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The Fracture Zone: My Return to the Balkans

Camden Mitchell

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A Rugged Mountain Range With Deep Gorges And Sheer Cliffs In The Balkans The Fracture Zone: My Return To The Balkans

The Fracture Zone: My Return to the Balkans

by Simon Winchester

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
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I first visited the Balkans in the early 1990s, during the Bosnian War. I was a young journalist, and I was drawn to the region by the stories of violence and ethnic cleansing that were coming out of the conflict. I spent several weeks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reporting on the war and its aftermath.

I returned to the Balkans several times over the years, but I had never been back to Bosnia until this past summer. I was curious to see how the country had changed since the war, and I was also eager to revisit some of the places that I had seen during my first trip.

I flew into Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city has been largely rebuilt since the war, but there are still some scars of the conflict visible. The Holiday Inn where I stayed was one of the most famous hotels in the city before the war, but it was heavily damaged during the siege of Sarajevo. It has since been rebuilt, but it still bears the marks of the shelling.

I spent a few days in Sarajevo, visiting the city's museums and memorials. I also took a walk through the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town is home to some of the city's most beautiful architecture, including the Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque and the Sarajevo Cathedral.

After a few days in Sarajevo, I rented a car and drove south to Mostar. Mostar is a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina that was also heavily damaged during the war. The city's most famous landmark is the Stari Most, or Old Bridge. The bridge was destroyed by Croatian forces in 1993, but it was rebuilt in 2004.

I spent a day in Mostar, exploring the city and visiting the Stari Most. The bridge is a beautiful piece of architecture, and it is a symbol of the city's resilience. I also visited the Museum of War and Genocide, which tells the story of the Bosnian War.

From Mostar, I drove east to Srebrenica. Srebrenica is a town in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina that was the site of a massacre of Bosnian Muslims by Bosnian Serb forces in 1995. The massacre was one of the worst atrocities of the Bosnian War.

I visited the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial and Cemetery. The memorial is a reminder of the horrors of the massacre, and it is a place where people can come to grieve and remember the victims.

My trip to the Balkans was a sobering experience. I was reminded of the horrors of the Bosnian War, but I was also inspired by the resilience of the people of the region. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I hope to return again one day.

The Fracture Zone: My Return to the Balkans

by Simon Winchester

4.2 out of 5