Bosnia and Herzegovina: Travelling

Entry Requirements

Passport and Visa Service: Visa requirements overview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
List of the diplomatic representations of Bosnia - Herzegovina

For Further Information

Check IATA Travel Website for visa requirements and health advices.

Organising Your Trip

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Train reservation services: Public Enterprise Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ltd. Sarajevo
Republika Sprska

Major airlines

Name	Type	Domestic Flights	International Flights
Turkish Airlines	International	No	Yes
Austrian Airlines	International	No	Yes
Air Serbia	International	No	Yes
Lufthansa	International	No	Yes
United	International	No	Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Visiting

Different Forms of Tourism

Historical: The majority of the historical monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina date to the Ottoman Empire. An example of the Ottoman Empire's architecture is Sarajevo's Old Town, called Bascarsija. Another example is the order monastery at Blagaj on the river Buna from the 16th century, which has been submitted to the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage sites as a natural and architectural ensemble of Blagaj. For those interested in more recent history, the city of Jajce is worth a visit. It is where the foundation was laid for the 2nd Yugoslavia as a socialist and federal republic in 1943.
Cultural: At least three of the cultural treasures of Bosnia and Herzegovina are linked to rivers and bridges, with two inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic Bridge in Visegrad and Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar. However, the most known cultural site in Bosnia and Herzegovina is probably the capital city of Sarajevo, which is inscribed on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage as a unique symbol of 'universal multiculture - continual open city'. Sarajevo hosts the Sarajevo Film Festival, the largest in Southeast Europe.
Nature: Bosnia and Herzegovina has a lot to offer in terms of nature tourism, such as hiking and walking through the highlands or whitewater rafting and kayaking down rivers. One of the country's oldest parks is Sutjeska, which is also home to Bosnia's highest peak (Maglic Mt. 2,386 m).
Vjetrenica cave (heavily damaged by the war in 1991) is one of the country's nature sites that has been submitted to UNESCO World Heritage's Tentative List.
Religious: Even though it is officially not recognised by the Pope, millions of Catholics visit the tiny village of Medjugorje where it is believed that Mother Mary appeared and spoke to six teenagers in 1981.
Thermal: Bosnia and Herzegovina is blessed with a great abundance of crystal clear mountain rivers and high quality thermal springs. Thermal resorts can be found in llidza, Fojnica, Kiseljak, Teslic and Banja Luka.
Beach: Bosnia and Herzegovina has only 22 km long coastline along the Adriatic Sea, with Neum being the only resort town. Scuba-diving, parasailing, boating and jet skiing can all readily be arranged in any of the major hotels in Neum and tends to be cheaper than in neighbouring country Croatia. However during the season, it is wise to book in advance.
Winter Sports: In 1984, the Winter Olympic Games were held in Sarajevo, and those slopes from the Games still remain. Ski lifts and other infrastructure were renovated after damages from the civil war in the 1990s. Thus, the Olympic mountain of Bjelasnica offers by far the most challenging ski trails in the country, and the mount of Jahorina has made a great comeback as southeast Europe's best ski resort.
Outdoor Activities: Walking, hiking, whitewater rafting and kayaking, skiing, fishing and hunting, mountain biking, paragliding.
Shopping: In recent years, the expansion of the shopping mall concept has taken place in Bosnia. The Sarajevo City Center, which opened in 2014, hosts 160 stores and a five-star hotel.

Top Highlights in the Main Cities
Bascarsija - The Old Town
The Old Town Hall of Sarajevo
Latin Bridge or 'Princip Bridge' over the river Miljacka
Svrzo's House - an authentic Bosnian house built during the Ottoman period in the 18th century
Skenderija - sports and cultural centre with a shopping mall
Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque
Orthodox Church
Jesus Heart Catholic Cathedral
Sarajevo Synagogue
Spring of the river Bosnia (Vrelo Bosne, in local language)

Top Highlights of the Country
Sarajevo
Mostar
Travnik
Sutjeska National Park
Humac Franciscan Monastery - The oldest museum in Bosnia at the town of Ljubuski
Jajce
Rafting in Bosnia
Mountaineering
Medjugorje pilgrimage
Skiing and Snowboarding on the Olympic slopes
Hunting and fishing

