Bosnia and Herzegovina is definitely not a top tourism destination in the world, or even in Europe. However, during last two decades the influx of travellers has grown, since the country has become more easily accessible. In 2017 over 1.3 million people visited Bosnia and Herzegovina – that’s the population of Estonia! And the numbers are growing each year. That’s why the best time to visit is now. No kidding.
I won’t write how difficult it was during the war – I wasn’t there. We have all heard about it, but only people who’ve been through that can truly tell you the story. Trust me, if you go there, you’ll pick up a lot about the war – from local people, from your tour guide, in the museums you visit. You’ll see buildings with the bullet holes and places that still haven’t fully recovered. BUT! The war is over and people are moving on, so let’s not think of this beautiful country as a war-zone: it was over 20 years ago. B&H is safe, it’s beautiful and it’s waiting for you to come!
Beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina
While we drove around B&H, we visited quite a few places. Here we put together a list of Top 5 cities to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let us know in the comments if you’ve already been there and how you liked them!
1. Sarajevo
That’s probably an obvious one (I know, the capital), but why is Sarajevo such a magnet? Because it’s easily accessible? Because it’s the largest city? Some people say that Sarajevo is a sad place, because of the recent history. But I found people in Sarajevo and in B&H in general anything but sad! Besides, if you don’t want to visit countries and cities with “sad recent history”, you might as well skip places like Vietnam, almost all of Balkans, some of the middle east, Ukraine.. the list goes on. Sarajevo is a very unique place, in my opinion. It has an interesting melt of cultures and religions; its architecture varies from medieval and Ottoman to Yugoslavian and modern; and of course Baščaršija, the old bazaar, has such a special aura – you won’t believe you’re still in Europe.
Find more information on what to do in Sarajevo in this article by Reading the Book Travel
Tip: if you are into camping, explore options to stay a little outside the main city. Sarajevo is surrounded by hills and the nature is beautiful. We stayed close to the Sunnyland and woke up every morning with a panoramic view of the city. It might take some time to go down to the center, but it’s worth the effort!
Is it even possible not to love cozy little cafes at the Old Bazaar?
2. Počitelj
Probably more of a village than a city, Počitelj has a population of under 1000 people. We found it very charming. A small market, few places to eat, and most important – beautiful fortress. You’ll find some houses built in 16th century and plenty of cute little stone streets. Located next to the river Neretva, Počitelj is surrounded by greenery and definitely worth a short visit.
Tip: there’s plenty of pomegranate trees growing in the Herzegovina region. Get some pomegranate juice or pomegranate honey – you’ll find them in many places.
There’s so may trees in and around the city that I couldn’t resist sharing this photo
3. Mostar
This is another place everyone wants to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and mainly for one reason: its famous Old Bridge (Stari Most). That’s pretty much it. Don’t get me wrong – there are other things to see there. But if you’ve been to Sarajevo, then the old market in Mostar probably won’t surprise you; if you’ve been to Počitelj, you’ve probably seen streets that are even more charming and not as touristy. All that considered, Mostar is still quite a picturesque place, and that’s why it’s made it to our list.
Tip: at the old bazaar, try Turkish coffee or Turkish tea – you’ll get both, intense taste and a traditional atmosphere.
Disclaimer: the bridge is gorgeous!
4. Blagaj
This small town is mostly famous for its monastery, Blagaj Tekija, which is nearly 600 years old. The whole ensemble is very unique: beautiful architecture together with the river, cliff and a cave. We didn’t find the inside of the monastery particularly interesting, but I think that’s something everyone should decide for themselves. One place we found amazing in Blagaj is actually a Blagaj castle, or Stjepan Grad. It takes a bit of time to get up there (loved it!), but the view from the top is beautiful and the ruins are quite impressive.
Tip: next to the river there’s plenty of restaurants. Try freshly caught fish in one of them.
I totally see the reason why someone would build a monastery there
5. Jajce
There’s 2 main things to see in Jajce: Pliva waterfall and a medieval fortress. Waterfall is located just on the side of town and is easily accessible by the short walk. The fortification dates back to 13.-14. century and, of course, it’s not Versailles, but it’s quite impressive for those who are into medieval architecture.
Tip: it’s really more than just a castle – check out the catacombs, bastions, ramparts – it’s a whole complex of structures.
The fortress has been expanded many times during its history
There’s plenty of other places to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, like Kravice, Medjugorje, Travnik, Višegrad and much more – but here was our personal top 5 cities to see. What’s your favourite city in B&H? Let us know in the comments below.
View from Stjepan Grad
For other European destinations, check out our articles:
7 Cool Things To Do in St Petersburg
Places to Visit in Montenegro, the New Zealand of Europe
Wow!! I would love to visit Bosnia. I have heard so many good things about the country. Very well explain everything. Great post!!!
