Nath

Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular Sarajevo, may not be on your average travellers bucket list, perhaps due to a lack of information regarding its accessibility (until this blog) or its association to the Bosnian War. However, if one visits regardless, you will experience one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Rolling around Sarajevo, one was surprised by the number of wheelchair users out and about in the city. Of course, this is, in part thanks to the accessible tram and cable car network. Granted, there is someway to go to make Sarajevo ‘fully accessible’ i.e. level access, however, one can say that about many European cities. From a brief chat with Care390, it appears that there are also a few accessible taxi companies within Sarajevo, however, it is unknown whether these are willing to travel.

During ones time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the main barrier seemed to be the train network. As I mentioned previously, the train from Sarajevo to Mostar (and onwards) comprises of Spanish-built Talgo carriages complete with a wheelchair space (with tie-down points) and a portable ramp, The question is whether staff are trained to use said ramp as it comes as standard. The other potential issue is crossing the track at Sarajevo as giant gaps are present between the rails and the wooden walkway. This is made worse at night due to the lack of lighting!

Would one return to Sarajevo then? It depends, after seeing the main sights, there seems to be little to do, however, the beautiful surroundings of the Dinaric Alps does seem to make it the perfect place to relax and take in the scenery.

For the next adventure, one is heading to Jordan, in particular, Amman, the Dead Sea and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra. Jordan has been on ones bucket list for a few years, however, as the country appears to be quite inaccessible, it was looking increasing likely that Superbunny would have to stay put for this one. However, in March 2024, a wheelchair accessible vehicle became available to hire hence one jumped straight at the prospect of a Jordanian road trip!

Let’s see how much of Amman and Petra Superbunny can navigate with an accessible van and a portable ramp…

It was inevitable that something would untoward occur this year and, of course, it had to happen on the final day of ones 2024 travels! Let me elaborate…

As planned, Care390 kindly transported us from Hotel Holiday to the airport in plenty of time for our flight to Frankfurt (and then onto Heathrow). If you require accessible transportation in the Sarajevo area, highly recommend contacting Care390…

Just as we queued up for check in to open (which, at Sarajevo is only 2 hours prior), one received a text from Lufthansa informing us that the flight to Frankfurt had been CANCELLED and to talk to the live chat to rebook. As Sarajevo had no information regarding this, we silently went away to chat with Lufthansa online whilst watching the chaos unfolded at check in. At first, it appeared that Lufthansa had it in hand by stating that they were going to fly us to Zagreb and then Heathrow, however a few minutes later, the guy came back to us and informed us that the flight was fully booked. Out of curiosity, one checked the Croatia Airlines website and found that there were tickets available so it was decided that we would book it ourselves and claim it back from Lufthansa. The only thing was that one only had 50 minutes to connect at Zagreb hence the plane needed to depart on time.

Everything was going to plan, the check in process and security was relatively hassle free. It was at that point that the departure time began to increase. A few minutes later, one was called to the desk and informed that Croatia Airlines had a technical fault with the aircraft hence were sending a smaller plane instead which couldn’t accommodate Superbunny! Essentially, one was then stuck in Sarajevo for the night…

The next thing was to try to secure accommodation for the night, however, one had the added complication of ensuring the hotel was accessible. Earlier in the day, Lufthansa informed us that we could pick a hotel by ourselves and they would pay for it, however it transpires from the call centre that the airline would only pay for one specific hotel (this was all happening whilst a pigeon decided to do a lap of the terminal concourse!). Luckily, Care390 arrived to transport us to wherever hence it was decided that we would drive to said hotel (Hotel Hollywood) and view the ‘accessible’ room. To ones surprise, Hotel Hollywood was actually better than Hotel Holiday in terms of having a wet room meaning that a well needed shower was possible!

After a lazy morning, Care390 transported us back to the doomed terminal of Sarajevo International Airport. Unfortunately, check in and security had different staff working who were a lot less clued up on electric wheelchairs meaning that 90 minutes were spent waiting for ‘clearance’ from Lufthansa HQ. The bad news came after security when, yet again, our flight (to Vienna this time) departure time increased considerably making the connection almost impossible. I swear that Sarajevo are reluctant for people to leave the place!

