I tested out the brand new Nissan Micra - by driving it into a former war zone
A trip to the Balkans rapidly becomes about more than just the new Nissan Micra
My grandfather was a bit of a character.
This is a man who delighted in trying to convince young Jonny that he had a secret pair of wings and could fly, as well as tricking my wildlife-loving little sister that he could see seals from the Humber Bridge - despite being almost 100% blind.
Grandad was truly a mixture of chaos and hilarity; a mixture that poetically combined when he ended up hospitalising himself attempting to catch his hat after the wind had blown it off his head. Above all else though, the old fella loved to explore - he’d drive down roads just to know what was at the end of them.
My grandad sadly passed away early last year, and just days afterwards I found myself in Dubrovnik, Croatia - a place he had always wanted to visit.
It was quite apt then, that I happened to be there for what was the European launch of the new Nissan Micra.
We’d arrived to a chilly but beautiful Croatian coast draped in the light of the low winter sun, it was a very pleasant day and my driving partner was doing all the driving on day one, as being a poor flyer, I’d taken some medicine to help me get settled on the near three-hour flight from London. We’d agreed that I’d do the driving the next day, when we drove to Dubrovnik.
When the curtains opened the next morning, the collective thud of a large group of motoring journalists jaws hitting the floor must have been heard across the Med. Temperatures had suddenly dropped to -5C overnight, and the worst snow in over 20 years had fallen.
No driving would be possible - the second day of the Micra launch was a complete white-out. As the British motoring press made their way slowly back to the airport - don’t ask me how it was safe to fly - I remained behind with unfinished business. I had some exploring to do.
Oh, er... no driving today then? It's not everyday you see the Med looking so Arctic.
Over the next couple of days, the snow surrounding the old stone buildings and fruit-bearing orange trees melted away, and the roads were open again.
In the time I’d been waiting, I’d had an idea - a trip to pay tribute to my late Grandfather; a slightly risky, slightly odd road trip in a spare Micra. Starting in the gorgeous, still slightly icy walled city of Dubrovnik, I’d take the new Micra across the border to a place with close ties to trouble - Mostar, in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“We’d prefer it if you didn’t go, but if you really want to…” said the Nissan team. It was an ominous statement but I hadn’t really thought it would be that much of a problem. After all, it was just a drive.
Mostar was said to be very beautiful, famous for the architecture of its Old Town, and the stunning Old Bridge that spans the river. At the time I left, I really wasn’t really aware of the experience I was about to have, and the beautiful sweeping coastal mountain roads leading out of Croatia towards the border of its neighbour certainly didn’t pose any sort of warning signs.
I had the diesel Micra, so not exactly fizzing with energy, but it struck an excellent balance between the comfortable, supple ride you want on a daily basis, and the grip-encouraging body control you need when you find a road as enjoyable as this. Make no mistake, the new Micra is nothing like the old one, it’s actually fun to drive - there’s a sentence nobody had written prior to 2017.
It might have been diesel, and it might not have been a Nismo, but the new Micra still made me smile in the mountains.
Very quickly, this trip became less and less about the new Micra. Crossing the Bosnian border was perhaps a sign of things to come. The atmosphere changed completely. Understandably, I was kept at the border for a little while - why would a British national be driving a Spanish-registered Japanese car from Croatia to Bosnia?
After some time had passed I was cleared to continue, and stopped to take a picture of the Micra next to the Bosnia-Herzegovina border sign as I became the first person to ever drive a new Micra in this country. I had time for one quick shot before a soldier with a machine gun came to shout at me and move me along.
'"We never go there, we're told it's not safe."
Crossing the borders was a time of tension. Didn't help that I spoke absolutely none of either Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian.
The little Micra and I went on our way, driving into a nation where the scars of the awful war of the early 1990’s are still all too visible.
War memorials can be found at the road sides and you see many abandoned and burnt-out farm houses sitting in large fields full of rubble. Perhaps the most poignant site encountered on the route to Mostar was a small football stadium, ruined but still standing, with hedges and small trees growing where the pitch should be - possibly the pitch was mined.
It cannot be stated strongly enough just how horrific the conflict in this region was. The early 1990s saw the disintegration of the former nation of Yugoslavia, and after years of bitter fighting, destruction and genocide, it eventually led to the nations found in the region now - Croatia, where we started, being possibly the most prosperous of the new Balkan countires so far.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not like Croatia. It is clear the nation is still struggling hugely, but it’s not a surprise really - recovering from the worst European conflict since the Second World War is bound to be difficult, especially when your nation is financially small and tensions still run high.
