14 of the best things to do in Bosnia and Hercegovina

The intriguing, craggily beautiful country of Bosnia and Hercegovina blends Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian histories filtered through a Southern Slavic lens. Many still associate it with the heartbreaking civil war of the 1990s, and the scars from that time are all too visible. But today's visitors are likely to remember the country for its deep, unassuming human warmth, its beautiful mountains, numerous medieval castle ruins, raftable rivers and impressive waterfalls. Here's our pick of the top activities in Bosnia and Hercegovina. 

1. Take the train between Mostar and Sarajevo

One of the most memorable experiences you can have in Bosnia and Hercegovina, and one of the most beautiful journeys you're likely to experience anywhere, is to take the train between Sarajevo and Mostar, passing through the Neretva River Canyon. The train ambles slowly along the river, goes through the towns of Jablanica and Konjic. The green-blue Neretva is wedged between crumpled, stark karstic mountains, climbing up to impressive heights near Sarajevo, where everything turns alpine and green.

Detour: If you have time, visit the small town of Konjic to white-water raft the Neretva River. It's an extremely popular summer activity. Book your rafting trip with RaftKor (€45 per person), a reliable and recommended outfit.

2. Meander around Sarajevo’s Ottoman quarter

Baščaršija is the heart of Sarajevo and where you must spend at least an hour or two on any visit to the capital (or the country). Deriving its name from the Turkish word for "main market", this relatively small area is always buzzing with people (and an increasing number of tourists). Lined with stalls, a lively coppersmiths alley, grand Ottoman mosques, caravanserai (inn) restaurants and lots of inviting little cafes, it is the perfect place to get a real feel of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Savor the smoking barbecue restaurants, sample some home cooking and taste local coffee, ending with a rich, sticky baklava.

Local tip: Slatko ċoše is Baščaršija's favorite coffee and cake spot, where you can try Bosnian coffee and Turkish tea, and sweeten it up with a Bosnian dessert.

3. Enjoy Sarajevo's architectural and cultural medley

A great way to understand the country’s history in a nutshell is to walk around Sarajevo’s central streets. See the storybook neo-Moorish striped facade of the triangular Sarajevo City Hall, locally known as Vijećnica. Seriously damaged during the 1990s siege, it reopened in 2014 after a laborious reconstruction. You can also witness Sarajevo’s historic religious diversity and cohabitation – the city has been home to Muslims, Jews and Christians for centuries. The religious temples dedicated to each of these religions are interesting spots to visit. Yugoslav, modernist architecture and recent history are best seen at the History Museum of BiH, where the main attraction is the permanent “Surrounded Sarajevo” display, which charts local people's life-and-death battles for survival between 1992 and 1995.

Detour: Directly behind the museum building, the legendary Tito bar is a museum in its own right, and an homage to President Tito, with tons of photos, maps and posters from WWII, and a garden with "memorabilia" such as parked tanks.

4. Admire Mostar’s world-famous Old Bridge

Stari Most (Old Bridge) is Mostar's indisputable heart. Its pale stone magnificently reflects the golden glow of sunset or the tasteful night-time floodlighting. Originally built between 1557 and 1566 on the orders of Suleiman the Magnificent, it was an engineering marvel of its age. Sadly, the bridge was pounded into the river during a deliberate Croatian artillery attack in November 1993. The current structure is a very faithful 21st-century rebuild, painstakingly reconstructed using 16th-century building techniques and stone sourced from the original quarry. It reopened in 2004.

After making your way across the slippery stone arch, sit in one of the numerous well-positioned cafes and restaurants and take in the gorgeous views – it is especially pretty at dusk, when the lights of numerous millhouse restaurants twinkle across gushing streams. For Mostar's best shopping experience, walk through the bustling Kujundžiluk Bazaar, where historic stone-roofed shop-houses throw open their metal shutters to sell colorful inexpensive souvenirs, including copper coffee sets, glittery velveteen slippers, pashmina-style wraps, fezzes and Russian-style nesting dolls.

Local tip: Don't miss the miniature version known as the Crooked Bridge (Kriva ćuprija), the Old Bridge's pint-sized cousin. Built around 1558, this little bridge crosses the Radobolja River amid a series of picturesque millhouse restaurants. The original was weakened by wartime assaults and washed away by floods in December 2000; it was rebuilt in 2002.

