Bosnia and Herzegovina tourism
As you will soon learn, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not just a rafter’s paradise, but offers its visitors option for enjoying a variety of other water related sports. Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, this mountainous European country, formerly a part of Yugoslavia, accesses a small portion of the Adriatic Sea coastline to its south. This apart, it has for neighbors, Montenegro to its southeast, Serbia to its east, and Croatia to its west, southwest, and north. Bosnia and Herzegovina gained sovereignty on October 1991, and it soon gained independence from erstwhile Yugoslavia on the 3rd of March 1992.
Muslims constitute a majority of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestants. Approximately 3% of its citizens are from other religions. The climatic condition of this country consists of short, cool summers along with long, severe winters. Its coastal areas receive a mild sprinkling of rainfall during the winter season. Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina travel and it is its largest city too, with the second largest city being Banja Luka, capital of the Republic of Sparska.
Though the citizens of the European Union, New Zealand, Australia, US, and Canada do not require any visas for entering Bosnia and Herzegovina, citizens of Serbia and Croatia can gain entry with just a valid ID. Sarajevo airport (SJJ), close to the city center and in the suburb of Butmer, connects the country with the rest of the world. Since taxis charge outrageous fares, tourists might well take a taxi, from the airport to the Ilidza tram terminus, and complete the rest of their journey to the city center via tram.
Train services are available to and from Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia. The best way to enjoy the beauty of the country is through car travel, but the time taken to cover relatively small distances can be slow due to the mountainous terrain. However, this is not the case if one utilizes highways like the one that connects the Croatian border to Sarajevo. There is an abundance of buses available in Bosnia and its surroundings and this is perhaps the best way to travel, considering its extensive network. The younger generation is familiar with the English and German language.
Rivers like Una, Neretva, Tara, Driva, Vrbas, Krivaja, and Sana provide tourists with an opportunity to test their rafting skills. For the uninitiated, the 2009 world rafting championship was held in the Banja Luka that lies on the Vrbas river. They can also enjoy canoeing and Kayaking on some of those rivers and their tributaries. Lovers of extreme sports will enjoy canyoning on the Rakitnica river, a tributary of the Neretva. Make it a point to visit the local markets and pick up souvenirs manufactured and sold by local artisans. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a bargainer’s paradise since local artisans quote inflated prices for such bric-a-bracs, especially for tourists.
Apart from these small markets, there are a number of large shopping centers too. While in Sarajevo, do no forget to taste the Cevapi, a dish of grilled minced meat and wash it down with any of the popular beers like Preminger and Banjalucko. For lodging purposes, one can select from a wide range of 2-5 star hotels, apart from hostels and motels too.
Category: Bosnia things to do, Bosnia travel guide
