Međugorje

village in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Teslic

а health spa resort with the biggest tourist capacity in the country

Tuzla

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Neum

the only coastal town, with sandy beaches backed by steep hills

Mostar

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Banja Luka

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo

capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Republika Srpska

political entity of the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Doboj

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Srebrenica

town in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Travnik

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Goražde

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Foča

town in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Konjic

town in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Livno

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Višegrad

town in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sanski Most

city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mrkonjić Grad

town

Drvar

place in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stari Most

bridge in Mostar over the river Neretva

Bosanska Krupa

place in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo National Theatre

The National Theater has a regular programme of theatre, concerts and opera. It was built in 1899 as a "Gentlemen's Club" by Czech architect Karel Pařík, who contributed to over 160 buildings in and around Sarajevo.

Vlasenica

city

Kupres

in Canton 10, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ribnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina

municipality of Republika Srpska

National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Static displays of the natural and human history of Bosnia and Herzegovina - including an exhibition of traditional Turkish-style homes of Sarajevo prevalent in the nineteenth century, an extensive collection of insects and stuffed mammals and a large geology section with samples from around the world and a number of meteorites. The newly reopened museum also offers access to the botanical garden in the middle of the four main buildings: (1) archaeology from the Roman period up to the ninenteeth century, (2) Library, (3) Ethnology and (4) Natural sciences.

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge

historic bridge in Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sutjeska National Park

national park

Šipovo

human settlement

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

Beautiful medieval mosque at the heart of Old Town. Non-Muslims welcome, but dress appropriately and respect prayer times. It was built in 1530 / 1531 AD (937 AH) in what's called "classical Ottoman" or "early Istanbul" style. It was badly damaged in the 1990s wars, being targeted by the besiegers, but restored and re-opened in 2002.

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sarajevo

The largest Christian cathedral in Bosnia, and the seat of Archbishop of Vrhbosna. It was built in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a neo-gothic style with Romanesque Revival elements, and modeled after the Notre-Dame of Dijon. Construction of the cathedral began on 25 August 1884, under Austro-Hungarian reign, was carried out by the Viennese contractor Baron Karl Schwarz, and supervised by architect Josip Vancaš. The cathedral was the scene of peace demonstrations in fall 1991 before the Bosnian War broke out, and subsequently damaged during the Siege of Sarajevo. The design above the door to the entrance is part of the flag and seal of the Sarajevo administrative canton and the Romanesque towers are featured on the flag and coat of arms of Sarajevo, making the building a symbol of the city. The niche above the portal features an octagonal rosette and a statue of the Sacred Heart. The interior of the cathedral was designed by architect Josip Vancaš, including the main altar which is made from Grisignano marble and rests on four columns of red Tyrolean marble. The frescoes were commissioned to Alexander Maximilian Seitz in 1886 but due to deteriorating health, they were only completed in 1887, and he died a year afterwards. Most of the actual work was undertaken by his assistant Alberto Rohden. A prominent feature is the grave of archbishop Stadler, the first archbishop of Vrhbosna, and the sculpture is of the hand of Marin Studin. The stained-glass windows ornamenting the cathedral were manufactured by the Viennese workshop of the Tiroler Glasmalerei (German for glass painting artisan). An English mass is held on Sundays at 12:00. For candles, ask the information desk at the entrance (1 KM each).

Koševo City Stadium

stadium at Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo Synagogue

The Old then the New Temples were for the Sephardic congregation, so the Ashkenazi synagogue (nowadays the only functioning synagogue in Sarajevo) was built for that community in 1902, designed by Karl Pařík in Moorish revival style. It escaped Nazi destruction and features large arches with painted decorations and a ornate ceiling highlighted by a ten-pointed star. A stone menorah at the entrance commemorates the 400-year anniversary of Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tours are available in English on request.

Banski Dvor

house of culture in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Hercegovina, formerly a government building (Palace of the Ban)

Una National Park

national park in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo Tunnel

Sarajevo was besieged and bombarded from 1992, and by 1993 the blockade was total. Serb forces seized the airport, but handed it over to UN peacekeeping forces to avert international intervention. The UN used the airport to bring in humanitarian aid, but wouldn't allow any military support to the city's defenders, and they severed the city from Bosnian-controlled areas to the south. A secret tunnel was therefore dug between Dobrinja just north of the airport to Butmir just south: 340 m of true tunnel, plus covered trenches either side, totalling over 800 m. It enabled arms, munitions, oil and food to be brought into the city, and served as an evacuation route for officials and civilians. Later it was equipped with rail tracks, an oil pipe and electricity and telecoms cables. A museum has been built over the Butmir entrance, with 20 m of tunnel accessible to visitors, plus displays on the siege. City tours often include this museum.

Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The museum was founded 70 years ago, but heavily damaged by shelling during the war and still in a perpetual state of disrepair. The exhibitions primarily focus on the war, but the presentation of the artifacts is outdated, and the museum lacks content overall. Some of the displays are worth a visit, at least if you are able to cope with the graphic pictures. The 11/7/95 Gallery and War Childhood Museum offer similar content for a much better value.

Saint Joseph's Church, Sarajevo

Roman Catholic church with 3 bells designed by Karel Pařík in a Romanesque Revival style, funded by Pope Pius XI. Construction began in 1936 and the building was consecrated in 1940, during the early months of the Second World War. The triple aisled basilica is built on top of a sanctuary with a crypt containing the tomb of Archbishop Ivan Šarić. The high altar of St. Joseph and the terracotta Stations of the Cross were gifted by Pope Pius XII. There are a total of 15 tombs in the walls of the church, hand carved by sculptor Franjo Rebhan. The stained glass windows were designed by Ivan Marinkocić, but destroyed at the end of the war in 1945, and subsequently restored. It was damaged again during the 1992-95 Bosnian civil war, restored in the early 2000s, and classified as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Old Jewish Cemetery, Sarajevo

The cemetery lies on the slopes of Trebević mountain in the Kovačići district of southern Sarajevo. It is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in South-East Europe, and in use from 1630 until 1966. It was established by Sephardic Jews during the Ottoman period, and also became the burial ground for Ashkenazi Jews after they arrived in Sarajevo in the late 19th century. It contains over 3850 tombstones and stecci, as well as four monuments dedicated to the victims of fascism. It began as a medieval necropolis of stecak tombstones, as still exist in Jablanica and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Sephardi of Sarajevo created tombstones with a unique morphology, of which the symbolic motifs are not found on any other Jewish monuments elsewhere in the world. The cemetery was the front line during the Bosnian War, and was used as artillery position by the Bosnian Serbs. Several tombstones were severely damaged by bullets and explosions. It was also heavily mined, but completely cleared in 1996. In 2004, the cemetery was declared as National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Blagaj

human settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Glavatičevo

village in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Church of the Holy Transfiguration, Sarajevo

Orthodox church designed by Alexander Deroko and built in 1940 in Byzantine Revival style. It was originally planned to be built in Split, owning its resemblance to similar buildings along the Adriatic coast, but eventually constructed in Sarajevo instead and consecrated by Serbian patriarch Gravillo V. It is the primary place of worship for the 50,000 Orthodox Christians in the region. The church has been the target of numerous attacks throughout its history. It was heavily damaged during the 1992-95 Siege of Sarajevo but renovated in 2003. Reworking of the valuable frescoes began in 2004. In 2016, the church was set on fire by pyromaniacs, without injuries. It was targeted by looters again in the same year, and 2 rare icons were stolen.

Ars Aevi

Museum for contemporary art, formed during the war as a "resistance of culture". It has 130 works by notable artists such as Italian painter and art theorist Michelangelo Pistoletto, Greek artist Jannis Kounellis, German performance artist and sculptor Joseph Beuys, and US conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth. Tatty concrete building, they hope for a new museum building by Renzo Piano someday.

Stadion Grbavica

This is the home ground (capacity 16,000) of FK Željezničar Sarajevo, who likewise play in the top tier Liga 12.

Ali Pasha Mosque (Sarajevo)

The mosque was constructed during 1560–61 as a vakıf (legacy or perpetual endowment) of Sofu Hadım Ali Pasha, the Ottoman former governor of the Bosnia Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire, after his death in September 1560. It was built according to the classical Istanbul architectural style. The dome covers the prayer area and three small domes cover the cloister. Because of its noble proportions it stands at the top of the scale of all sub-dome mosques that have been constructed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the framework of the complex there is a domed burial site (turbe) with two sarcophagus of Avdo Sumbul (d.1915) and Behdžet Mutevelić (d.1915), Gajret activists who died in the dungeons of Arad. The mosque was heavily damaged by Serbian forces during the conflict of the early 1990s, especially the dome. The most recent renovation of the mosque occurred in 2004 and in January 2005, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments issued a decision to add the Ali Pasha Mosque to the list of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Vijećnica

