A common misconception that people have of Bosnia & Herzegovina is that it’s not safe for tourists. They associate the country with war and political unrest. This is not surprising given there was on-going violence till as recent as 1995. However, times have drastically changed. Bosnia is in recovery. They are rebuilding themselves. The country and its people are still scarred from the devastation, but, violence is a thing of the past.
From the 37 countries we have visited, Bosnia is, dare I say, our favourite country. Bosnians are by far the kindest people we’ve met. It is truly a hidden gem in Europe. Keep on reading to find out why you should visit this spectacular Eastern European country.
Why you should visit Bosnia
These are some of the reasons why we think you should visit Bosnia. By no means is this an exhaustive list of reasons. I could write for days and not run out of nice things to say about Bosnia.
1. Bosnia is safe for tourists
Just to give you some perspective, we visited the main tourist destinations including Mostar, Sarajevo, Konjic, Pocitel, Kravice, Jablanica and Jajce. Not once did we feel unsafe during our 4 days in Bosnia. It was quite the opposite, really. We felt so welcome!
Like any other place you visit, be vary of your belongings, as there may be pickpocketers. However, the level of crime against foreigners is generally low. Check reviews of the hotels before you book accommodation. Stay in a tourist-friendly location. These are things we would look for, regardless of where we visit.
The one caveat would be to watch out for unexploded landmines. Don’t freak out just yet. They are only a real danger in isolated areas in the mountains and countryside. As long as you stick to that, you should be fine.
2. Bosnians are very hospitable
Bosnians are very welcoming of tourists. They invite you to their homes and offer you drinks and wafers! They are happy to share the history of their country. Bosnians are honestly so kind. Here are a few of our encounters:
- We met a Bosnian couple (living in Germany) at a restaurant (I asked the girl how to drink Bosnian coffee) who showed us around their hometown. They insisted on even paying for our coffee which was just so kind! We’re still friends and hoping to make another visit to Bosnia to see them.
- An old, sweet grandpa invited us to his small house for drinks. He saw us at the lake near his house and insisted we come in for a drink. He didn’t speak a word of English but continued talking to us.
- We met Denis at his café Bastan. He told us beautiful (and also tragic) stories about Bosnia. We wrote a post about it here.
- Our B&B owners gifted us a jar of home-made honey on our last day. We’ve never experienced something like this from anywhere else!
- On one of our drives around Bosnia, we stopped by a small jetty where we saw an old man and (we later found out) his 100-year-old mom fishing. Again, they didn’t speak a word of English but tried their best to have a conversation with us. They invited us to their lovely home by the lake and offered us drinks and food. They even invited us back to stay at their place next time we visited Bosnia. At least, I think that’s what he said! I’m 99.99% sure. 😀
3. Bosnia’s beauty
From the turquoise lakes to endless waterfalls, from picturesque mountains to lush parks, Bosnia is blessed with spectacular nature. We couldn’t get enough of what we saw and kept stopping every few minutes to take a picture.
The old towns and historic buildings of Bosnia are only an added bonus. I’ll be honest, seeing the bullet holes in the walls of buildings did break my heart. How could humanity be so evil? The country is still recovering from their dark days. You could contribute to their development by visiting! 😉
4. Bosnia is so affordable!
Everything in Bosnia is so cheap, much like most other countries in Eastern Europe. You get so much more bang for your buck in this part of the continent.
Hope we’ve given you enough reasons to book your next flight to Bosnia! We loved our stay and felt Bosnia is definitely safe for tourists. Visit their official tourism page for more information.
Happy travels,
Amana