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Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH) describes itself as the ‘heart-shaped land’. Geographically the allusion is surprisingly anatomically accurate. Emotionally too, the deep yet unimposing human warmth of this craggily beautiful land fits the bill. And despite some lingering scars, the heartbreaking societal haemorrhaging of the 1990s has been completely stemmed (if not forgotten). The BiH of today has regained its once-famed religious tolerance. Rebuilt churches, mosques and synagogues huddle closely, rekindling that intriguing East-meets-West at-mosphere born of Bosnia’s fascinatingly blended Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian histories.

Socialist urban planning and war damage still combine to give certain post-industrial city-scapes all the charm of a Molvanian nightmare. But such scenes are surprisingly rare blots on a beautiful, largely rural landscape. Meanwhile the reincarnated Austro-Ottoman centres of Sarajevo and especially Mostar are unexpected delights. And the majority of Bosnian towns are lovably small, wrapped around medieval castles and surrounded by mountain ridges, verdant hills or merrily cascading river canyons. Few places in Europe offer better rafting or such accessible and excellent-value skiing.

Fashionable bars and wi-fi-equipped cafes abound but employment concerns remain as the fledgling state finally comes to terms with postcommunist realities that were masked for years by more pressing war worries. Roads remain slow and winding but they’re extremely scenic, mostly well surfaced and relatively quiet, making for delightful random adventures, especially if you’re driving. Indeed, however you travel, BiH offers a great sense of discovery, of real personal interaction and of very fair value for money that’s all too rare in the heart of 21st-century Europe.

Bosnia & Hercegovina

FAST FACTS

Area 51,129 sq km

Capital Sarajevo

Currency convertible mark (KM, BAM); €1 = 1.96KM; US$1= 1.43KM; UK£1 = 2.08KM; A$1 = 0.99KM; ¥100 = 1.50KM; NZ$1 = 0.80KM

Famous for 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, the bridge at Mostar

Official languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Phrases zdravo (hello); hvala (thanks); molim (please)

Population 4 million (estimate)

Telephone codes country code %387; international access code %00

Visas not required for most visitors, see p138

© Lonely Planet Publications99

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A B O S N I A & H E R C E G O V I N A • • H i g h l i g h t s l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

HIGHLIGHTS Nose about Mostar’s delightful Old Town

seeking ever-new angles from which to photograph young men throwing them-selves off the magnificently rebuilt Stari Most (Old Bridge; p122 ).

Explore waterfall-fronted Jajce ( p131 ), one of BiH’s most appealing fortress towns, which hides some compelling historical curiosities and makes an ideal base for visiting the stunning mountain lakes nearby.

Raft dramatic canyons down one of BiH’s fast-flowing rivers – whether from Foča ( p129 ), Bihać ( p134 ) or Banja Luka ( p133 ) – or even start with a quad-bike ‘safari’ through the wild upland vil-

lages behind the ski resort of Bjelašnica ( p119 ).

Potter around the timeless Turkish- and Austrian-era pedestrian lanes of Sarajevo ( p106 ), sample its fashionable cafes and eclectic nightlife or gaze down on the mosque-dotted, red-roofed cityscape from the Park Prinčeva restaurant.

ITINERARIES Six days Arriving from Dubrovnik (coastal

Croatia), roam Mostar’s Old Town and join a day-tour visiting Počitelj, Blagaj and Kravice Waterfalls. After two days in Sarajevo head for Jajce then bus down to Split (Croatia). Or visit Višegrad en route to Mokra Gora and Belgrade (Serbia).

