Countries that don’t frequently make large travel lists are frequently the most fulfilling. Why? Because they are immaculate, they are not prepared for mass tourism, making them more customary, social, and authentic. This is genuine travel!
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a safe country to visit – bringing up that fact is significant. Yes, after Yugoslavia’s separation during the 90s, there was a conflict that devastated the nation and its kin. Since that time,, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been slowly recuperating and is currently a serene and wonderful destination to visit.
The changing landscapes are breathtaking, with high mountains and moving valleys and invigorating cities, such as the capital, Sarajevo. The one-of-a-kind culture that various rulers over the course of the centuries have impacted is obvious wherever you look. If you have any desire to partake in a little ocean-side time, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a small stretch (20 km) of crystal clear Adriatic coastline.
In short, there are so numerous delightful places to see in Bosnia and Herzegovina you could spend weeks immersing yourself in this fascinating country in the heart of the Balkans.
9 Top Things To Do In Bosnia and Herzegovina
1. Stroll through a world of history in Sarajevo
For such a somewhat small city, Sarajevo has had a fierce history. It was established by the Ottomans, added by the Austro-Hungarians, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand there in 1914 aided spark the First World Conflict.
Involved by the Nazis, and freed by Tito and his partisans, the city hosted the Colder time of year Olympics in 1984, preceding suffering through the longest siege in modern history during the Yugoslav Wars.
Little miracle then that the nearby tourist board calls the city an outside museum, with reminders of each part of its turbulent past everywhere. From Ottoman-period Mosques to the ‘Passage of Trust’ that connected Sarajevo with the outside world during the siege, you’ll experience history every step of the way.
Suggested read: 10 Adventure Activities In Bosnia and Herzegovina To Get Thrilled
2. Ski on Europe’s picturesque slopes
With Europe’s conventional High slopes massively stuffed and over-priced, Bosnia’s slopes offer a refreshingly reasonable other option. There are five principal resorts spotted across the Dinaric Alps, each offering something for skiers of all levels of capacity.
Jahorina and Babin Do lay inside easy reach of Sarajevo. Further away from home, Vlašić, in focal Bosnia, is famous for its dynamic nightlife and off-piste adventures.
Kupres has longer runs. Its slopes reach out for over 13km, making it famous with beginners and moderate skiers – as well as Croatians from Dalmatia close by.
For a genuine test, go to Bjelašnica, Bosnia’s Olympic slopes. Expect north of eight runs, each with a ski lift, from easy to dark, as well as valley runs.
3. Quest for miracles and wine at Medjugorje
When a little town in the rough hills of Herzegovina, Medjugorje currently hosts thousands of Catholic pilgrims quick to visit the spot where the Virgin Mary showed up before six youngsters playing on a slope in 1981.
That spot is set apart by a white alabaster statue of the Virgin Mary. Simply follow the line of pilgrims up the rough slopes at the rear of the town as they move up Spirit Slope.
Medjugorje is also famous for secular reasons. The locals have been developing wine on the dry slopes here since Illyrian times, and it is somewhat great.
Today, the gigantic wine factories from Yugoslav times have gone and in their place, various small free wineries have sprung up. Nearby companies offer tours along the Herzegovina vinska cesta (wine course), however with most vineyards close to one another, you could easily follow the course yourself.
4. Raft at the Tara Gorge
The Tara Gorge is one of the longest and deepest canyons in the world. Cut by the Tara Waterway, it forms the boundary between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.
78km long and 1,300m at its deepest, the gully is home to high cliffs, rock, and sand beaches, and north of 80 caves. It is listed as a UNESCO World Legacy Site.
With crystal clear blue water, sheer cliffs, and rapids, it is also one of the most outstanding places to go wilderness rafting in Europe. May and June are the best months. The waters are high as is the adrenaline.
There are two starting points: Šlivansko, close to Žabljak in the upper part of the gorge, and Brstanovica, close to Scepan Polje, in the lower part (both in Montenegro). Check neighborhood rafting companies for tours.
Later in the summer, when the waters drop, the waterway is famous with neighborhood families.
Also read: 10 Most Popular Places To Visit In Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Offer homage at Srebrenica
Srebrenica, a small town in the east of the nation, was the site of one of the most horrendous atrocities of the Bosnian Conflict.
