Sometimes, a particular light is accompanied by a mood you associate with a city or place. Speaking for myself, that is undoubtedly true with Lisbon, Portugal. At dusk, the earthy tones of the city turn into warm yellow and orange colors. There is no better place to enjoy the sunset, though: at the river Tejo’s banks with a view of Belém on one side and the glorious bridge of the 25 de Abril on the other, watching sailing boats disappear into the Atlantic Ocean.
This is the last and final part of my series about traveling to Bosnia and Hercegovina in the heart of the Balkans. It is an exciting and still conflicted country; the remnants of the wars can still be seen, and Bosnia remains divided. At the same time, it is a beautiful country with stunning nature and a rich history full of helpful and friendly people. And it is (for now) a relatively cheap travel destination, very much recommendable to backpackers. The pictures below were shot in Mostar and Sarajevo.
This is the second series about my revisit of the capital of Portugal, Lisboa in October 2017. You’ll find the introduction right here.
In the last several series’ about Mostar, I focussed on the war-torn past of the city. While the past conflicts are still vivid and can be seen when wandering the streets, one should not dismiss the long history of Mostar as an Ottoman town. The historic buildings are situated in a scenic way alongside the river with the well-known bridge of Mostar, which was rebuilt after the war, marking the center. It’s also where the famous tradition of bridge jumping takes place. There are several beautiful mosques, paying tribute to the Islamic belief still followed by the people living in this part of the town. Walking the old village of Mostar truly feels like a journey in time.
During a winter a few years ago, I had the privilege of living in Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal. Working a full-time job, I had the weekends off to discover the city, trying to capture the colors and the spirit of Lisboa on camera. I published the results on this website between late 2014 and early 2015. You’ll find a collection of the series right here. My piece about Azulejos, the traditional craft of manufacturing ceramic tiles, is still one of the most clicked articles on this website.
So two months ago, I got to return to the beautiful capital of Portugal again for a few days, and I fell in love again. As I used to do, I took my camera bag. I roamed freely around the city again, revisiting parts of the town I already knew and discovering new places like the Convento di Carmo, an abandoned church I hadn’t been to before. Of course, you never take the same shot twice; there is always a new angle, perspective, and, in this case, a new camera and lenses.
It felt like a direct continuation of what I had done a few years before like I would never have been away. Also, the weather was perfect for photography in these last days of Iberian summer. I’ve spent some time curating the new shots and making them into a couple of new series, which I will release little by little during the following months.
This is the second two-part series about the Sniper Tower in Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina. You’ll find the first series with basic information right here.
Getting into the Sniper Tower might be tricky, but it’s worth it. From the main square, turn to the left ally and follow it to the end of the building, then go around the corner; right here, some stone blocks should enable you to cross the wall and enter the eerie site. I highly recommend doing it in daylight, first of all, because you can enjoy the beautiful views on the upper floors, secondly and most importantly it’s supposed to be a hotspot for druggies at night. Obviously, there is no police here to take care of you. So be cautious and watch your steps. The place is incredibly well-known for its graffiti art; some pieces can be seen below.
Michael Hoffman Photography 