I thought it might be something like the wall in Rothenburg—but it far exceeded my expectations. With the dramatic dark skies overhead, the views were even more striking.

Once we finished the wall walk, we headed to the restaurant street and found a place to eat. I had fish and chips, Scotty ordered calamari that was probably the best I’ve ever tasted, and we washed it all down with refreshing Croatian radlers.

The pass also gave us entry to several museums, so we visited the Ethnographic Museum, the Palace Museum, and the Franciscan Monastery Museum. By then we were utterly exhausted. We realized we had walked 16 miles! Somehow, we managed to make it back to the Airbnb.

Collapsing on the balcony, our host surprised us with two glasses of sparkling wine. She explained—in her mix of English and Croatian—that it was “like Prosecco” but made from red grapes, which gave it a dark ruby color. It was delicious, reminding us of the port wine we once tasted in Portugal. A perfect ending to a long, unforgettable day.

Travel to Dubrovnik

 We lounged at the Hyatt. Nice! 

Then we lounged in the Priority Pass Lounge. Okay.

Flew to Dubrovnik and after we got into our AirBnB, the skies opened up. The thunder was SO loud and it was a torrential downpour. 

Driving to Frankfurt

 Today was mostly a day of driving. We left Kandersteg in the rain, which somehow made it a little easier to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. After several hours on the road, we finally reached Frankfurt Airport. Returning the car went smoothly, and from there we decided to walk to our hotel, the Hyatt Place. The walk turned out to be longer than expected—about a mile and a half—most likely because we ended up on the opposite side of the airport.

The reward was worth it though: a spacious room with a large king-size bed, a big TV, and a gorgeous bathroom—a big contrast to the small, dorm-style room we had back in Kandersteg.

In the evening, we wandered around the corner to an Asian-style restaurant and ordered egg rolls and dumplings. The food was good, but the real highlight was the Hefeweizen beer. I don’t think I’ll ever get past how much I enjoy true German beer on tap.

Kandersteg Stay

This is our second time staying in Kandersteg. That alone says a lot about the place, since we usually try not to revisit destinations.

The Kander Valley was formed almost 9,500 years ago by a massive rock avalanche. This triggered glacial activity that carved out the valley and created the stunning Oeschinensee Lake.

The history of the Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) begins in 1913, when the railway tunnel from Italy to the Bernese Oberland was completed. Once the project was finished, the workers’ buildings stood vacant. Around the same time, Lord Baden-Powell—the founder of the Scouting movement—was searching for a permanent location for a world jamboree. In 1923, the first “mini jamboree” was held here, and The Chalet was opened to scouts. Scouts from all over the world came and began decorating rooms with colors and symbols of their countries.

During World War II, the scouts vacated the area and French soldiers occupied the site. After the war, the scouts returned. Over the years, many traditions developed—including the uniform color. Each year it used to change, but in 1989, pink was chosen and never replaced. That’s how the famous “Pinkies” were born. Attendance and traditions grew steadily, and in 2013 the center celebrated its 90th anniversary.

Today, scouts from all over the world still come to KISC. Many return again and again because they love it so much. Summer is the busiest season, with countless outdoor activities, but winter also draws groups for snow adventures.

This is our second stay here, during the quieter season when it’s easier to reserve a room. Our accommodation this year is basic—we’re sharing a shower with the room next door—whereas on our first visit we had a private room with its own bath. Meals can be purchased at the center, and we joined their barbecue on our first night. There’s also a reception desk where you can buy tickets; that’s where we picked up ours for the gondola ride to Oeschinensee.

It’s been a wonderful four days at KISC, and who knows—maybe we’ll be back for a third visit someday.

This is the building where we stayed.

Our small, but functional room.

Our evening meal.

Evening entertainment - dancing.

One of the helpful pinkies at the reception desk.

Hiking - Kandersteg

 Rain was expected today, so we decided to stay close and explore the village of Kandersteg. After all, there are wanderwegs (hiking trails) everywhere here. We began by crossing the river past the Scout center and heading north toward the village. 

The path followed the river through the woods, peaceful and shaded. Along the way we saw the car train pass by again, and a few scattered houses tucked into the landscape. It was the perfect kind of hike—no steep climbs, just an easy walk with beautiful scenery.

We saw the sign to the Allmenalp cable car, but never did see the cable or the car or the towers. As we walked away though and upon really close inspection, we did see a cable car  going up the face of the mountain and a tower at the very top. We thought it was impressive that this cable car had a tower just at the bottom and just at the top.

When we reached the edge of town, we crossed back over the river and noticed some ski jumps on the hillside. Curious, we wandered in that direction and, to our surprise, there were people actually practicing. We stopped to watch, amazed by the speed and distance of their jumps—and then realized it was a group of girls. Go girls! Nearby we spotted a Nordic ski jump house, confirming this must be a training area.

From there, we strolled into town and treated ourselves to cold drinks: I had a mango-passion Lipton tea (delicious!), and Scotty chose a Coke. We found a bench in the center of town and enjoyed a simple lunch of salami, Alpine cheese, and a Ritter Sport bar.

Afterward, we continued wandering through Kandersteg, admiring the charming Swiss chalets decorated with bright flowers. 

As we neared the Scout Center, a light rain began to fall. We made it back to camp having walked a total of 7.75 miles. Neither of us felt tired—the combination of easy terrain and all our recent hikes is starting to make these distances feel natural.