About Bosnia & Herzegovina

A compact country of mountain landscapes, river canyons, layered history, and living cultural traditions. Everything here is based on verifiable references (see “Sources” tab).

Population (2024): 3,164,253 Fixed peg: 1 EUR = 1.95583 BAM Sevdalinka: UNESCO ICH (inscribed 2024)
Capital

Sarajevo

Host city of the 1984 Winter Olympics (Sarajevo ’84).

Coastline

~20 km (Neum)

Bosnia & Herzegovina’s access to the Adriatic Sea.

UNESCO highlight

Old Bridge Area, Mostar

UNESCO World Heritage listing (property #946).

Official currency

Convertible Mark (BAM / KM)

Currency board arrangement with a fixed EUR peg.

Where it is

  • Located in Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula.
  • Short Adriatic coastline at Neum (~20 km).
  • Mountain ranges are part of the wider Dinaric Alps system.

How long can you stay

For visa-exempt visitors, official guidance states: up to 90 days within a 180-day period (see the Ministry of Security reference in Sources).

Languages you’ll hear
Official usage includes Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. In practice, they are mutually intelligible to a high degree, with differences in standardization and script use.
Why Sarajevo is globally known
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics and is home to the Sarajevo Film Festival (initiated in 1995).

First-time highlights

Concise snapshots (facts + what most visitors do there).

Sarajevo

Capital

Historic crossroads city; host of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Major cultural event: Sarajevo Film Festival (initiated 1995).

Good for: old town walks, museums, café culture, nearby mountains.

Mostar & Old Bridge Area

UNESCO

UNESCO World Heritage property: Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar (listing #946).

Good for: river views, old town, and the bridge’s engineering legacy.

Neum

Adriatic

Bosnia & Herzegovina’s seaside town on a ~20 km coastline — the country’s access to the Adriatic Sea.

Good for: a short coastal break and calm bay swimming.

Sevdalinka (intangible heritage)

Sevdalinka, a traditional urban folk song genre, was inscribed in 2024 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Film & contemporary culture

The Sarajevo Film Festival was initiated in 1995 (official festival history is linked in Sources). Today, it is among the most prominent cultural events in Southeast Europe.

Everyday culture (quick read)
Coffee culture is strong and social. Regional traditions vary, but the overall cultural profile reflects layered influences across centuries, visible in music, crafts, and urban architecture—especially in Sarajevo and Mostar.

Entry & stay (official)

  • Visa-exempt visitors: up to 90 days within a 180-day period (official government guidance linked in Sources).
  • Always check requirements for your passport before travel (rules can differ by nationality).

Outdoor safety (official advice)

  • Official travel guidance notes the risk of landmines/unexploded ordnance in some remote areas from the 1992–1995 war.
  • Stick to marked trails and avoid stepping off paths in rural/forested zones.
Money tips (ground truth)
Currency: Convertible Mark (BAM / KM). The Central Bank confirms the official fixed rate: 1 EUR = 1.95583 KM. This is why prices often convert cleanly from euros.

Sources (click to verify)

These references support the key facts used above.

If you want, I can add a Bosnae-style “Explore next” strip that links to your own categories (History / Nature / Culture / Tradition) without changing the verified facts.