Bosnia and Herzegovina
Europe · Sarajevo · BA
Bosnia and Herzegovina is the mountainous heart of the Balkans, a compact country of Ottoman bridges, steep river valleys and the deep, complicated history of the region. Sarajevo, its capital, is the meeting point of the old world, with the bazaar of the Basçarsija, the sebilj fountain, the mosques and the Orthodox and the Catholic churches of the old town all sitting within a short walk of one another. The arch of the Stari Most bridge of Mostar, rebuilt on the Neretva river, is the country's famous symbol of resilience, and the waterfalls of Kravice, the river canyons, the old Ottoman towns and the green forests of the interior spread the natural beauty. The country is inexpensive, the food is good and the welcome is famously warm. Small, mountainous and full of meaning, Bosnia and Herzegovina rewards the traveller who comes to listen.
Overview
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Europe. Its capital is Sarajevo and the international dialling code is +387. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. Local currency is the Convertible Mark (BAM). We also list 1 city in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo.
Sarajevo, the Bazaar and the Meeting of the Faiths
Sarajevo is the city where the east and the west meet in a single valley, and its old town spreads the bazaar of the Basçarsija around the fountain of the sebilj, its copper lanes, its craftsmen and its coffee houses beneath the minarets of the Ottoman era. The main street of the quarter crosses the laughter and the smoke of the restaurants and the goldsmiths, and the museums of the old town keep the story of the city's centuries. Around the corner the spires, the domes and the towers of the mosques, the Orthodox and the Catholic churches and the old synagogue stand almost side by side, the beautiful, complicated proof of the city's many faiths. The hills around the valley, green and scarred, rise steeply from the rooftops, and the whole city carries its history heavily and proudly in the daylight air.
Mostar and the Arch of the Old Bridge
The town of Mostar, two hours south of the capital through the mountains, is built around the great arch of the Ottoman bridge, the Stari Most, that leaps the emerald green of the Neretva river. The bridge, rebuilt stone by stone after the war and listed among the wonders of the world, is the symbol of the country and the daily theatre of its town, with the divers of the local club leaping from its arch into the cold water of the river while the crowds on the banks hold their breath. The old town around the bridge winds its cobbled lanes between the stone houses, the workshops of the coppersmiths and the minarets of the mosques, and the river below runs the cafes of the eastern bank. The whole town feels like a lesson in how much a single arch can mean.
The Falls of Kravice and the Green of the River Canyons
A short drive from Mostar, the falls of Kravice spread the Trebižat river in a wide fan of white water across the stone of the valley, a natural amphitheatre of the green pools and the rocky tables where the swimmers and the boaters spend the hot afternoons. The whole region of the south, the Herzegovina, is cut by the deep canyons of the Neretva and its tributaries, the green gorges that the roads and the old railway follow through the hills. The kayakers and the rafters run the river while the hikers climb the dry limestone of the higher valleys. The waterfalls and the canyons give the country its most beautiful natural scenery, and the region around Kravice is the easiest and most rewarding introduction to it.
The Ottoman Towns and the Coffee Culture of the Highlands
Beyond the two famous cities, the country spreads a string of small Ottoman-age towns and the villages of the highlands that keep the older rhythms of life. The town of Blagaj, with its monastery cut into the cliff above the clear spring of the river, and the caravanserai courtyards and the old stone bridges of the roadsides hold the flavour of the centuries of the caravan trade. The coffee of the country, the ibrik-brewed strength of the Balkans served with the sweets and the long conversations, is the true ceremony of the region, and no market town is complete without its row of the coffee houses. The highlands above the valleys, the Dinaric peaks of the west and the pastures of the east, hold the shepherds and the slow, green life of the mountains. It is a country of small, deep rituals.
The Mountains, the Skiing and the Valleys of the Season
The mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Dinaric range that runs the length of the country, carry the finest wild backcountry of the western Balkans, and the Olympic resort of Jahorina, above the capital, still holds the slopes of its winter games. The ski season runs deep into the spring, and the country's resorts are inexpensive and uncrowded, with the hotel breakfasts of the mountains and the long dinners of the local tables. In the summer the same mountains become the trails of the hikers and the cycle routes of the valleys, with the rivers and the lakes of the north drawing the swimmers and the rafters. The untouched wilderness of the high peaks, the bears and the wolves of the deeper forests, makes the country one of the great natural retreats of the continent. One country, two seasons and the endless green make it a year-round destination.
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- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Currency
- Convertible Mark (BAM)
- Languages
- Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
- Calling code
- +387
- Internet TLD
- ba
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Which nationalities can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina?
For the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Bosnia and Herzegovina visa-free for tourism, and 3 more origins are visa-free too. Entry rules depend on your passport and the purpose of your trip, so check the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the country sits in Europe.
What currency is used in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
You pay with Convertible Mark (BAM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The languages we list for Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The dialling code for Bosnia and Herzegovina is +387 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo (capital).