The Konjic Fresh Market: A Photo Essay

by Gigi Griffis

After five years of full-time travel, I’ve developed something of a routine when I arrive in a new place.

First, I unpack. I settle in. I hang my clothes in the closet and line up my toiletries in the bathroom. It’s a routine that reminds me that this new place is now my home, even if only for a month or two.

And once that’s done, I head out of the house on a mission to stock up my kitchen. Sometimes this first trip is a simple grocery store run. But whenever possible—when I arrive early enough in the day on a day that everything is bustling—I head to the local fresh market.

In Konjic, I was a bit nervous about the market. A friend who’d been here only months before said that it was mostly clothing, not produce, so I steeled myself for disappointment.

Luckily, she was so very wrong.

When I arrived, I found upwards of 50 stands selling everything from hearty piles of spinach to bright white cloves of garlic to hand-bottled milk. In the front of the market were piles of peaches. In the back, a stand with gorgeously red peppers ripe for stuffing.

I’m guessing my friend stumbled upon the market during a non-market day or in the late afternoon. In fact, when I first found the market on a Wednesday afternoon, it was a ghost town. Empty booths with tarps fluttering in the breeze.

But Friday morning before 8 a.m.? That was a whole other story.

If you adore fresh produce, Konjic and its market are places I recommend without reservation.

What you’ll find: fresh seasonal produce, eggs, honey, nuts, herbs, plants, flowers, vinegars, cheeses, salted meats, milk, clothes.

To get there: On the eastern side of the river, walk/cycle north from the charming old pedestrian bridge. Make your first left to stay alongside the river. The market is unmistakable about two blocks up on the right.

When to go: There are a couple produce stands here most mornings, but for the full market experience, you’ll need to come on a Friday morning.

Language: Unless you know Bosnian, expect to mostly communicate via pantomime. The people are patient, though, so don’t stress about not understanding. Just smile and pantomime and get yourself some fresh goodies. If you’re feeling adventurous, learn how to ask “how much?” and understand some basic numbers (1 – 10 should get you by just fine; the prices are cheap, cheap, cheap).

carrots

pods

cherries eggs

Produce

peaches

peppers onions

weights

produce

veggies peaches


(Psst, this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something through one of my links, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.)


greens

tomatoes

potatoes

onions

plants

flowers

melons



All photos taken with my Sony a6000.

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4 comments

Ali June 29, 2017 - 3:31 am

Yay! I love markets! I think I’ll be there on a Monday and Tuesday, so not the good Friday market day, but if there’s still something of a market going on one of those days, maybe I’ll have to check it out.

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gigigriffis June 29, 2017 - 7:05 am

Yes! There are almost always two stands open, so we’ll head over even though it won’t be in full swing.

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Valeria Vincent Sancisi June 30, 2017 - 12:14 pm

Lovely! I am growing those yellow Romano Beans you have a pictured. ( Berkeley CA) I found an Italian seed company that has them as the regular Romano beans seemed to have dropped off a lot of seed companies lists for some reason…delish!

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gigigriffis June 30, 2017 - 10:52 pm

Nice! I haven’t tried them here, myself. Any suggestions for how to cook them?

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