We didn’t really know much about Bosnia before we came here. We had heard about the siege of Sarajevo, and the conflict between the Serbs and Bosnians, but that was about it. Our first real introduction to the conflict and what it meant for everyday Bosnians came in Mostar.

Mostar is known for the Stari Most, a medieval bridge built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and one of the most iconic pieces of Islamic architecture in Europe (it’s also great place for foolhardy souls to leap into the Neretva river far below).

It’s also famous (or infamous) for hosting one of the bloodiest conflicts during the Bosnian civil war, when the local Roman Catholic Croats turned on the Muslim Bosniaks (confusingly the Croats and the Bosniaks also fought together against the Serbs in other parts of the country). This resulted in a previously united city being divided in two with the Croats holding the city to siege for 18 months before hostilities eventually ended.

The reason for war is all very murky and rooted in historical differences, but really seemed to be driven by a radical minority. The end result though, was that the city was heavily shelled, the Stari Most was destroyed, many buildings were blasted to pieces and a lot of people were maimed or killed. There’s a really good documentary on YouTube – Hell on Earth – showing what it was like during the siege (be warned, it’s a little confronting).

It’s really interesting, and a testament to the spirit of ordinary humans, to see that people have forgiven (but not forgotten) and moved back to daily life. There are still deep divides between some Croats and Bosniaks, but talking to people you really get the feeling that the city wants to move on.

The town itself still has very obvious battle scars, with most older buildings still covered in bullet holes, and many buildings remaining abandoned around the frontline of the conflict.

In the middle of the frontline is a building known as the snipers nest, and to me it really symbolises the war and healing process that is still occurring today.

The snipers nest sits on the front line of the conflict and is a former office block that Croats snipers used to fire on the Bosniaks. It’s still pretty much as it was during the conflict and you can walk up a giddying set of open concrete stairs to the top.

The cool part is the graffiti art that has flourished in the building. Although it’s completely abandoned (and bricked in and full of rubbish), underground artists have turned this otherwise horrific monument into a (very grungy) work of art. Bullet and shrapnel holes have been painted around, and blank walls have been covered in all sorts of graffiti. It was amazing to see, and left us with a feeling that all wounds heal, and that the world is only getting better (let’s hope it’s true!).