What to see in Bosnia and Herzegovina? - list of the best tourist destinations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country rich in cultural heritage, natural beauty and tourist attractions and is a crossroads of many civilizations and cultures. Thousands of years of cultural diversity merged into Bosnia and Herzegovina make it one of the most fascinating countries in southern Europe.

This is a list of 25 beautiful places that you can visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1. Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city, and the administrative, economic, university and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There is no place where you will be received with so many hearts, where the food will smell so good, where you will feel the slowness of life and where that special Bosnian humor and openness will delight you.

The urban image of the city is characterized by numerous religious buildings, mosques from the Ottoman period, Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical churches, synagogues and other cultural and historical monuments, as well as modern architectural buildings built according to the latest standards.

The climate in Sarajevo is moderate and slightly continental. The average annual temperature is 9.5 °C

Sarajevo is the historical name of the city, which, according to one theory, comes from the coin Saray Ovası, which means the Court and the field around the court. Sarajevo is sometimes called Šeher (Turk. Şehir; Per. Şehr šahr), the name given to the city by its founder Isa-beg Ishaković. Due to its oriental appearance, it was also called the Damascus of the North, and Sephardic Jews called it Little Jerusalem.

2. Banjaluka

Banja Luka or Banjaluka is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There are many reasons that can attract you to visit this mystical city. Banja Luka is a special city, which is different in summer from winter, and therefore, in order to be able to say that you have been here, you will have to visit this place several times and get a full impression of its peculiarities. It is equally beautiful to visit in all parts of the year.

The climate of Banja Luka is moderately continental, with the influence of the climate of the Pannonian belt. The mean annual temperature is 10.7°C.

Banja Luka is a modern European city and a recognizable center in the regional environment. A safe, humane and urban environment of a healthy life with rich cultural and sports content, where entrepreneurship, knowledge, ability and results are recognized and valued.

Due to the large number of green areas (parks and alleys), Banja Luka bears the epithet "city of green". It is also called "the city of youth, sports and culture".

Throughout Banja Luka, there is a large selection of various restaurants where you can take a break and recharge your batteries to continue exploring this extraordinary city. Like any big city, food is diverse, so Banja Luka is rich in the most diverse types of cuisine, from local to the most exotic world food.

3.Mostar

The city got its name from the bridge guards (mostari) on the banks of the Neretva River. It is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

CNN published a list of the most beautiful small towns in Europe that are worth visiting, and the Bosnian city of Mostar was among the selected ones.

Mostar has a moderate Mediterranean climate with mild but cold winters (with little or no snow), and in hot summers the temperature in the shade can be up to 45°C.

Mostar is one of the sunniest cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has a population of 106,000 inhabitants, which makes it the 5th largest city in the country.

Given that Mostar is one of the most popular destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is well connected to the rest of the country, such as Sarajevo, but also to the rest of Europe, such as Dubrovnik and Kotor.

Mostar is not a big city, so you will be able to explore it on foot and visit all the main sights.

The Old Bridge is protected by UNESCO and is definitely the most popular sight in Mostar. It is located in the heart of the city, which is also under the protection of UNESCO. The original bridge was built by the Turks in 1566, but it was destroyed in the war in 1993. The bridge was rebuilt in 2004.

4. Jajce 

Jajce is a small town at the confluence of the Pliva and Vrbas rivers, known above all for the waterfall that is located almost in the center of the town.

And besides the waterfall and the Old Town, there is much more to visit in the immediate vicinity of Jajce, including Veliko and Malo Plivsko jezero and mills, small medieval watermills that have been declared a national monument (by the way, there are over 30 national monuments in Jajce).

The Plivska waterfall is about 20 meters high, it is believed to have been created about 50,000 years ago and it is the only waterfall in the world that is located in the center of a city.

One of the most visited places in Jajce is located in the city center — the AVNOJ Museum. It was in Jajce in 1943 during WW2. the second session of the Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Yugoslavia was held.

The climate is moderately continental with warm summers and harsh and snowy winters.

5. Trebinje

Trebinje is a city of wine, sun and plane trees that exudes the spirit of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Trebinje is located in an oasis of greenery, at the foot of Mount Leotar, and the beautiful landscape, rich cultural and historical heritage and rich tourist offer make it very attractive for many visitors.

The town on the beautiful river Trebišnjica is located in the very south of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the crossroads, only 25 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea.

The tourist complex "Grad Sunca" is located six kilometers west of Trebinje and has numerous facilities for all generations, which every year, especially in the summer tourist season, attracts many tourists from all over the world, as well as the local population.

6 Blagaj

The source of the Bune is one of the largest and certainly the most beautiful in Europe. The water emerges from under a 200-meter vertical cliff, on the top of which is the ruin of the old city of Herceg-Stjepan, the last ruler of Herzegovina, before the Ottoman rule.

Seeing such a quantity of water that forms a river by itself, probably the Turkish sultan was also impressed by it, so he ordered the construction of a beautiful Dervish tekija next to the Buna Spring, which today represents the most mystical place in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Due to the proximity of the Adriatic Sea (about 45 km) and low altitude, the climate is Mediterranean with very long and hot summers. The average annual temperature is 17oC, summer 26oC, winter 8oC.

On the initiative of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Blagaj near Mostar should be in the race for the prestigious title "Best Tourism Village".

For years, Blagaj has been known as a tourist pearl due to the source of the Buna River and the Dervish Tekija, the Old Town or Stjepan Town, as well as other cultural and historical values and, especially, natural beauty. All that and the huge tourist potential are, of course, the reasons why the World Tourism Organization initiated Blagaj for candidacy.