Tourism Organisations: BH Tourism

Living Conditions

Health and Safety

Health Precautions: No specific vaccination is required.
International Hospitals: Outside of Sarajevo it might be more difficult to find a hospital or medical professional that speaks English.
For Further Information on Sanitary Conditions: Health information from the World Health Organisation
Health advice for Bosnia and Herzegovina from the UK Government
For Further Information on Safety Conditions: U.S. Department of State's Travel Guidance on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canadian Government's Travel Guidance on Bosnia and Herzegovina
UK Government's Travel Guidance on Bosnia and Herzegovina

Emergency Numbers

Emergency-Ambulance	124
Police	122
Fire department	123
Emergency-natural and other disasters	121
Road assistance in Muslim-Croat Federation	1282
Road assistance in Republic of Srpska	1285

Time Difference and Climate

Time and Time Difference: It is %T:%M %A In Sarajevo (GMT+1 in winter and GMT+2 in summer)
Summer Time Period: Last Sunday of March – Last Sunday of October

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Type of Climate: Dominated by mountainous and hilly terrain, and surrounded by major rivers to the north (Sava) and east (Drina), Bosnia and Herzegovina's climate is variable. The country tends to have mostly moderate continental climatic conditions or very cold winters and hot summers.
The best time to visit is from May to October, as it is warmest and driest then. Regardless even in the summer, a sweater will be needed during the evenings. The weather in Bosnia resembles that of the southern Austrian highlands—generally mild, though apt to be bitterly cold in winter.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's climate is different for each province: Herzegovina and the southern part of the country has a modified Mediterranean climate with an average annual precipitation of 600 to 800 mm while the central and northern area of Bosnia has a modified Pannonian or Alpine climate with an average annual precipitation of 1,500 to 2,500 mm. Average temperature ranges in Sarajevo are from -0.5 degrees Celsius in January to 19.6 degrees Celsius in July.
Hotel reservation websites: Weather and Climate Agency of the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

Eating

Food Specialties: The Bosnian region's diverse cultures is prevalent in its food. The Ottomans brought with them lamb or beef sausages, filo pastries, spicy meats and kebabs. While meat is prevalent in Bosnian dishes, there are also a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and milk products, such as spinach, tomatoes, courgettes, dried beans, fresh beans, onions, carrots, peppers, plums, milk and cream. The cuisine also shares elements like pita bread, feta cheese, and the use of flaky phyllo dough with its Mediterranean neighbours. When travelling across the country, the most popular items are cevapcici, Bosanski lonac (Bosnian Pot), baklava and tufahija.
The best wines come from the Herzegovina part of the country.
Drinks: Coffee drinking is a favourite Bosnian pastime and a prominent part of the culture. There are also some good local beers (try Sarajevsko pivara) and wines to accompany meals. In some Muslim restaurants, it may be difficult to get an alcoholic drink; however, this is not the case in upper-class restaurants or bars. Furthermore, Muslims are rather flexible on this point.
Dietary Restrictions: In general, Muslim restaurants do not serve pork. On the other hand, pork meat can be heavily advertised and found in Serbian restaurants.

Paying

Domestic Currency: Bosnian Mark
ISO Code: BAM
To Obtain Domestic Currency: The easiest way to get the national currency is at ATM machines, which have seen a significant increase in availability throughout the country over the past years. Foreign currency can also be changed at banks or in hotels; however, in many cases euros are also accepted as payment.
Possible Means of Payment: Bosnia and Herzegovina is generally a 'cash-only' economy, and traveller's cheques are exchanged only at banks. Many shops and restaurants in major cities now accept some debit/credit cards. Euros and U.S. dollars are the preferred foreign currencies within the country, and euro banknotes or coins are widely accepted at stores and restaurants.

Speaking

Official Language: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Other Languages Spoken: Romani (Vlax) is a language of Bosnian gypsies.
Business Language: English

Useful Resources

To Find a Job: Profil Group is a consultancy company for executive search and selection services in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Macedonia
PosaoMarket.net is a job portal for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

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