What You Need To Know
Bosnia and Herzegovina Travel Guide
Bosnia and Herzegovina Unveiled
Your Ultimate Bosnia and Herzegovina Travel Guide
The Balkans are one of my favorite regions in the world. In my opinion, the landscape of these countries are more beautiful than the more popular Western European countries. The countries that make up the Balkans are less visited by tourists, which makes me sad that people don’t give them enough thought – they are very underrated! So I am here to convince you why you should visit! Let’s first start with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I backpacked Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of a larger trip and made my way over after backpacking Croatia. In total I spent a little over a week in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that week alone was enough to make me fall in love with this country! You can definitely see all the country has to offer in a week. If you’re short on time I think you could even squeeze everything into 5 days.
People often ask me what my favorite countries are. After my backpacking trip in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I quickly added it to my list of favorites. There is SO much history to this country, a lot of it which I am embarrassed to admit I didn’t know. Its people suffered through genocide in the 90’s. In fact, it was the worst genocide in Europe since the Holocaust. The 90’s was the decade I was born in – this was not that long ago!! It’s really crazy to think about when you put it in that perspective.
Let me give you a quick history lesson about the country.
Get To Know The Region
History of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Before it was Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country was part of Yugoslavia. Six republics made up the Republic of Yugoslavia. They are present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. The Republic of Yugoslavia was formed in 1918 and collapsed in 1992.
The collapse started when its President Tito died. From then on, there was a period of intense political and economic crisis in Yugoslavia. It was the fall of communism and with that, the various republics started breaking off and claiming independence. Croatia and Slovenia were first, followed by Macedonia, then Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During this time, Bosnia and Herzegovina were made up of 3 ethnic groups: Bosnian Muslims (the largest group), Serbians, and Croats. Well, the Serbians weren’t happy about living in a country where the majority would be Bosnian Muslims and felt their Serbian communities should be a part of Serbia.
So the Serbians, backed by the Serb-dominated Yugoslav army, set out to “ethnically cleanse” the country and ended up taking control of two-thirds of the country.
Really horrible things happened over the course of the next 3.5 years: people were taken from their homes and if not shot on the spot, they were taken to concentration camps; women would end up in “rape houses;” people watched their families get executed or beaten.
The worst of it all was what happened in a town called Srebrenica, a village in the Eastern part of the country. Every single person who lived in that village was murdered overnight – over 8,000 people were gone, just like that.
It is insane to me to think all of this happened when I was just a little girl. We all know the Holocaust and think, “Oh it happened so long ago,” but also that too, wasn’t too long ago. And now with Bosnia and Herzegovina, this was even more recent! Because of this, it’s actually a well-documented war. You can find a lot of photos and videos of what went on during the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 1995, the Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia signed the Dayton Accords, ending the war and outlining an agreement for peace. Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina has 3 Presidents: one for each ethnic group, and there’s still a lot of disagreement.
I learned so much during my time in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was all super interesting and insightful and at the same time very sad and overwhelming, it’s a lot to take in. I wanted to give a brief history of the country because it’s very important. The past is bound to repeat itself if we do not speak for the dead: NEVER let anyone forget what happened here.
Despite its depressing history, the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve ever encountered through my time traveling the world. They are so PROUD of their country and while they acknowledge the atrocities that happened, they have absolutely NO HATE for anyone. The people are still hurting and healing. The beauty of their souls shine through every day. Every day I was in that country I encountered such warm, kind, loving people. Bosnia and Herzegovina is truly a special place on Earth, and I can honestly say I love it and love its people too!
Where To Visit
My Recommended Itinerary for Bosnia and Herzegovina
As I said before, I was backpacking Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of a larger trip. I took a bus from Split, Croatia to Sarajevo using Flix bus. Travel in Europe is easy, so if you’re in any of the neighboring countries, just take a bus or train to your first stop: Sarajevo. Otherwise, find a flight from the U.S. to here.
Sarajevo is the beautiful capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city sits on the Miljacka River, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps. I spent a total of 4 days in Sarajevo, but honestly, I could have done more. There are a lot of museums dedicated to the genocide and in hindsight, I would have stayed longer to spend a day in each museum. But if you don’t want to spend that much time in museums, then 2-3 days is enough for you to see the highlights.
From Sarajevo, I took the train to Mostar. What I uncovered doing my thorough pre-trip research was that this is how mostly everybody travels to Mostar. It’s quick and cheap, taking about 2.5 hours. You can either buy your ticket online or buy it at the train station. The train station is a bit outside the main tourist area, so take a taxi. Once in Mostar, I spent 3 days. While Mostar is absolutely stunning, 3 days was too much for me, as there isn’t a ton to do in Mostar in terms of attractions. I’d say you can either just do an overnight in Mostar or if you’re short on time, you can sign up for a day trip from Sarajevo
Vanessa's Insider Tips
My Travel Tips for Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Visa Requirements: U.S. citizen can visit visa-free for stays up to 90 days. Please note, Bosnia and Herzegovina will NOT be part of the ETIAS program, kicking off in 2025 for various European countries.
- Local currency: Local currency is the convertible mark. Some places will accept euro.
- Language: There are 3 national languages: Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. English is widely spoken though.
- Plugs: If coming from the States, you’ll need a converter and adapter.
- When to Go: You can visit Bosnia and Herzegovina any time of year. However, I love summer weather so that’s what I recommend! I went in September and had perfect, sunny weather every day.
- How to Get Around: You can make your way between the 2 major cities by train or bus.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Solo Female Travel: Bosnia and Herzegovina is a very safe option for solo female travelers. I never once was bothered or harassed by anyone and felt safe walking alone at night. Since there’s really only 2 major cities to visit, it makes for an easy country to navigate also. I will note that the country is predominantly Muslim, so just be mindful of what you wear when visiting religious sites. That said, I felt comfortable walking around in my summer clothing – I just made sure to be covered up when appropriate!
