99 bosnia & hercegovina - lonely...
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BO
SNIA
& H
ERCEG
OV
INA
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
BO
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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
100