Riding the Balkans

Distance: 1.100km
Nr of days: 7
Year: 2013
 
 
Everything started with a present I got from my boss for Christmas a couple of years ago.... He gave me this book," Venuto dal Mondo" by M.Mazzantini, and from the moment I started reading it I had this constant though in my mind: I have to visit that world, that land deeply torn apart and ruined by the war, an historical event that for timing and geographical location I always felt it very much part of my life. I remember very well, I was a child when at my school we were welcoming refugees kids coming from the balkans; children wounded, mutilated, sad. I decide to go and discover this part of the world: Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo, the three souls of one State always deeply divided internally in its own culture, costums and religion.

Day 1- 2: starting from Belgrade

The first impact is very strong with the motorbike riding through buildings ruined, burned, pierced by gunfiers.... The dominant color here is with no doubt black, while here and there few newborn green trees symbolize the re-birth, the hope, the nature wanting to bloom once again in its whole unspoiled beauty. I want to take few pictures of this unbelievable and contradictory landscape but a policeman gently approaches me and invites me to put my camera back in my poket. I fully respect and accomplish this request and I realize that for them this must be the only way possible to move on from their past, not wanting to see other people trying to bring back these memories and take them home even if only in a picture.

The atmosphere here is nonetheless sparkling, Belgrade it's a young and vivid city where you breathe the desire of its people to design and experience their very own bright future, their wish to know people from the outsideworld and to be know from them. I've met here very special and openmind people; a taxi driver recommends us a central neighborhood full of attractions and places of interest for the local nightlife. The suggested quarter it's indeed original, with its frescoed walls and stalls with local handcrafts coloring the downtown boulevards and lighting up the night. For those looking for a late night out, my suggestion is to move down the river where the selection of bars and restaurants it's wider and, although not quite of my personal taste, definitely plenty of options to have a good time. But I prefer to go back to my hotel to rest and get ready for the next day, where I have planned an early start to visit the local open markets, very popular venue for the locals and of great interest for the visitors. This is very much a jump in the past for me; here I find very old Nokia mobiles, the 3210 for example, ornamental candy boxes...

Day 3: riding from Belgrade to Mecavnik

We are already way too long stuck in the same place... our bikes are clearly crying out for some action.... It's the time to get back on two wheels! We ride along the road n° 22 and then n° 4 towards Valjevo. The landscape is of amazing beauty and at short distance driving along the way we discover the so called local "wine road", great tip for the category lovers... But what remains most impressed and vivid in our minds, from what we've seen so far, are with no doubt the signs of the recent war: rests of helicopters shot down, rusty military tanks, buildings and houses deeply wounded by any kind of weapon...We proceed then along the street 21 to Pozega when at the crossroad with the street 263  the idea to turn this way (plenty of amazing slopes and curves as already reported in our map) crosses our minds but we decide to keep going along the 21 riding along the railways. Shortly before reaching Uziceci we stop on the top of an hill close to a small church. Once again we find ourselves surrounded by peace and silence, caressed by the wind and in this very privileged venue we admire the landscape and enjoy our quick sandwich-lunch.
Slowly we ride back up the road n19.1 until the crosspath with the road 112 to Kremna and then we take the road n.5 till Mokra Gora. Late in the afternoon we reached Mecavnik and the first stop planned, the Kusturiza hotel belonging to the famous movie-maker from the Balkans. Here In winter takes place the "alternative movie" festival. The hotel itself it's a surreal place with constant references to the movie industry, a big inside swimmingpool, a church, a cinema itself and a restaurant with a great wine selection. Following us on the way here... it's a small Honda Goldwing crew. Clearly we are at the right place... Welcome Bikers!!

 Day 4: Sarajevo..

We're on the road again this time direct to Sarajevo and after riding just few kilometers  we arrive at the border: a manually raised bar divides two worlds. We decide to continue on the M5 driving along the river in the Visegrad district... Best choice ever!  Curve after curve, crossing the E 761 and then the M 19, we finally reach Sarajevo. The core of the historical center is of hislamic features: mosques, minarets, women in their long tunics... a quite unusual scene if compared to the recent history but also here the war imprints are very present and visible, indeed a common aspect to these lands as we have experienced so far. I am astonished to see their ability to obtain pens from gunshots or key-holders from exploded mines or parts of it... The war taught the locals not to waste anything and if you think about it, reinventing and reshaping those things left behind by the war can be indeed a way to move away from any settled or persisting negative feeling linked to it.

Day 5-7: from Sarajevo to Zagreb the mittleuropa of the Balkans

We start from here our way back and we take the road M17 but with more surprises on the way. We proceed until Jablanica along the lake, than we continued on the M16.2, this same road becoming then M16 from Bugojno until Banja Luka. Here nature rules. Just enjoy the landscape, words here would not give you even a rough idea of it... You may find circular river and amazing canyon along the way towards Zagreb. Zagreb is a war-ghosts free city. With its Habsburg style buildings, meticulously cared yards and gardens, colorful bars, pubs and restaurants set in a joyful and chill atmosphere; the ideal destination to end a very intense trip with a note of joy and hope for a brighter future for these lands.

 

 

    POINTS OF INTEREST: Mecavnik