Despite its dark past and continuing struggles, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a land of considerable beauty.
Rocky valleys and clear rivers ran by the side of the road on the way to Mostar, and the road itself was enjoyable in more than a few places. The new Micra gave a really good account of itself over this trip, showing just how far it has come not only to surpass the admittedly average last generation, but to also compete with established rivals on equal footing.
In motoring terms, this is really a car that has come from nowhere. When the roads are straight and fast, you can sit back and relax and enjoy the ride with the excellent little Bose sound system pumping out some tracks, and when the straights turn to curves, you can really appreciate the handling and the fun factor. Trust me, there’s a cracking hot hatch waiting to come out of this car, it’s just whether Nissan and Nismo will want to make it happen…
Eventually the signpost for Mostar was passed, and I arrived in what can only really be described as a city of contrasts.
I parked the little Micra up in a car park not far from the centre of the city near some flats and shops that made it seem just like many European cities. People were going about their daily business, children were running around making noise, and traffic was, well, city-like.
After a few minutes though, I began to to notice things. Men with missing limbs, bullet holes in walls, and as I got closer to the centre, destroyed houses and old shell damage became normal.
Mostar was under siege in the war that ravaged the region, and its shadow still looms over the city. You can even buy AK-47 parts and gas masks and other war 'souvenirs' in the market within the town.
Mostar's Old Town, and the famous Old Bridge. Not a bad place to sit and enjoy a beer in the summer, I imagine.
The famous Old Bridge of Mostar was destroyed in the siege and later rebuilt. From here you can see for yourself just what a truly beautiful city Mostar really is though. The mountains around it shelter and surround it, the cold river runs peacefully over rocks below you, and Islamic architecture graces its low skyline.
The views of the Old Town from either side of the Old Bridge is the real Mostar, away from the darkness and struggles of the damage still present in its surroundings. It was well worth visiting, even if it was emotionally draining.
View from the top: Looking out from the Old Bridge of Mostar.
On the way back to Croatia - and after having got stuck in Bosnian rush hour traffic near the infamous ‘Sniper Tower’ in the city centre - the snow returned on the mountain roads. It was dangerous, and the Micra lost grip around corners a couple of times, but with careful and steady progress it acquitted itself well in the icy, slippery heights and we eventually ended up back at our hotel in Croatia.
Rush hour in Mostar, complete with extensive roadworks and war damage. Oh, and an ancient Opel.
At the bar, I ordered a drink and sat with some Nissan guys talking about the trip. A Croatian waitress overheard us and asked me about it, remarking “we never go there, we’re told its not safe.”
The Bosnia border, and all the troubles within it is just a few kilometres away from where we were sat. Though it is a beautiful place, its troubles weigh heavily on its shoulders, and the nation is still finding its feet. Let’s just say I’m in no rush to return. “Why did you go?” I recall the waitress - and still nervous Nissan staff - asking. I don’t honestly know the answer to that, but that’s the element of himself my Grandfather passed onto me I suppose - the desire to explore, to understand, and to witness.
No regrets. There's a beautiful nation underneath the troubles. Rooting for you, BiH.
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Comments (8)
Great read! What an adventure. Brilliant shots of such a unique area.
Welcome to Drivetribe Traci!
I am sorry for the late comment but I have just come across this.
Also sorry, but I feel you covered this way too shallow and in need to make the article more dramatic that it actually would have been.
You were warned by the border police not to take pictures and not to hold down on the border....well, I what did you expect... almost any single (controlled) border would not allow that, I'm sure... it has nothing to do with BiH being a former war zone, nor some (alluded) tensions between the countries.
You had no single bad word or experience from the locals, yet you felt anxious - kind of prejudice reasoning, don't you think?
And for the Croatian waitress part, you should have asked her why thousands of Croatians keep coming over for shopping, or thousands of people from BiH go to vacation on beautiful Croation coast? Shallow exploring, mate.
I invite you any day to come to this country - scars from the war don't mean that it's a hostile country. And the invitation is comming from the "3rd" side of the country... if we were so hostile and full of tension, this side should not even try to defend the reputation of Mostar and Herzegowina.
You're welcome any day... way missjudged us.
Great article. Loved it.
Cheers!
Good on you.