Thanks to reading recommendations here on Afar.com, I picked up a copy of Sarajevo Marlboro at a bookstore, just as we crossed the famous, historic bridge in Mostar, Bosnia. At the bookstore, a short film played over and over, documenting the bridge’s destruction, step by step, and later its rebuilding. A piece of classical music played over documentary footage, until one fateful moment, when a blast drowned out the soundtrack, and the bridge finally collapsed. Tears ran down my cheeks. I thought the piece wasn’t too violent for my children, ages 4 and 5, to watch with me. After all, it played like a newsreel, looping in a bookstore. Then came the explaining. Weeks later, my son still asks about it, and makes analogies. He does not seem terrified. At four years old he seems to understand the seriousness and the gravity of such a moment in history. It’s exactly the kind of mindfulness and conscientiousness we want to instill in our children. The experience of the bridge seems to help my son understand why we treasure each other, each day. The experience was profound—for all of us.

We spent a day in Bosnia, it's an easy drive from Dubrovnik. The transition was dramatic: from the Latin alphabet to the Cyrillic; from lazy tourists driving Fiats to vigilant UN peacekeepers driving tanks. This bridge was destroyed in 1993 during the war, and rebuilt in 2004. When we visited, in 2005, many buildings in town were still pockmarked with bullets or fully shelled, but this bridge was fresh—and promising.

Cevapi is a simple snack or even full meal that is popular in Sarajevo . They're made of grilled sausages of beef or lamb and put into some pita bread along with lots of chopped onions.

From Sarajevo, book a day trip to visit Lukomir, one of the last semi-nomadic villages in southern Europe. Tin-roofed stone houses stand on the edge of the half-mile-deep Rakitnica Canyon, with spectacular views of the Dinaric Alps. 387/(0) 33-642-371 Take a look at Jeremy’s video of Sarajevo’s cafe culture. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Luka Esenko. 

Sarajevo is Europe without tourists. A stroll downtown takes you through time, from the Baščaršija district, with its 16th-century mosque and tiny Ottoman-era shops, into the Austro-Hungarian quarter, and finally to Yugoslavian-era apartment blocks. Sidewalk cafés serve strong coffee to residents reclaiming their city from its recent history of conflict. The Miljacka River flows beneath graceful bridges, and you won’t see a Starbucks anywhere. Go now, before word gets out. And take a look at Jeremy’s video of Sarajevo’s cafe culture. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Reinier Van Oorsouw. 

In the decade after the latest Balkan conflict, the Sarajevo-based outfitter Green Visions started leading safe and affordable trips through this hardscrabble corner of Europe. A four-day hike in the rustic Bjelasnica area passes local herdsmen, alpine lakes, and 6,781-foot Olympic ski slopes. When to go: May–October From $250; greenvisions.ba. Image by Luka Esenko/Adriatic2alps.com. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue.

The siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War provided the enduring image of the city for many Westerners. Bullet casings from that conflict have been turned into pens and vases, symbolic souvenirs of the city’s healing. Pick one up on Kazandžiluk (Coppersmith’s Alley) in the Baščaršija quarter. Take a look at Jeremy’s video of Sarajevo’s cafe culture. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue.

The seamless restoration on the Mostar Bridge shows love in its workmanship. The colors of the rock match, new stones gathered from the same quarry as the original. Still, at each end one can see original stones, more thoroughly worn. It’s one more reminder of the city’s history, its heartbreak, and its evolution.

We had seen many highlights on a two-week cruise along the Adriatic coast on a small ship (only 48 passengers) – Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, and island towns. This spectacular coastline has a history from the Romans and Venetians to invasions by the Turks. Guides referenced “The Last War” in general terms and moved quickly to more positive subjects. They did point out that the fall of Yugoslavia was the trigger that exploded with religions and ethnicities, neighbors, and family members pitted against one another. One rainy day, we took a bus inland to Mostar, Bosnia. It was cloudy, wet, and dark…perfect for a glimpse into recent history. Mostar had been caught between Croats and Milosovic’s Greater Serbia. In the bombardment, a thousand-year-old stone bridge and much of the town was destroyed. The bridge, once a crossing point from Europe to Asia, has been rebuilt, but much of Mostar still has the scars.

Built in 1882, the Hotel Europe evokes the elegance of the Austro-Hungarian empire, with wood panels and chandeliers in its Viennese Café, and brocade fabrics in its “royal style” guest rooms. Just a block away is bustling, pedestrian-only Ferhadija Street. From $130. Vladislava Skaria 5, 387/(0) 33-580-400, hoteleurope.ba Take a look at Jeremy’s video of Sarajevo’s cafe culture. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo courtesy of Hotel Europe.

