Bosnia-Herzegovina

If you are staying in Central Bosnia, make sure you stop by Travnik, a pastoral city that has a fun story, considering that from 1699-1850, Travnik was the capital city of Gov. Blagaj developed during a period between the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, and is small -- but still, one of the best places to visit in Bosnia. Blagaj is yet another destination in Bosnia that is easily accessible from Mostar (by bus and by car, there are organised tours as well). If you are pressed for time, you can even visit both places, as well as Blagaj, on one day in Bosnia.

There is a great deal of history to discover in Sarajevo as well, so, despite its smaller size, make sure you leave some days for exploring the city by foot. The capital is one of the most popular places to visit in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Croatian-Mostar road trip. Explore Sarajevo’s Old Town, see Ottoman houses, and the panoramic views from local mosques.

Like its magnificent capital, Sarajevo, the Old Town of Mostar offers an opportunity to step back in time and discover the signs of the Old Past of Mostar. Mostar is a gorgeous city on its own, and walking through the Mostar Old Town, with its Ottoman architecture, crossing small streams, and browsing shops stocked with their native goods is a great way to get an idea of what Mostar is all about. The culture is certainly one of the best reasons to visit, but there are some nice landscapes as well.

It is where you all find Kravica Waterfalls (also known as Kravice Waterfalls), considered to be one of Bosnia’s best things to do. Despite all these craggy mountains, snow-capped peaks in the Dinaric Alps, beautiful rivers in Una, and cities such as Mostar and Stolac, where Ottoman and Byzantine, Roman and Balkan, Slavic, and an endless number of other styles converge among the old streets, Bosnia-Herzegovina remains somewhat an out-of-the-way part of Europe. Divided by the gorgeous Una River, which winds its way up the Central Bosnian mountains, the cute, medium-sized city of Travnik does well to balance its intriguing past as capital and bastion of former viziers in this ancient Ottoman sub-region, and modern-day adventures in adventure sports and outdoor pursuits, does a nice mix of modern-day adventure sports and outdoor appeal.

Travelers can immerse themselves in a neat, manicured Old Town complete with towering minarets and stone-paved plazas, lounge by the side of eerie salt lakes (a remnant of the old Pannonian Sea) and take in the renowned Bosnian literary festival Mesa Selimovic beginnings in July. While most of the history that you will be learning while visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina is the recent history surrounding the Bosnian War, there is much more to discover about the nation’s ancient past. A visit to the Genocide and War Crimes Museum in Sarajevo is a gruesome experience, but it teaches you so much about a war that you might not have known very much about.

The Sarajevo tunnels (Tunel Spasa) are an underground tunnel turned war museum, the best way to experience the siege of Sarajevo, Bosnia. You may want to visit several places to find out more about the siege of the capital. To get an idea about how life was like during the fighting, go to the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, or to the 800m-long war tunnel of Sarajevo, which was used to smuggle supplies such as food and medicines into desperate civilians as Sarajevo was being attacked.

While looking at buildings during a walking tour around the capital, you will spot shell holes in buildings, which are scars of Sarajevo’s war. A legendary Sarajevo is the place to be on your next trip to Bosnia, Sarajevo’s war-torn past makes it an exciting destination for history lovers.

Charming Banja Luka is Bosnia’s second-largest city, behind Sarajevo, and a great place to settle down for a few nights as your base for day trips across Bosnia. While most visitors to Bosnia-Herzegovina head straight to Sarajevo, Banja Luka is worth visiting.