Iconic pseudo-Moorish revival style building in Sarajevo, constructed between 1892 and 1894 under Austro-Hungarian occupation of the city. It was designed in 1891 by Czech architect Karel Pařík, but after disagreements with the ministry, it was Alexander Wittek who continued work on the project from 1892 to 1893 until he fell ill and died in Graz in 1894. The work was completed in 1894 by Ćiril Iveković, at a total cost of 984,000 crowns. The city hall was formally commissioned in 1896 by the City Authority which occupied the building until 1949, after it became the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 25 August 1992, the building was set ablaze by Serbian shelling at the beginning of the Siege of Sarajevo, causing its complete destruction. Most of the 1.5 million volumes in the library's collection, of which 155,000 rare books and manuscripts were lost in the fire, despite civilian efforts to save them. Vijećnica was restored between 1996 and 2013 with financial aid from Austria, the European Commission and the city of Barcelona, at a total cost of 25 million KM. It is now a national monument, reopened since 2014, and designated as a cultural building for protocol events, concerts and exhibitions.

Martin Brod

human settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, Sarajevo

Roman Catholic church in Gothic Revival style, built 1912-14 on the site of previous versions. The current interior dates from 1960s, with works by leading 20th C artists including Meštrović. The church serves the adjacent monastery.

Baščaršija

old market part of Sarajevo

Skakavac, Sarajevo

Waterfall located 12 km north of Sarajevo, above the Nahorevo Village. With its 98 m in height, it is the second tallest waterfall in Europe, after the Vinnufossen waterfall in Sunndal, Norway. Located in an area of exceptional natural beauty, surrounded by lush forests of spruce, beech, and fir forests, the waterfall is worth a day trip is weather allows it. A wooden pedestrian bridge takes visitors under the waterfall.

Tjentište

village in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo Music Academy

Eminent guitar players lead concerts, workshops and competitions. Dates for 2020 are not yet confirmed.

Šeher-Ćehaja Bridge

Built in 1585/1586 and survived major damage from flooding in 1619, 1629, 1843 and 1880, but was repaired each time. When the Miljacka River was dammed in 1897 to regulate the water flow, the riverbed was altered and one of the original 5 arches of the bridge on the left bank was buried, a subtle change that can still be seen by observers with a keen eye. According to the legend, the city's vizier Hadzi Husein had ordered to erect the bridge and embed a diamond in one of its pillars to finance future repairs. One night the diamond disappeared, and a poor young man confessed to have stolen it as a gift to a girl he fell in love with. Swayed by the love between the two and the return of the diamond, the man was released from prison, but the diamond was never embedded back into the bridge. In 2005, the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments declared the bridge a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Radimlja

stećak necropolis near Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo Clock Tower

The clock tower, at 30 metres, is the tallest in all of Bosnia, and dates back to the 17th century when it was constructed by Gazi Husrev-beg next to the mosque that also bears his name. The tower has a staircase with 76 wooden steps arranged in a square, and displays the time on all 4 sides. When Eugene Savoy of the Austrian army laid siege on the city in 1697 and looted it, the tower was set on fire, but restored in 1762. After the Austro-Hungarian occupation, the upper part of the tower was upgraded, and the decaying Turkish clock mechanism was replaced by a new one from Gillet & Johnston, made in London in 1873. The original clock mechanism was moved to the Vratnik mosque where it remains on display until today. The last upgrade dates from 1967, when the dials were gold-plated. A peculiarity of the clock tower is that it appears to be the only remaining clock tower in the world that displays the lunar clock (a la turca, lunar reckoning). This method of measuring time counts hours up till the moment of (astronomical) sunset instead of midnight, as with contemporary time calculation, so the hands are in the 12 o'clock position at every sunset, when a new day also begins. Since the setting of the sun is uneven throughout the year, the time needs to be manually controlled and recalibrated every 2 to 3 days. The task of recalibrating the clock was assigned to the muvekit (timekeeper), who used astronomical instruments in a special room called the muvekithana to calculate the position of the sun. The current muvekit, Mensur Zlatar, who works at a nearby jewellery shop, has been assigned the responsibility since 1960s. The exact timing of the sunset used to be an important moment for locals to schedule their time of prayer, but the original religious purpose behind the lunar time has long since had its meaning forgotten, causing many to think that the clock is simply bad at proper time keeping. In 2006, the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments proclaimed the clock tower as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The tower cannot be visited, but it is possible to stand at its base by following the tunnel leading to Pekara Imaret right next to the tower.

