If you have always been inspired by the films of Emir Kusturica or you are simply looking for unusual destinations for a tourist trip, consider Bosnia and Herzegovina as an option for your next trip.
Photo: nomadFra/shutterstock.com
Many people still associate the territory of the former Yugoslavia with military operations. But in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is no more dangerous than in any state in Western Europe. And certainly no less beautiful!
How to get to Bosnia and Herzegovina
There are three large airports in the country – in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Tuzla, but you won’t be able to get directly to any of them from Russia. You can fly with a transfer in Istanbul, Budapest or through other European cities. The cost of an air ticket with transfers from Moscow to Sarajevo and back starts from 25,000 rubles* per person.
Bus service here is well developed, but the most convenient way to travel around Bosnia is by car: renting a car in Sarajevo on OneTwoTrip will cost 3,000 rubles* per day. By the way, you can also visit the country by car from Croatia or Montenegro – an excellent addition to your vacation in these countries.
Tourists from Russia do not need a visa to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina. You can enter the country with a foreign passport and stay for up to 30 days. But in order to explore local attractions in detail, three or four days are enough. At the border they will only ask for a PCR test taken no earlier than 48 hours before entry. Therefore, if you arrive in Croatia or Montenegro with a Russian PCR test, visit Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first days.
What to see in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In the southwest of the country, near the borders with Croatia and Montenegro, several main tourist spots are concentrated.
Mostar
In the 1990s, fierce and destructive inter-ethnic fighting took place on the streets of this small city. Today, nothing reminds of those terrible events: Mostar is well-groomed and brought into good shape. True, those who have at least once traveled to the Balkans understand that this region has its own concept of grooming. In my opinion, Mostar is one of the most colorful cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The central point of attraction for tourists is Old Bridge across the fast-flowing Neretva River. It is also the main attraction, the calling card of not only the region, but the entire country. The best view of it opens from the neighboring Lutsk Bridge, which is located just downstream, or from the rocky bank of the Neretva.
City center– and this is the entire space that is directly adjacent to the bridge – is usually filled to the brim with tourists. Some people come to the oriental bazaar, others come to sit in restaurants and taste local Mostarsko beer or drink coffee according to Bosnian traditions. Narrow cobbled streets, souvenir shops, bridges, mosques, Catholic churches – this is all Mostar. It was unexpected to find a monument to Bruce Lee here, which is located in Zrenjevac Park. The two main mosques of Mostar are Karagöz Bey, located near the Old Bridge, and Koski Mehmed Pasha with a slender minaret against the backdrop of the mountains. This building is the backdrop of the Old Bridge on postcards.
Kravice Waterfalls
An hour’s drive from Mostar, on the Trebižat River, is a natural park with a cascade of picturesque waterfalls. Abundant, even during the dry season, flows of water falling from a height of 15-28 meters form a semi-ring with a diameter of about 150 meters – it’s not for nothing that these waterfalls are called a fan over a cliff. At the foot of the cascades flow into a transparent lake, on the shores of which locals and tourists like to relax. There are places for sunbathing, several coffee shops with very noisy and cheerful Balkan-style staff, and rental of small boats and kayaks. Despite the fact that the water rarely warms up above 18℃, everyone willingly swims here.
Entrance to the territory of the Kravice Waterfalls is paid – about 10 convertible marks* (Bosnian currency). The park is open all year round, but it is better to check the exact schedule on the website.
Blagai
It will take a little over half an hour to travel from Kravice waterfalls to Blaga. This peaceful place, where hundreds of birds scurry around the steep cliff above the turquoise water, even before the conquest by the Ottoman Empire, became a haven for dervishes – Muslim hermit monks. Tekie has existed here since the beginning of the 16th century. The guest house and mausoleum, which stand white on the cliff, were built in the mid-17th century and have survived to this day almost in their original form. Today, inside the complex there is some kind of museum, a souvenir shop and a coffee shop with quaint tables. All tourists can enter, not only Muslims, but shoes must be left at the entrance.
The water cave at the foot of the tekia is none other than the karst spring of Vrelo Bune, one of the most powerful sources of fresh water in all of Europe. The length of the Bune River, which this source forms, is only 9 km on the surface of the earth, after which it flows into the Neretva. Along its banks there are many specialty coffee shops where you can drink Turkish coffee with Turkish delight or even try grilled river trout while enjoying the diversity of the surrounding landscape.
These three locations are the main ones for those who come to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a few days. If you have the opportunity to stay longer, be sure to visit three more Bosnian cities.
Trebinje
Trebinje – the city of sun and wine – is located just a couple of tens of kilometers from Croatian Dubrovnik and the border with Montenegro in a picturesque valley between hills covered with slender plane trees. In ancient times it was part of the Roman Empire, and later was part of the Kingdom of Serbia, the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary and Yugoslavia. Such a rich historical diversity of cultures determines the unique flavor of this place.
The Trebišnjica River divides the city into two parts, and Arslanagic Bridgeoriginally from the 16th century – connects. In Trebinje, the Old Town from the times of Turkish rule has been preserved. Be sure to visit the local food market and the cinematic cafe “Under the Plane Trees” located opposite. Scenes for European and American films are regularly filmed here. Locals love to tell stories about filming and discuss which films they appeared in. In general, the whole city looks like a set for a good movie. Walking here is a special pleasure for those who are tired of the crowds and bustle of big cities.
Visegrad
Visegrad is a small and world-famous ancient city. It occupies a modest 450 sq. km among forested mountains between the Drina and Rzava rivers. Three people glorified this place. The first was Sokollu Damat Mehmed Pasha, who ordered the construction of a monumental, 11-span stone bridge in Visegrad. The second is Ivo Andrić, a Yugoslav writer whose novel Bridge on the Drina was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The third is Emir Kusturica, who built the city of Andricgrad, full of literary, historical and cinematic mysteries, as a setting for his film based on Andric’s book.
If you come to the city during the tourist season, take a boat ride along the Drina and admire the bridge from the water, which, by the way, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Egg
The city with the culinary name Jajce is actually considered royal. The last monarch of the Kingdom of Bosnia was crowned here. This is where his residence was located, and this is where he was killed. If you are not interested in the history of the country, you will definitely appreciate this small city primarily for the spectacular 25-meter waterfall, which is formed right at the confluence of two rivers – Pliva and Vrbas.
Of course, Egg has everything that an ancient city must have: a well-preserved fortress wall, narrow streets, catacombs, stone arches, ruined cathedrals, clock towers… But the main attraction is still the waterfall. There are few places in the world where rivers merge together and rush down in a powerful stream right in the center of the city. It looks unusual and impressive. The Bosnian kings knew where to set up their residences! However, all of Bosnia and Herzegovina is miraculously beautiful and makes you want to return and get to know each other better.
*Prices valid at time of publication