On 11 July 1995, thousands of Muslim men and boys were gathered together from a Unified Nations-proclaimed safe zone, driven away, and massacred by Bosnian Serb forces.
Today, a commemoration of those lost stands at the forsaken battery processing plant that served as the Potočari UN base. The most influential part of the dedication is the burial ground straightforwardly across the street, where many rows of pointed white Islamic-style gravestones commemorate reburied victims. Such was the degree of the massacre that new bodies are discovered and covered here every year.
Be cautioned: visiting the dedication is a frightening experience. Most of the guides here are survivors, numerous with relatives covered in the burial ground.
6. Cross Mostar’s popular bridge
The largest city in Herzegovina, Mostar is nevertheless small and charming, an Ottoman-time jewel fixated on the Neretva Waterway.
It is famous for its Stari Most, a stone, curved bridge worked in the sixteenth 100 years. It was destroyed during the Bosnian clash in 1993 and reconstructed in 2004. Worked from nearby pale stone, it arches steeply and is a well-known leaping-off spot for valiant – some would agree reckless – divers.
The close by alleys are brimming with shops and market stalls, the focus of a significant part of the existence in the city. A tight staircase leads up to the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque’s minaret, ideally suited for all-encompassing city views.
Ensure you adventure further abroad to Zrinjski Park, home to the first open landmark to Bruce Lee. In a city riven by ethnic divisions, the state is seen as a symbol of solidarity. Muslim, Croat, or Serb – everybody cherished Bruce.
7. Tuck into Balkan’s delectable cuisine
Intensely impacted by 400 years of Ottoman rule, the food of Bosnia and Herzegovina is hearty, and filling and has a bad situation for vegetarians.
Sheep and hamburgers are the favored fundamental fixing. While there are a lot of privately sourced (and usually natural) vegetables in the dishes, perpetually a barbecued piece of meat is the star of the show.
For a snack, attempt cevapi, elliptical-shaped kebabs barbecued before you and served with crude onions, nearby pita bread, and sour cream. Burek is also well known, a sort of flaky pastry pie, loaded up with meat, cheese, or spinach.
For something a smidgen more substantial, attempt klepe (minced meat dumplings), dolma (eggplants and peppers stuffed with mince), or bosanski lonac, a hearty stew produced using whatever is close to hand and considered the public dish.
For those with a sweet tooth, there are a lot of Turkish-style pastries like baklava and ustipci. Be that as it may ensure you save space for a bowl of tufahije.
Tufahije is basically an apple bubbled in sugar, stuffed with walnuts, and served with syrup and whipped cream. It’s the ideal backup to Bosnia’s industrial-strength espresso.
Related read: 10 Unique Accommodations In Bosnia and Herzegovina For A Perfect Stay
8. Explore the Dervish monastery in Blagaj
One of the most surreally wonderful spots in the country, Blagaj Tekija is a Dervish Monastery tucked into the side of a precipice, sitting above the emerald waters of the Buna Stream.
Worked during the Ottoman Realm in 1520, the striking structure has been fixed up and fixed subsequent to being harmed by rockslides and human malignancy. Sufi Dervishes performed ceremonial dances here – and praise reciting is still performed today, three nights per week.
Blagaj Tekija is just seven kilometers from Mostar and is a famous tourist spot. The monastery has a mausoleum and an old Turkish shower and is available to visitors. Some of the wax models have seen more promising times, however, it is interesting nonetheless.
9. Mooch around at Kravica Waterfall
Rather whimsically known as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Niagara Falls, the Kravica waterfalls are nevertheless impressive.
25m high and separated into a column of more than 20 tufa cascades, the falls are a well-known place with locals who descend upon them in summer to the excursion, swim, kayak, and just by and large cool down.
The falls cascade into an emerald pool that is part of the Trebižat Waterway. In spring, when the waters are higher and streaming faster, the water falls with such a fierceness that a fine mist rises and envelopes the entire region.
Getting to Kravica can be somewhat of a hassle. There is no solid public transport as such. However, bunch tours to Mostar consolidate a stop at the falls with visits to Blagaj and Počitelj.