Roman bridge on Ilidža

Crossing the Bosna River at the historic Western entrance into the city. It is the only preserved stone bridge over the Bosna River, and considered one of the most authentic Ottoman bridges in the country. It was built out of carved stone between 1530 and 1550 using lime mortar and stones from ancient neolithic, Illyrian and Roman settlements in the bridge's vicinity, most importantly the Roman village Aquae Sulphurae (Latin for sulfur waters) which served as the region's cultural and administrative center. Numerous archaeological artifacts from that period (jewelry, coins, ceramics etc.) from the Roman period have been found around the bridge. Some of the stone tiles (kaldrma) have shallow engravings of Roman origin, from which the bridge derived its name.

Vrelo Bosne

The beginning of the river Bosna, where the pure and ice cold water surges out of the mountains. Here you can walk in large, well-kept park, picnic, and spend the whole day without getting bored. May 1 festival is held here.

Sanica

human settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina

National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Established in 1946 after the Second World War, the National Gallery contains over 6000 pieces of art, with a focus on works of Bosnian interest. Interestingly, the gallery remained open and held exhibitions during the Siege of Sarajevo. It was closed in 2011 and reopened to the public in 2012. The permanent exhibition, Intimacies of Space, highlights Bosnian life from all angles.

Museum of Sarajevo 1878–1918

The museum is dedicated to the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Sarajevo, which started with the Berlin Congress in 1878 and ended with World War I in 1918. The exhibition portrays life in the Austro-Hungarian era from different perspectives and themes, including the resistance against the occupation, lifestyle, culture, religion, industry and architecture. The time line ends with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in front of the building. In the museums collection are numerous artifacts and photographs, along with wax statues of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie.

Šargan Eight

Festina lente (bridge)

A 38 m long pedestrian bridge over the Miljacka, opened in 2012, with an unusual loop in the middle. Seats in the loop invite travellers to sit down, enjoy the view and "make haste slowly."

Morića Han

The only preserved Ottoman Inn (han literally means roadside inn) in Sarajevo, built in 1551, under the benevolence of Gazi Husrev-Beg's endowment (vakuf). It served as a caravanserai, able to accommodate up to 300 guests, 70 horses, and offered 43 rooms where travelers could spend the night. On 29 July 1878, the inn became the scene of the protest movement against the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia, and the People's Council (Narodni Odbor) was founded here. The building was damaged or destroyed by fires numerous times and rebuilt each time, notably in 1697 and most recently in December 1957 when the entire complex was burnt to the ground. Reconstruction took place from 1971 to 1974, and Persian calligraphic inscriptions from poems written by Omar Khayyám, a 12th-century Persian poet, were added as decorations. The property ownership to the inn was returned to the Gazi Husrev-Beg endowment in 1998, and houses a carpet shop and traditional restaurant, occasionally hosts exhibitions, and offers business space for purposes that match the historical context and purpose of the building. Stairs on either side of the inner patio allow visitors to reach the first floor with the rooms.

Sniper Alley

Sniper Alley was the informal name primarily for streets Zmaja od Bosne Street (Dragon of Bosnia Street) and Meša Selimović Boulevard, the main boulevard in Sarajevo which during the Bosnian War was lined with snipers' posts, and became infamous as a dangerous place for civilians to traverse. The road connects the industrial part of the city (and further on, Sarajevo Airport) to the Old Town's cultural and historic sites. The boulevard itself has many high-rise buildings giving sniper shooters extensive fields of fire. Signs reading "Pazi – Snajper!" ("Watch out – Sniper!") became common. People would either run fast across the street or would wait for United Nations armored vehicles and walk behind them, using them as shields. According to data gathered in 1995, the snipers wounded 1,030 people and killed 225 — 60 of whom were children.

Eternal flame (Sarajevo)

Memorial site designed by architect Juraj Neidhardt, honoring the victims of World War II with an eternal flame and inscription. The memorial was dedicated on 6 April 1946, the first anniversary of the liberation of Sarajevo from the four-year-long occupation by Nazi Germany and the fascist Independent State of Croatia.