Thanks Esther! It really worth taking time to see 🙂
This is a concise guide to Bosnia & Herzegovina and I love it! We are definitely planning a trip there in the near future so thank you so much for your suggestions and tips!
Our pleasure, Maria! I must admit we love old castle ruins, so we went to quite a few of those while we were in Balkans. Highly recommended! 🙂
I adored Mostar and Blogaj. How amazing that you’ve been there, writing this post, sharing your experience. We are keeping inspiration alive by sharing our knowledge and seeing there is always something new to explore. It’s a long journey. Life long… Thank you
Thank you for your kind words, Gonca! There is something so special about the cities with water, be it a river, a lake, a spring or an ocean..
I honestly had no idea the landscape and the architecture were so gorgeous here. I never considered this part of the world as a destination- but I might have to reconsider! It’s simply beautiful!
Definitely, it’s beautiful! B&H, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia and so many more places! I’ve never been to Albania, but I heard it’s gorgeous too!
You had me at Pliva waterfall and a medieval fortress. Had no idea Bosnia and Herzegovina had so much to see! I’ve always been interested in the history of those places. Now I have to go!
I would definitely recommend it, and Sarajevo is such a charming capital!
Stunning photos! I had no idea there was so much to see in Bosnia. Will definitely try to visit sometime.
I’m so happy to hear people are slowly start to converting into visit-Bosnia mindset! 🙂
Wonderful depiction through pics and details. I have not visited Bosnia yet but tempted to do so now after reading your post.
Thanks, Indu!
I haven’t been in Bosnia, but wow, your pictures make me want to go there. Will take note of the cities and suggestions/tips you said 🙂
Thanks Laurence! I’m glad it was helpful 🙂
They all look so beautiful!!
Thanks!
Great guide, I know so little about Bosnia and Herzegovina, but now I really want to visit. How long would you recommend visiting for?
It really depends. You can take a long weekend and visit just a few places, or you drive around there for a few weeks. We spend 7 days there, but there were definitely parts of the country we didn’t explore. I’d say, a week is a great start 🙂
I’ve always wanted to travel to B&H. I’ve had so many clients tell me just how beautiful it is!
Oh, it is, and I hope you get to go soon! 🙂
With the exception of Sarajevo, I have never heard of these towns. You are right, now is the time to go before it becomes overrun with tourists. Thank you for introducing me to these awesome places.
My pleasure! It’s definitely great time to visit B&H; and Sarajevo is a lovely place to start 🙂
Thank you so much for posting about this beautiful places that should be on our bucket list.
It’s important to know that it’s safe now and the people is moving on.
I loved it and I hope to visit soon!
Definitely, I feel like it’s much much safer than many other places we’ve been to. Good luck, and let us know if you love it, when you go there!
Oh my goodness I didn’t realize what a beautiful place Bosnia is! Thanks for sharing me and letting me know it needs to be on my list 🙂
It’s so beautiful, so happy you discovered it! 🙂
Just as you said it’s not one of the most destinations…so far. Your pictures are magnificent and reminded me of a movie setup! Thanks to your article Bosnia and Herzegovina made it right to my list of places to visit next year 🙂
Thank you Inna! I’m very happy to hear you’re planning to visit! 🙂
I loved your charming photos and the nature in the Balkans is beautiful. Would you recommend a road trip there it to a solo female traveler?
Hi Federica! Yes, definitely. We didn’t find it any more dangerous than Western European countries or Southeast Asia, and I think the whole Balkan region today is a great place for solo female travelers!
a lovely trip down memory lane for me, I went to B & H on whim a few years ago, and it completely was not what I was expecting, such a beautiful country, but you can still see you the signs of the war everywhere. Great post!
Yes, sad, but true – any buildings have bullet holes in them, and it’s not only the old generation that remembers. We had a few talks with locals about it, always very interesting to hear stories!
It’s good to see that all details about a place are available in one blog post. It’s a great post.
Thank you!
The pictures look strangely familiar. These towns are so similar to the ones we see in Switzerland – although probably 70% lesser in costs haha
Haha true.. it’s the same way I view Montenegro vs Croatia – some of the places seem so similar, and it’s the same coast, but the price is a fraction!
I spent September in Croatia and just fell in love with that region. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to go to Mostar when I was in Dubrovnik, but I think that Bosnia deserves an entire trip to herself 😉 I’m really keen to explore more of Europe’s South-East.
Definitely, if you get a chance – I’d recommend it highly. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to visit Albania and Kosovo, but Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, B&H, Croatia, Bulgaria – they all are worth a visit!
