Saturday, May 9, 2026
Route: Sedra area → Trogir → Salona → Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
This was the kind of day that looked reasonable on a map.
Maps are liars with nice fonts.
The plan was to leave the Plitvice area, drive toward the Croatian coast, stop in Trogir, take a quick look at Salona’s Roman ruins, and then continue to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A little coast, a little history, a little border crossing, and a pleasant evening arrival.
In reality, it was a full road-trip layer cake.
An Hour in Trogir
Our first stop was Trogir, a small historic town on the Adriatic coast. Trogir is compact, stone-built, and packed with centuries of history. It has Greek roots, Roman layers, Venetian influence, narrow lanes, waterfront views, and the kind of old-town atmosphere that makes you wish you had more time.
Naturally, we had about an hour.
This is how road trips humble you. You arrive in a UNESCO town and say, “Let’s make good choices quickly.”
We climbed Kamerlengo Fortress, which gave us a good view over the town and water. Fortresses are excellent travel stops because they combine stairs, history, scenery, and the feeling that you have done something cultural even if you did not read every sign.
Daniel looked over the walls.
“This deserves more time.”
“Most places do,” I said.
“That’s not how we travel.”
He was not wrong.
After the fortress, we wandered through Trogir’s narrow stone streets. The old buildings pressed close on either side, laundry hung from windows, cafés filled corners, and the Adriatic was never far away. It felt lived-in and beautiful, not just preserved for tourists. But the road was waiting, so we moved on.
Ten Minutes of Rome at Salona
Next came Salona, near Split. Salona was once one of the most important Roman cities in this part of the Adriatic and the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. It deserved a proper visit.
We arrived about 10 minutes before closing.
This is not the recommended way to explore ancient Rome.
The Roman Empire had roads, aqueducts, armies, emperors, basilicas, amphitheaters, and complex administration. We gave it 10 minutes near the entrance.
Daniel looked around.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“And apparently we can’t visit it in ten minutes,” I said.
We saw what we could, appreciated the fact that there was much more we were not seeing, and continued toward Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dinner in Mostar by Night
By evening, we arrived in Mostar, and the whole day changed tone. Mostar felt different immediately. The stone streets were rounded and uneven, the river cut through the city, and minarets and church towers rose in different directions. The old town had an Ottoman feel mixed with mountain light and Balkan energy.
We walked through the streets near the river and bridges as the city settled into evening. Mostar is famous for Stari Most, the old bridge, though we did not see divers jumping while we were there. We also did not climb a minaret, which is good because by then I was more interested in dinner than additional vertical achievements.
We ate at Restaurant Šadrvan, a traditional restaurant with outdoor seating, a fountain, and servers dressed in traditional attire. The sky looked like it might rain, but it only sprinkled a little, which felt like the weather offering drama without commitment.
Then came the important discovery: cash only.
Fortunately, they accepted euros. This saved us from the awkward international dinner crisis known as “we have eaten, but now we need a financial miracle.”
The meal was excellent and exactly what we needed after the long day.
That night, walking through Mostar’s stone streets under the lights, I felt the road trip opening wider. Croatia had given us waterfalls and old coastal towns. Bosnia had brought us into a different world of bridges, stone, minarets, river cliffs, and traditional food.
It had been a day of fast history: Trogir in an hour, Rome in ten minutes, and Mostar by night.
Not deep.
But rich.
And sometimes on a road trip, that is exactly the rhythm.