5. Eat delicious Bosnian food

Rich, meaty stews dominate Bosnian home cooking – don’t miss trying all kinds of dolmas: peppers, tomatoes, onions, are all stuffed and cooked in a delicious sauce, often served with mashed potato. The favorite barbecue staple are ćevapi (small, minced-meat kebabs) served in a fabulously soft lepinja (pita bread) in portions of five or ten. Do not miss the burek (filo pastry filled with meat) and pita (filo pastry with cheese, potato or spinach). Step into a buregdžinica (small eateries where burek and pita are sold) and order a yogurt alongside your burek and pita. Local dessert favorites are baklava, tufahije (baked apples stuffed with walnut paste and topped with whipped cream), and hurmašice (syrup-soaked sponge fingers), all found in a good slastičarna (cake shop).

Local tip: Mostar’s best spot for real Bosnian food is Konoba Taurus, with a terrace next to the Crooked Bridge. Chef Amnerisa cooks traditional food and Dalmatian specialities.

6. Watch Mostar’s summer diving competitions 

In summer, young men leap from the parapet of Stari Most in a tradition dating back centuries, plummeting more than 20m into the freezing cold Neretva. If you want to see professionals competing for who can hurl themselves off the bridge best, watch the annual diving competition if you’re here in late July. Part of the World Series and taking place in early September, the Red Bull Cliff Diving competition has international competitors plunge from a special tower erected at the center of Stari Most in front of an audience of thousands.

Detour: Adrenaline seekers will enjoy Zip Line Fortica, run by Mostar's mountain-biking club. It's Bosnia's longest zipline (570m) and the views are sublime. If ziplines are too much excitement for you, the nearby "skywalk" – a glass-floored 35m walkway – is a more accessible thrill (though with a touch of vertigo). Popular with locals and selfie-takers, you'll be rewarded with incredible views of the valley of Mostar and Neretva Canyon.

7. See Mostar’s unique Partisan Memorial Cemetery

Although sadly neglected and badly vandalized, one of Mostar’s most spectacular structures is the Partisan Memorial Cemetery, a 20-minute walk from the Old Town. A truly unique space, fans of 20th-century socialist architecture should seek out this memorial complex, designed by leading Yugoslav-era architect Bogdan Bogdanović and completed in 1965. Paths wind up past a broken bridge, a no-longer-functioning water feature and cosmological symbols to the upper section made of stone, which contains the gravestones of 810 Mostar Partisans who died fighting fascism during WWII. Many locals have campaigned for the monument’s restoration, but the local authorities have yet to respond to these pleas.

Planning tip: If you’re walking around Mostar in the hot summer months, make sure you take some water with you, and a hat and some sunscreen – the Partisan Memorial Cemetery has little shade.

8. Have lunch on the river in pretty Blagaj 

Located on the source of the turquoise Buna River, having lunch in one of Blagaj’s several enticing restaurants and Ottoman-era homesteads is a total treat. Blagaj is tiny but it’s easy to spend a few hours here eating, drinking coffee and relaxing. Its signature attraction is Blagaj Tekke, known locally as Blagajska tekija, a complex of traditional stone-roofed buildings and a pretty half-timbered dervish house. In summer you can take a five-minute boat ride pulled along on a rope, into the Buna Cave from a landing directly opposite the tekke, where you will find the spring of the Buna – you can drink directly from the water beneath you.

Detour: High above Blagaj and only accessible on foot are the hefty ruins of Stjepan Grad, a powerful medieval fortress. A garrison was stationed here until 1835, when it was abandoned. Allow an hour for the walk up and wear sturdy shoes.

9. Visit the castle town of Stolac and see mysterious medieval tombstones

Stolac is one of Hercegovina's prettiest castle towns. Though it suffered from serious conflict in 1993, the displaced population has long since returned and the town's greatest historical buildings have been painstakingly reconstructed. Take a walk and see the Ottoman gems in the Čaršija area and mill races on the Bregava River, where you can swim. Some 3km from Stolac are two sets of classic stećci (grave-carvings) collections, listed as World Heritage Sites. These tombstones stem back to the country’s medieval past and its slightly mysterious Bosnian Church. The famous Radimlja Necropolis has a group of around 110 of these intricately carved white stone blocks.