Josip Broz Tito ruled Yugoslavia from World War II until his death in 1980. Today he’s a pop-culture icon, celebrated on mugs and T-shirts and at Café Tito, a spot behind the National Museum where students born after his reign get their caffeine fixes. Zmaja od Bosne 5, 387/(0) 33-210-418 Take a look at Jeremy’s video of Sarajevo’s cafe culture. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Stephanie Trapp.

Although there are many baths around the world that have variant types of natural minerals to purify the mind and body, this little gem is just hidden several kilometers east of the city Sanski Most in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They say there is an impressive hotel and spa type deal in the heart of Sarajevo, but nothing beats this rustic, multifaceted sulfur spring bath in central Bosnia near Prijedor. With waters at a constant 32 degrees Celsius, and an output enough to continuously fill several pools (I don't remember the exact liter/min), I recommend anyone, young and old for a day trip. Oh and the picture! They serve this lovely little Turkish coffee with sugar, cream and everything nice. What a treasure!

Sarajevo is filled with these identical Yugoslav-era apartment blocks. There's a pattern to the sequence of windows and balconies, but if you look more carefully, you see that people have added unique touches -- white window frames here, flower boxes there. These buildings were built and owned by the state. During the post-Tito transition, the units were sold at very cheap prices to their existing inhabitants, and because of this, there is still virtually zero homelessness in Sarajevo today, despite the fact that unemployment hovers around 50%. The black marks on the cement are soot from makeshift stoves that people fashioned in their windows during the Balkan War when Sarajevo was under siege and gas was unavailable. The other side of this building faced the hills, and so it is pocked with holes from the snipers' bullets and grenades.

I can’t name all the ways our hostess made us feel at home—but I’ll list a few. When we arrived, road weary, she had muffins ready for us, baked with locally-grown, organic flour—and local fruit brandy. She dug up turtles to amuse our kids—despite my protests (let them sleep!). Our kids were thrilled. At breakfast, she juiced fresh fruits and vegetables—in addition to a traditional feast, including homemade bread. When we left, she gave us a parting gift—a framed postcard of the Mostar Bridge with the hotel’s contact information. Our hostess exuberated everything I admire in a seasoned, lovely hostess: warmth, attentiveness, and the extra touch. I'm so glad we chose a small guest house. In this case the hostess made it exceptional. Pansion Rose Guesthouse in Mostar, Bosnia. http://www.booking.com/hotel/ba/b-b-rose.en.html

Bascarcija, the Ottoman center of Sarajevo, is a lot like the markets of Istanbul. Or, it's a lot like what the markets of Istanbul would be like if they took a handful of Valium and relaxed. Nobody bustles, and nobody seems to be in a hurry. A stroll downtown can take hours, and ordering a cup of coffee can take all afternoon. So I was a bit stunned when my friend offered to take me to a cevabdzinica-Bosnia's version of a fast food restaurant for cevapi, the "unofficial national dish" of Bosnia. We made our way to Zeljo's, the best-known cevabdzinica in Sarajevo. We sat down on the long wooden benches that lined the street in front of the restaurant and everyone ordered a large portion. The waitress brought over a plate with five little grilled sausages covered in sliced onion, lying on perfectly warmed pita, with a tiny dish of yogurt. It looked so simple, yet it is so tasty. We spent three hours in the restaurant. That's Bosnian-style fast food.

This is a reminder to us all the effects and consequences coming from war. It was quite an eerie feeling looking at the thousands of marks still left on the walls. After the war, most were either rebuilt or restored with contribution from an international committee established by UNESCO.

As interesting as the city of Sarajevo is, the tragic side is still very evident. Many of the buildings are still bombed out from the war, with bullet holes in them and also in some signs around town. The most tragic thing however is all the grave markers. This one was especially simple yet sad mostly for the fact that the little person died 8 years old.

We booked this pansion/guest house partly because reviews mentioned turtles in the yard. Turns out, Pansion Rose was a gem—in many ways. The proprietress dug up turtles in her garden just for my kids—saying, it’s getting warm out, it’s time for them to wake up... Another child staying at the pansion became an instant play-mate. Our hostess brought me a glass of locally-produced white wine, while I thumbed the pages of my book, Sarajevo Marlboro, and our kids frolicked in the grass.

This is the beautiful, historically and architecturally important Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Visegrad. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, and was featured in the Nobel Prize winning novel The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric, which highlights the physical and metaphorical stability of the bridge across centuries of change and war in the Balkans.

I was lucky that when I was in Sarajevo, one of the city's teams was also in town. FK Željezničar played against Leotar and made this young fan happy with a victory. What was interesting, or at least memorable was that when a friend and I were entering the stadium some guy wanted to give us a newspaper. We declined because quite frankly we couldn't read it. Speaking no English, he tried again, almost insisting. We insisted that we didn't want it and he rolled his eyes at us. Well when we got in, sitting in the stands behind one of the goal, we noticed that the seat were covered in pigeon crap! A-ha!