Beautypically

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.

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.