Detour: While less celebrated than the stećci at Radimlja, the 270 Boljuni Stećci – arranged in two groups under venerable oak trees – have a much more atmospheric setting and feature the cross-shaped tombstone of warrior-hero Vladko Vuković. Boljuni is 12km from Stolac, 4.2km off the Stolac–Neum road, which is a narrow, rural delight passing through several timeless villages.

10. Take a refreshing dip at the stunning Kravica Waterfall 

Kravica Waterfall is bound to leave you in awe of the natural world. Less can be said of the crowds that gather here mid-summer and the restaurant/cafe combo that covers most of the banks, but even the busy summer days can't take away from how outstanding it is to witness the Trebižat River plummeting in a broad 25m-high arc into an emerald pool. In spring, the waterfall pounds itself into a dramatic, steamy fury. In summer it's a more gentle cascade, but the basin offers an idyllic respite from the sweltering heat for hundreds of locals and tourists.

Detour: The Trebižat River is 51km long and is the country's second-largest losing (sinking) river. The clear water takes on the most incredible shades of blue and green. Join the locals at the nearby summer swimming holes, like Kupalište Božjak and Kupalište BILILO, where loungers can be hired from one of the unremarkable restaurants on the banks. 

11. Climb up to the medieval fortress village of Počitelj 

Sitting on the road between Mostar and the Adriatic coast, Počitelj is one of the smallest and most beautiful spots in the country. Cupped in a steep rocky amphitheater, it's a warren of stairways climbing between ramshackle stone-roofed houses and pomegranate bushes. Spend an hour wandering around this lovely little hillside village and take in the views of the Neretva and the surrounding valley from the top. 

Local tip: Walk up to the 16m-tall Ottoman clock tower, while further up the hill is a partly ruined fortress, capped by the octagonal Gavrakapetan Tower, which you can climb. The best panoramas are from the uppermost rampart bastions.

12. Swim, boat or stroll in beautiful Jajce 

Jajce is a historical gem, with a highly evocative walled Old Town clinging to a steep rocky knoll with rivers on two sides. The Pliva River tumbles into the Vrbas River by way of an impressive 21m-high Jajce waterfall right at the very foot of the town walls. Immediately to the west, the Pliva is dammed to form two pretty lakes that are popular with swimmers, strollers, bikers and boaters. These two idyllic lakes, west of Jajce, reflect the surrounding wooded mountains in their clear waters and are popular for boating and simply strolling or cycling around. At the bottom of the lower, smaller lake, boardwalks cross a pretty set of rivulets spilling into a dam basin, which is a popular swimming spot.

Detour: The nearby Jajce Fortress ruins have a powerful aspect when seen from afar, but inside it's mostly bald grass. Still, it’s worth wandering around the ramparts, which offer sweeping views of the valleys and crags that surround the urban sprawl. 

13. Raft on the lush Una River and visit Ostrožac Fortress

The adorable Una River goes through widely varying moods. In the green gorges to the northeast, some sections are as calm as mirrored opal, while others gush over widely fanned rafting rapids. If you love rafting, this is the place – the river rapids are an absolute delight, and although the summer temperatures make the waters super refreshing, the best months for white water are April and May, after the spring melts.

Detour: While you're here, don't miss Ostrožac Fortress, one of Bosnia's most photogenic castles, a spooky Gothic place high above the Una Valley. There's plenty to explore, ramparts to walk, towers to climb and a manor house on the verge of collapse.

14. Relax in Trebinje

Only around half an hour from Dubrovnik, Trebinje’s tiny walled Old Town is a lovely spot for a relaxed lunch or coffee stop on your way to or from the coast. Its central Trg Slobode (Freedom Sq) has chestnut trees, poplars and stone-flagged pavements, old stone buildings with wrought-iron overhangs, and appealing street cafes. The Trebišnjica River is slow and shallow as it passes through, its banks lined with swimming spots and replica waterwheels, while mountains provide a sunbaked backdrop.

Detour: Offering phenomenal views, the nearby Hercegovačka Gračanica is a hilltop complex comprising a bell tower, gallery, cafe-bar and a bishop's palace; most notable is the compact but eye-catching Presveta Bogorodica (Annunciation) Church.