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Travel in Bosnia and Herzegovina: when to go, places and advice

At the crossroads of East and West, Bosnia and Herzegovina moves and surprises: the old bridge of Mostar from which the country's young men dive, the Ottoman bazaar of Sarajevo where the ćevapi smoke, the Kravica waterfalls, the mystical spring of Blagaj and mountains still wild. Marked by history, warm-hearted like few places in Europe, it offers one of the continent's most endearing and affordable journeys.

Capital
Sarajevo
Currency
Convertible mark (BAM)
Language
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Direct flight
No direct flight, via Vienna or Zagreb
Time difference
None from central Europe
The old bridge of Mostar spanning the Neretva at dusk, minaret and stone houses behind

Itineraries

Our trip ideas in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The itineraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the works: the day-by-day programme, named hotels, tickets to book flagged in advance. Leave your address to be notified when they come out.

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The right season

When to go in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

May-June and September are ideal: an emerald Neretva, full terraces, accessible mountains. July-August run very hot in Herzegovina, where Mostar regularly tops 40 °C, but the waterfalls refresh. Winter blankets Sarajevo in snow, an Olympic city that skis twenty minutes from the bazaar, while Mostar stays mild.

  • January : In-between
  • February : In-between
  • March : In-between
  • April : Pleasant
  • May : Ideal
  • June : Ideal
  • July : Pleasant
  • August : Pleasant
  • September : Ideal
  • October : Pleasant
  • November : In-between
  • December : In-between
  • Ideal
  • Pleasant
  • In-between
  • Avoid

Quick guide

Understanding Bosnia and Herzegovina

Getting around

A rental car is the key: decent buses between the main cities, but the waterfalls, monasteries and mountains are reached at the wheel. The Sarajevo-Mostar train follows the Neretva, one of the most beautiful rides in Europe.

Money

The convertible mark (BAM), pegged to the euro (€1 = 1.96 BAM). Cash dominates outside the cities; withdraw at ATMs and keep small notes. The country is very cheap.

Language

Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, mutually intelligible. English is common among the young, German among the older diaspora generation. The welcome transcends the language barrier.

Useful apps

Offline maps (Maps.me) for the mountain roads, the BH Telecom app for a local eSIM, and the bus timetables on getbybus.com.

Accommodation

Family pensions in Mostar, converted Ottoman houses in Sarajevo, lakeside chalets. A Bosnian breakfast fuels a whole day on the road.

Etiquette

Accept the Bosnian coffee served in its džezva, a national ceremony. Approach recent history with tact and never leave the marked trails in the mountains, mined areas remain.

The iconic places

Stari Most

Mostar

The Ottoman arch of 1566, destroyed in 1993 and rebuilt identically, UNESCO. The bridge divers keep up a 450-year-old tradition.

Baščaršija

Sarajevo

Sarajevo's Ottoman bazaar: the Sebilj fountain, coppersmiths' workshops, ćevapi and coffee served on a copper tray. The Orient in Europe.

Blagaj

Herzegovina

A 16th-century dervish monastery nestled against the cliff, at the karst spring of the Buna. One of the most soothing places in the Balkans.

Kravica Waterfalls

Herzegovina

An amphitheatre of 25 m waterfalls dropping into an emerald pool where you can swim. Herzegovina's little Niagara.

Počitelj

Herzegovina

A fortified Ottoman village clinging to the cliff above the Neretva: tower, mosque and pomegranate trees, in the evening light.

Jajce

Central Bosnia

A 20 m waterfall in the middle of town, a royal citadel and the watermills of the Pliva lakes: the surprise of the country's centre.

Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.

  • Stari Most : The old bridge of Mostar, UNESCO
  • Baščaršija : The Ottoman bazaar of Sarajevo
  • Blagaj : The dervish monastery of the Buna
  • Počitelj : The fortified village of the Neretva
  • Kravica Waterfalls : Waterfalls and emerald swimming
  • Jajce : The waterfall in the middle of town
  • Travnik : The city of the viziers and its fortress
  • Višegrad Bridge : The bridge on the Drina, UNESCO