Wednesday, October 1, 2014

A Scenic Drive [Part 1/2]: Up the Mountains

I want to start October with some scenic landscapes from my country. This is a two-parter, shot on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's one country, but the north and south are geographically divided into Bosnia (north) and Herzegovina (south). 

Our road trip begins on the top of the mountain Ivan. The M-17 road, which connects the capital city Sarajevo and my hometown Mostar, offers numerous opportunities where you can park at the side of the road, and take in the scenery. So let's go on a road trip!

This is a two-part post:
Part One: The Drive up the Mountains
Part Two: In the Valley and Down the Hills

click on the images for a bigger view

Somewhere in the distance a railroad tunnel can be seen. Some houses are dotted throughout the landscape, but it's mostly nature up here.



The M-17 road looking north to Sarajevo.


The woods here have only slowly started to change color.



The Ivan Mountain is 1,534 metres (5,033 ft) tall. And this is the highest point accessible by road.



Dark clouds are on the horizon, moving swiftly in land.


These mountains (including Ivan Mountain) here are part of the Dinaric Alps.


The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Italy Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.


My car is waiting for me to head down the mountains, south towards Mostar.


End of Part One
To be continued...

Come back on Friday, for Part Two, in which we will be driving into the valley and down the mountains. In this part you saw Bosnia and in the next part, as we drive south, we will enter Herzegovina.

48 comments:

  1. beautiful....love how green it is!!

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  2. BEautiful! We did the same last Saturday and added in a short hike. It is so invigorating to be out in the country, in the mountains.

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    Replies
    1. I wished I could have added a hike as well.

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  3. Wonderful light lighting a beautiful landscape. My sort of landscapes these days. I don't like lugging cameras and tripods up steep hills.

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  4. Gorgeous! I love all those dark clouds.

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  5. Fantastic scenery, straight out of a fairytale, beautifully captured!

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  6. The countryside is very beautiful, Mersad!

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  7. What a wonderful road trip. Thanks for allowing us to tag along as I would never see this part of the world otherwise.

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  8. beautiful skies to frame the landscapes!

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  9. Everything is so green! What lovely countryside.

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  10. Die dunklen Wolken und Sonnenschein gleichzeitig machen eine besondere Stimmung, die ich sehr mag. Im Sommer gab es solche Tage sehr oft bei uns, leider war ich nie einmal mit der Kamera unterwegs.
    Liebe Grüße

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    Replies
    1. Das glaube ich dir. Wir hatten auch im Sommer graue Tage.

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  11. Beautiful skies and awesome landscape!! A lovely countryside indeed and what a great place to spend some time! Thanks for sharing, as always, Mersad!!

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  12. Wow, such gorgeous scenery. Makes me wish I was there.

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  13. Mersad,
    Hi - Lovely photos.
    If one has a strong pair of legs, your 'neighborhood' might be great to ride a bicycle in.
    Thanks for sharing with all of us.
    Peace :)

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    Replies
    1. You would need strong legs for that for sure.

      Mersad
      Mersad Donko Photography

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  14. Beautiful countryside! I wouldn't mind having a go at going up that mountain.

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  15. Such a beautiful country you live in. Fantastic shots.Looking forward to Part 2

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  16. Driving in the mountains has only ever made me nervous, but I can't deny the beautiful views. Your pictures are gorgeous; the green country seems to glow against the clouds.

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    Replies
    1. During sunny times, driving in the mountains can be very relaxing.

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  17. Eine wunderschöne Landschaft! Das Licht und die Farben sind durch den bewölkten Himmel ganz besonders!

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  18. Beautiful countryside photos! You’ve made a great Theme Day post. I'm glad you picked these to share with us.

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  19. got the sense of the LONG trip

    ROG, ABCW

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  20. Brilliant colors! Your photos take a while to load but they are worth waiting for.

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  21. Eigentlich nicht erwünscht bringen diese dunklen Wolken eine ganz besondere Stimmung ins Bild. Klasse Aufnahmen und einfach nur eine herrlich schöne Landschaft.

    Herzliche Nachtgrüssle

    N☼va

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  22. Wonderful series...thanks for sharing♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/lightburst-and-spikes/

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  23. This is why I love blogging so much....I can see this part of the world that I wouldn't have seen at all in my lifetime. Thanks for sharing.
    JM, Illinois-U.S.A.

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. What can I say that hasn't been said by others? Your pictures are like being at places in person. So enjoyable.

    Sorry about the deletion.. the typing was poor and all over the place. You wouldn't even have been able to decipher it.... smiles.

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    1. That's ok. Thank you for your visit.

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  26. The sky in these images is absolutely amazing, all moody and threatening

    Mollyxxx

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  27. I agree with Tex: Those skies are so dramatic, and set off your wonderful images beautifully!

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  28. How tall are your mountains?

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    Replies
    1. I think you will find it in the text. The Ivan Mountain is 1,534 metres (5,033 ft) tall.

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  29. What a lovely trip. That area looks so lush and green. The lighting you captured is just delightful in these shots.

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  30. Exquisitely beautiful landscape, Mersad! Beautiful country! I love that it is not developed at all, just beauty and the occasional house! That is one LONG mountain chain of Alps, going from Italy all the way to Albania! Love all your wonderful photographs!

    Oh, and thank you so much for your comment about my goldfinch photos!

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    1. Thank you Marie for all your comments and visits. The mountains of Bosnia are varied and beautiful. I'm glad you enjoyed the images.

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  31. Congrats Mersad, you post very beautiful and interesting serie.
    Ciao
    Ste

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  32. Good to see this again!

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