Bosnia and Herzegovina Fast Facts
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in southern Europe near the sea and is one of the so-called Balkan states. The country borders Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. See andyeducation.com for education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Capital City | Sarajevo |
Size | 51,197 km² |
Resident | 3,800,000 |
Official Language | Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian |
Currency | Marka |
Time Zone | UTC+1/+2 |
Telephone Area Code | +387 |
Fast facts to know
- Country name “Bosnia” is due to the river Bosna, “Herzegovina” is derived from Herceg (duke).
- In 1984 the Winter Olympics were held in Sarajevo.
- Roads are in reasonable condition, but there are hardly any motorways and many country roads only allow 50-60 km/h.
- After the war in the 1990s, the country is now considered safe. There is hardly any tourist crime.
- The Foreign Office still warns of landmines on unpaved roads and speaks out against driving at night due to poor road conditions.
- Citizens of the EU, the USA and Canada can enter without a visa.
- Bosnian hospitality is well known and famous.
- In western Herzegovina and northern Bosnia, a significant number of people speak German.
Exciting cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sarajevo
- Mostar
- Visegrad
- Banya Luka
- Trebinje
- Dubrovnik
History of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Region settled by Slavs around 600.
- 1463 Conquest of Bosnia by the Ottomans.
- As a result, increased conversions of the Christian population to Islam.
- 1878 Congress of Berlin places the Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austro-Hungarian administration after the Russian victory over the Ottomans.
- The assassination attempt on the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo in 1914 is regarded as a major trigger of the First World War.
- After World War I part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia).
- 1941 Occupation by troops from the German Reich and Italy.
- After the Second World War, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was founded (partial republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia with the provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina).
- End of Communism in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
- March 2, 1992 Declaration of resignation from the state association of Yugoslavia.
- 1992-95 Bosnian War.
- 1995 Dayton Agreement (establishment of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Climate & travel weather in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Climate is clearly divided into two:
- Coastal regions and close to the Adriatic Sea: Mediterranean. Winter mild and humid. Summer dry and very warm.
- Interior: temperate continental. Large temperature differences between summer and winter.
- Recommended travel time:
- Beach holiday: summer months July & August.
- City tours: spring and autumn months.
- Hiking or cycling tours in the mountains: June – August.
- Winter sports: December – March.
Ideas for trips in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Mehmed Paša Sokolovic Bridge in Višegrad (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
- Bridge and Old Town of Mostar.
- National Museum of Sarajevo.
- King Fahd Mosque (largest mosque in the Balkans).
- Castle of Banja Luka.
- Mineral springs in Visegrad.
- Neum on the sunny Adriatic Sea.
- Tvrdoš Monastery near the beautiful cities of Trebinje and Dubrovnik.
Eating & drinking in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Heavily influenced by Turkish cuisine.
- Wine and beer local drinks
- Slivovica (distilled from grapes and plums) is considered the national drink.
- Traditional dishes mostly prepared with meat, generous portions.
- The kitchen is rich, varied, tasty and largely natural.
Coffee as the basis of social life. - Savory foods common.
- Grill often used utensil.
- Pork, beef and mutton are often processed.
- Typical dishes:
- Cevapcici (small grilled minced meat rolls).
- Lokum (Turkish honey).
- Ajvar (paprika eggplant mousse).
- Burek (Turkish casserole or strudel with a spicy filling of minced meat, spinach, feta cheese or similar)
- Sarma (cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat or sausage meat, cooked in bacon and meat broth).
- Bosanski Lonac (Bosnian meat and vegetable stew).
- Pita (baked on round baking trays, traditionally filled with meat or feta cheese).
- Somun (homemade white bread).
- Baklava (pastry made from puff pastry or filo pastry filled with chopped walnuts, almonds or pistachios).
- Halva (base made from sesame seeds, sugar, honey and vegetable oil combined with peanuts, walnuts, cocoa, almonds or pistachios).
Particularly scenic
- Kravice National Park with its famous waterfalls.
- Nature reserve Hutovo Blato (largest nature reserve of marsh birds in Europe).
- Perucica Forest (one of the two last primeval forests in Europe).
- Sutjeska National Park (with the country’s highest mountain, the 2,386 m high Maglic and the approximately 75 m high Skakavac waterfall).
- Stunning upper canyon of Neretva river.