I’ve heard a lot about Mostar and it’s been on my list of European cities to visit for a long time now – looks so beautiful! Planning a road trip in south-east Europe next summer, so hoping to visit at least Mostar and Sarajevo. Will have to try and make time to visit the others in your list too! I didn’t know about Jajce – it looks beautiful.
I think the most exciting thing about Mostar is its beautiful bridge. And lovely market! But for me it wasn’t a place where I wanted to stay for a long time. Sarajevo definitely a very special city! I’m glad the list was a little bit helpful, Bosnia has many other great places too, you can also visit Kravica waterfall for example, and if you like medieval castle ruins – Ljubuski and Travnik!
Bosnia has intrigued me since learning about its recent history. But i had no idea that there’s so much to see in there. I also heard that it’s one of cheap places to travel in Europe.
Definitely, but I think that whole region (except of Croatia and soon probably Montenegro) is cheap to travel in, and gorgeous!
This has been on my list for some time, it sounds like a very fascinating destination. This is a great post, it’s good to have a nice list of 5 good places to visit. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by, Paul! Glad we could share 🙂
I would love to see all these attractions in this amazing country. Thanks fro sharing, through your blog I can see the beauty of this place 🙂
Thanks, Daniele! I, too, get plenty of my travel inspirations from blogs 🙂
I visited all of these and absolutely love B&H. Your post brought back a lot of amazing memories!
I’m so happy to hear that, Daniel! I so think more people should visit Balkans, and I hope that I get to visit Albania some time soon 🙂
I just love how Eastern Europe looks. For me, as a Russian, it looks much closer culturally than western Europe. I wanna make a big Eastern European trip and of course, make it to Bosnia
I can imagine! Also, in many Balkan countries you will find some language similarities (I know I did). In world terms – so close culturally, but still, you will notice so many cultural differences as well 🙂 Good luck for your trip!
I hadn’t heard much about Bosnia before and i never considered it as a country worth visiting but with that bridge in mostar and the monastry in blagaj, one can easily change their mind and add bosnia to a travel list.
I think Mostar Bridge is one of the most photographed places in B&H, and that’s for a good reason – it’s gorgeous 🙂 Also, some locals jump from there into the river from time to time – you can see it yourself!
I almost visited Bosnia and Herzegovina during my Euro trip but sadly there wasn’t enough time. Bosnia looks incredibly beautiful, love your pictures. Next time I need to go there!
Thanks, Roxanne, there is definitely, always a next time! 🙂
Wie this is such a. Amazing place thar j never heard about. After reading your post i actualy want to go to Europe only to visit these fairytale towns in the hills. Great pictures and spots
Thanks, Sinjana! You should go to Europe for sooo many incredible and amazing reasons! It’s full of different cultures, landscapes, food and much more 🙂 Hope you get to, one day
I love Balkans area and so Bosnia is my next trip plan. You have listed all beautiful cities with stunning photos to visit in Bosnia. I have only heard about Mostar due to that iconic bridge but never knew about other beautiful places. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Yukti! We do love Balkans too 🙂 I think even though we spent one week driving around B&H, there were still so many places we never visited.. Kind of sad, but well, next time! Good luck for your trip
My favorites would be Sarajevo and Blagaj. I would love to travel to Bosnia. It looks so untouched and beautiful in your pictures.
Puja, thank you for kind words 🙂 We too love Sarajevo and Blagaj (but surprisingly, not because of the monastery/cave/spring trio).
Perfect article to get in all these lovely places to visit in this area of the world. The Balkans is a must see for me!
I’m happy to hear that, Sherrie, it’s so worth it! Good luck for your future trip 🙂
Wahou I had no idea B&H was that beautiful! Your pictures are stunning and I now have major wanderlust envy!
Hahahh, Claire, pack your bags now!! 😀 But on a more serious note – thanks for stopping by! And hope you get to visit B&H one day.
This is a great post. Would like to visit this beautiful places
Really hope you get to!
Bosnia is one of my top places an you just reminded me how beautiful it is! Sounds like an amazing time!
Sayandeep, I’m glad to hear that – it’s a great place 🙂 I hope to come back there one day too
Hi! The countryside looks inviting. The places remind me of the Lord of the Rings, and the Hobbit movies or it is because of your amazing photos.
Thanks for sharing!
Best regard,
Clement II
There is an area in Balkans that is totally comparable to New Zealand! So I understand where you’re coming from 🙂
We only had 3 days in Bosnia, so only got to see Blagaj, Mostar, Sarajevo and Visegrad. I wish I’d had longer to explore all the places on your list. Next time!
Jeanne, definitely! We also still have places to visit in Bosnia – never been to Visegrad, for example!