Top 10 Places to Visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina

We are sure that you’ve never heard of a smaller country with more beautiful natural and historical sights that are worth visiting. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a rather small country in Western Balkans with emerald green rivers, amazing mountains, huge forests, and great old towns with interesting Ottoman architecture and it deserves more attention than it gets. Even though we recently wrote about a few underrated cities in Europe we didn’t include any of the Bosnian cities in it because this beautiful little country deserves a post of its own. So, we are bringing you the top 10 places to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Keep reading, relax, enjoy, and plan to visit Bosnia in the next year.

1. Sarajevo

Sarajevo, the capital and the largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has so many interesting and important spots that you need a few days to really enjoy it. It’s one of the most historically interesting cities in Europe and is often called European Jerusalem, due to its centuries-old multiculturality. You have to stroll down the Baščaršija to feel the spirit of the east, to explore many workshops of Sarajevo’s famous artisans and traditional food restaurants and cafes. Check out the City Hall, one of the most important landmarks of Sarajevo, from the Austro-Hungarian times. Visit Vrelo Bosne (the river Bosna’s springs), it’s a place where you can relax and enjoy beautiful nature. There is soooo much more to say about Sarajevo and that is why we have a separate blog post about this breath-taking city.

2. Jahorina

Bosnia has many marvelous mountains but the most important one is surely Jahorina where the 1984 Winter Olympics were held. If you are a snow lover, go there in winter and enjoy skiing, and if you are more of a summer person, go hiking. Either way, you will not regret it, just take a look at its amazing pine-spotted peaks.

© Micki/ CC BY-SA 4.0

3. Banja Luka

Set on the Vrbas river, Banja Luka is a gorgeous green city that is known for its tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens, and parks. It is influenced both by Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman times and it is pretty noticeable in Banja Luka’s architecture, as it is noticeable in the whole country. Take a walk through Gospodska street, check out amazing landmarks in the city center and then go a bit outside of the city and admire the amazing nature that is surrounding it. You can read more about Banja Luka in one of our previous blog posts or download our Cultural Places App and find our media guide through this gorgeous city.

© Darko Gavric/ CC BY-SA 3.0

4. Jajce

Jajce is a small city south of Banja Luka, set on the confluence of rivers Pliva and Vrbas. That is the spot where Pliva is forming its famous waterfalls – the most popular attraction in Jajce. Jajce has an amazing Old Town – Jajce Fortress that is a remain from the medieval times, a true gem that you must photograph. Also, you will find historical museums where you will learn how important Jajce was in WWII.

Source: Flickr

© Milo van Kovacevic/ CC BY-SA 2.0

5. Una National Park

River Una, a natural border between Bosnia and Croatia is often considered to be the most beautiful river in Bosnia. There is so much beauty in and around this wild and crystal-clear river. Visit Martin Brod, a small village in the Una National Park where you will get the chance to experience astonishing Una waterfalls and eat the best brown trout in your life.

© Julian Nyča/ CC BY-SA 3.0

6. Mostar

Mostar is the most visited destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina and no wonder it is. The emerald Neretva river, Old Bridge over it, and Ottoman architecture are breath-taking for sure. The Old Town with plenty of traditional restaurants, market stalls, mosques, and other historic buildings is one of the most picturesque UNESCO-listed old towns in the world. The best time to visit Mostar is definitely in the summer when you will get the chance to see brave people jumping off the Old Bridge. If you’ve already downloaded our Cultural Places App feel free to find media guided tour to easily explore beautiful Mostar.

Source: Flickr

© Ben Snooks/ CC BY-SA 2.0

7. Blidinje Nature Park

Few nature reserves made it to our list and Blidinje Nature Park is one of them. Blidinje is a nature park set in the heart of the Dinaric Alps, on the plateau between mountains Vran and Čvrsnica, in Herzegovina. It’s where you will see colossal trunks of its endemic Bosnian pine trees. Blidinje Lake is set in the middle of the valley and it’s the biggest alpine lake in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is truly amazing and we cannot decide if it looks better in winter or summertime.

© Julian Nitzsche/ CC BY-SA 3.0

8. Kravica Waterfall

Not that far from Mostar, you will find amazing photogenic Kravica Waterfall (or Kravice) on the Trebižat River, the major right tributary of the Neretva River. It’s one of the most popular swimming and picnic area in this region. The best time for the visit is in spring when the fall is at its fullest and the landscape is the greenest. But if you get there in summer you can swim in this amazing water. It has a camp place, too, which is amazing.

© Stephan Hense/ CC BY-SA 3.0

9. Perućica

If you are a nature lover this is a specialty for you. Perućica is a primeval forest, one of the last ones in Europe, over 20.000 years old. Some of the trees here are more than 300 years old. A great number of rare and endemic species live there, such as exceptional examples of beech, fir and spruce. It is set on the Maglić mountain, in the Sutjeska National Park, near the border with Montenegro. No words can explain this well-protected nature reserve. The wild beauty of its unique flora and fauna will swipe you off your feet.

© Darko Gavric/ CC BY-SA 3.0

10. Trebinje

Trebinje is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina set less than an hour from Dubrovnik in Croatia and Herceg Novi in Montenegro. Sitting on the tranquil Trebišnjica river, its Old Town is a real gem of the Republic of Srpska. The riverfront is really amazing, you will love the old stone houses that you will find there. We won’t talk much about it, you just have to see it. The nature around Trebinje is not green at all, but it is special, beautiful in its own way. Climb up to Leotar Mountain and take an amazing panoramic photo of Trebinje and if you feel brave try paragliding and let the adrenaline do its thing.

© Diego Delso/ CC BY-SA 3.0

There are many other places in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are worth visiting, but this blog would never end if we wrote about every single one of them. You are probably wondering how to organize your trip and enjoy our top 10 places to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We suggest you start your trip around Bosnia and Herzegovina from Sarajevo and go north, towards Banja Luka from there. Then go to the Herzegovina region and enjoy it. You will then easily come back to Sarajevo and finish your tour there. Bosnia is a small country, as you already know, so you will not lose much time on the wheels. Actually, you won’t lose time at all, just stare out the window, you will enjoy every minute of your trip through this beautiful country.