Anyway, we touched down at Vienna International at 16:51pm and the flight to Heathrow was departing at 17:15pm. Due to having assistance AND two wheelchairs to transfer over, one thinks that many airports would just not try, however, Vienna were up for the challenge! Trust me, one has never seen that much efficiency and coordination between different operations before at an airport. A team of around 10 both in the terminal and on the ground were in constant communication with each other meaning that one was sat down in the seat to Heathrow at 17:09pm, that is efficiency! To add to the baggage handlers work, Sarajevo put both Superbunny and the manual wheelchair into the hold as is meaning that Vienna had to, not only pull both chairs out but also safely put them in a container (where they should be!). Despite this, the plane pushed back only 10 minutes late (plus a little runway rejigging from ATC).

That concludes ones travels for 2024, where next, who knows!

The observation deck atop of Sarajevo’s tallest tower is perhaps overlooked by many, however it’s one of the more accessible things to do in the city.

Due to its close proximity to the train station, one decided to see whether we could purchase tickets for the forthcoming trip to Mostar, however it turns out that the ticket office of one of Bosnias biggest stations likes to close before the stated time. Still, one had time to have a nose around the concourse…

Now, the easiest way to reach the Avast Twist Tower is up a flight of steps (of course!) hence it is necessary for wheelchair users to brave the traffic and follow vehicles in through the car park. The tower is FREE to everyone and has your usual glass lift up to the observation deck where a bar is also located selling drinks and light snacks. In addition, the Avast Twist Tower provides panoramic views of Sarajevo surrounded by the Dinaric Alps…

On a side note, if you are looking for accessible restaurants slightly outside of the centre, highly recommend visiting Alta Shopping Centar.

Tomorrow, we take the train from Sarajevo to Mostar (exploring the famous Old Town etc) which is, supposedly, one of the worlds most scenic railway journeys. It has been very interesting booking assistance with Bosnian Railways hence one is unsure of how it will pan out. Oh and there is a weather warning out for rain and thunderstorms!

Sarajevo is known for, of course, the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo during which the Tunnel of Hope was constructed. Located adjacent to the airport, it was used to provide the city defenders with weaponry covertly. Although one can no longer walk the entire length, a section of tunnel is open to the public alongside a small museum.

Due to the way that the tunnel has been constructed, it would be a little tricky to make the thing wheelchair accessible, however, one can still observe various exhibits above ground. For me, needs must came into play thus trekked down the many steps. At the bottom of the steps there is another exhibit which is level…

Due to the track that was laid for carts etc, it becomes difficult to fit even a manual wheelchair down the actual tunnel thus it was time for one to do some exercise…

As in Monastir, Tunisia, you can pay for a conventional taxi to drop off and wait around for a hour thus it was easy to return to the Old Town to sample a selection of traditional Burek…

Whilst the manual wheelchair was out, it was the perfect chance to explore the Bascarsija Bazaar which is, essentially, a mini version of The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul…

Unfortunately it is surrounded by steps however making it a little difficult for wheelchairs to enter.

Later on, we explore Sarajevos tallest building, Avaz Twist Tower.

One of the reasons why Sarajevo needed to be rolled around was to visit the famous abandoned bobsled track built for the 1984 Winter Olympics and located on Trebevic Mountain. There are many ways of reaching said location, however, the easiest option from the city centre is via cable car. Fortunately enough, the system was overhauled a few years ago making it completely wheelchair accessible!

When approaching the bottom station by foot from the centre, it is likely that you will be greeted by a flight of steps. It is therefore necessary for wheelchair users to follow vehicles in through the car park (involving a rather steep hill!) to reach the ramped entrance…

It seems to be at the ticket offices discretion whether disabled individuals can ride for free and then a lift awaits to take you up to the boarding area. As new cars were installed as part of the overhaul, level access is possible and benches can be flipped up to make more space if needed…

In addition to transporting one up Trebevic, it also provides panoramic views over Sarajevo…

Stepping outside of the top station (which includes a café and terrace), one is greeted by a rather precarious mental ramp which was, presumably an afterthought as it is highly doubtful that it would pass most countries health and safety inspection! A map then signposts you to the location of the abandoned bobsled track…

Now, this is us so we made the decision to lift Superbunny onto a level (ish) piece of track and see if it could be driven down the thing and around it’s curved bends…(Please don’t try this in a wheelchair simply because it’s on here, you will likely get stuck!)