Glavatiøevo

RadimljaNecropolis

Batrovci

Trbusnica

Ljubovija

Kotroman

Gorica-VinjaniDonji Tara

Canyon

Š™epan

BronzaniMajdan

Slavi™kaOmarska

Lamovita

Podmiladøje

Jahorina(1913m)Bjelašnica

(2067m)

BobotovKuk

(2523m)

Šolka

Braø

Hvar

Korøula

Mt Magliø(2387m)

Hutovo BlatoWetlands

Mljet NP

PlitviceLakes

NationalPark

KozaraNational

Park

Durmitor National

Park

Bijambarsk Caves

Visoko

Tito'sCave

Vlašiø

Øitluk

Jajce

Bugojno

Kupres

Jablanica

Poøitelj

BlagajMe‹ugorje

Neum

Ploøe

Pale Višegrad

Orašje

Vodice

Primošten

SolinImotski

Makarska

Brela

Omiš

Supetar

Bol

Stari GradHvar

Vis

Vela LukaKorøula

Orebi™

Sobra

Cavtat

Kotor

Gracac

Vel Kladuša

Otok

NovskaHrvatskaKostajnica

BosanskaDubica

Davor

Mrkonjic-Grad

Kljuø

BosanskiPetrovac

Bosansko Grahovo

Glamoø

KotorVaroš

Vareš

Banovi™i

Kladanj

Modriøa

Drvar

Sanski Most

Tomina

Maglaj

Fojnica

Tomislav Grad

Šuica

Letka

PosušjeŠirokiBrijeg

Nevesinje

Stolac

Bile™a

Olovo

Ivanica

Rogatica

Š™epan Polje

Sitnica

BosnanskaRaøa

Ður‹evicaTara

Æabljak

Mojkovac

ErdevikŠvarmac

Srebrenik

Gradaøac

Tešanj

BosanskaKostajnica

Cazin

OtokaBosanska

Novi Grad(Bosanski Novi)

Kostela

Klokot

OrlijaniGolubi™

Sokolac

ŠtrcaøkiBuk

Kulen-Vakuf

Jezero

Švipovo

Podrašnica

Karanovac

Krupa

Prusac Lisac

DonjiVakuf

RostovoSte™ci

Vranduk

Bratunac

MokraGora

RudaUstipraøa

River

Tjentište

Zavala

Ravno KoteziLjubinje

DaorsonArchaeologicalPark

Ljubuški

Umoljani

KraljevaSutjeska

Gunja

MtVeleÅ

Smajki™i(PodveleÅ)

Bara™i Pogar

Lukomir

Kozarac

Trebinje

HercegNovi

Pljevlja

Metkovi™

NovaGradiška

DakovoBaøka

Palanka

Prijedor

Sinj

Derventa

Loznica

Sabac

Zvornik

Priboj

BosanskaKrupa

ŠidÆupanjaBosanska

Gradiška

GoraÅde

Foøa

Konjic

Vlasenica

Srebrenica

Gacko

Knin

Livno

Æepøe

IlidÅa

Strizivojna-Vrpolje

Šabi™i

Mostar

Zenica

Tuzla

Cetinje

Nikši™

Dubrovnik

VinkovciVukovar

Biha™

Šibenik

Doboj

Brøko

Bijeljina

Travnik

SremskaMitrovica

KakanjBobovac

Split

Banja Luka

Podgorica

SlavonskiBrod

Sarajevo

Kravice Waterfalls

GomionicaMonastery

SrebrenikCastle

Eko-Centar

ZelenkovacEco-village

Dobrun

TvrdošMonastery

Øapljina

Sutjeska National

Park

GuøaGora

ADRIATIC SEA

BOSNIA &HERCEGOVINA

SERBIA

MONTENEGRO

CROATIA

CROATIA

ALBANIA

CROATIA

OstraÅac

PlivaLakes

Tara

Lonja

Kanal

Tolisa

Luko

vacSpreca

Cotina

Trebišnjica

Una

River

River

River

Riv

er

Sava

Vrba

s

Bos

na

Drina

River

Nere tva

River

Riv

erSa

na

River

River

M17

M17

E73

E761

E761

E661

E661

M17

M19.3

M18

NoviTravnik

M20

M6

BOSNIA & HERCEGOVINA 0 80 km0 40 miles

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