The plan for tomorrow is to visit the Tunnel of Hope located near the airport followed by a trip up Sarajevos tallest building, Avaz Twist Tower.

One is unsure whether trekking across India last month has made the presence of pavements a welcome sight, however, it is a relief to be rolling down them rather than the road. Like Zagreb, the majority of the centre comprises of either wide pavements or pedestrianised zones…

As the city centre is relatively small, it’s possible to wander around the man sights including the Sacred Heart Cathedral in a matter of minutes rather than hours. Of course, there are reminders of the Bosnian War around every corner whether that be bullet holes or the Sarajevo Roses found on the sites of mortar shell explosions…

Just a stones throw away from the centre is the Old Town with streets lined full of boutique shops and restaurants, some accessible, some not…

After a short roll over relatively smooth cobbles, you will, no doubt end up in Pigeon Square, one of the most famous areas, worst nightmare more like! Despite this, one did what he could for the experience…

As one needed to return to the hotel to collect a few things before we headed up to Trebevic Mountain, it was decided that we would sample the tram network. As I implied yesterday, a new fleet of low floor trams have been introduced alongside the existing vehicles hence it is necessary to wait until a new vehicle to come along before you can roll on in a wheelchair. Although many of the stops have raised platforms, there are some where the onboard ramp is necessary, drivers seem very happy to assist…

When you think of Bosnia and Herzegovina, images of the Bosnian War may come to mind masking the fact that the country is actually home to some of the worlds best scenery thanks to the Dinaric Alps. It maybe for this reason, in addition to the lack of information regarding accessibility that it is often overlooked by disabled travellers. To oneself, it simply sounds like a challenge!

Getting to the Hotel Holiday in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (and where we will be basing ourselves for the next 4 nights) from the UK wasn’t exactly straightforward, let me explain. As of September 2024, the only airline flying direct from London to Sarajevo is Ryanair which, for those that follow ones travels, refuse to carry Superbunny because its “too high for the cargo door”. Whilst this may not be true in reality, one isn’t willing to take the risk, the cautious flyer here! As such, one has decided to take the safer (ish) option of flying from good old Heathrow to Frankfurt and then onto Sarajevo, both flights operated by Lufthansa.

Although one had successfully tried connecting flights to and from Armenia, this was the first time that the same airline had been used for both legs. It may be the case that Frankfurt, being one of the major European air traffic hubs, are accustom to connections, however the process was as easy as it gets. As Heathrow had already put both wheelchairs in their own container, all that was necessary was to unload and load said item into the next aircraft. Frankfurt were also willing to take a wheelchair out of the container for the journey across the vast airport, seemed to much hassle for one!

The only thing needed now was to transport us from the aircraft to the next gate. Of course, this had to include boarding a people mover…

However, this journey plan subsequently created a secondary challenge due to the flight from Frankfurt touching down at 22:35pm, 35 minutes after the last bus departs from the airport to the centre. Due to various reasons, Bosnia and Herzegovina isn’t a country full of wheelchair accessible vehicles (or taxis from a brief Google search), however, we have learnt over the years that it is likely that countries will have some form of ‘medical transport’ which is accessible to wheelchairs (I swear that one of these days a private ambulance will be hired!) hence Care390 was discovered. Granted, its not the biggest van in the world but it serves it’s purpose for the 20 minute journey from the airport.

On the journey from the airport, one observed that Sarajevos tram network now possess a fleet of low floor vehicles which may come in handy this week.

Upon ones arrival at the Hotel Holiday, it was clear that the term ‘accessible’ does not mean much to the hotel hence one will omit a review, plenty of space for Superbunny though!

Tomorrow, we plan to head into the city and explore the Old Town before catching the famous cable car up to the site of the 1984 Olympics situated on Trebevic Mountain and the well documented abandoned bobsled track.