Whole day excursion to Foca (former caravanserai on trade route to Dubrovnik ) where we can see the remains of the old centre. We continue via a wild landscape of gorges and torrents to Visegrad to cross on foot Sinans 16 th Century Bridge over Rivere Drina. Lunch in the local restaurant. Also the art gallery and a recreation of a schoolroom from Adriatic day.
Višegrad is a town and municipality in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina resting on the Drina River and in the Republika Srpska entity. The town includes the Ottoman-era Mehmed Paša Sokolovic Bridge, an UNESCO world heritage site which was popularized by Nobel prize winning author Ivo Andric in his novel The Bridge on the Drina. During the Bosnian War the town was one of the scenes of ethnic cleansing and massacres carried out by Bosnian Serb forces against Bosniak civilians, and it saw a drastic decline in its previously majority Bosniak population. Andricgrad, a future tourist site dedicated to Andric, is under construction near the bridge. Višegrad is located on the river Drina, on the road from Goražde and Ustipraca towards Užice, Serbia.
During the rule of the Bosnian Kingdom, Visoko valley was a very important trade, cultural and educational centre of the Bosnian Church. Old Town „Cajengrad“ is a medieval fortress which served to defend Bobovac from enemies and today represents an archaeological site.
In recent times, tourists are attracted by the archeological finds of the alleged pyramids, which the archeologist Semir Osmanagic assumes is the work of an advanced civilization that settled in the areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the Illyrians. In any case, the pyramidal mountains surrounding Visoko are an interesting natural phenomenon.
Mostar (Cyrillic: ??????, Serbo-Croatian pronunciation:is a city and municipality in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inhabited by 113,169 people, it is the most important city in the Herzegovina region, its cultural capital, and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva River and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva. The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's most recognizable landmarks, and is considered one of the most exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the Balkans.
The city is the birthplace of many famous people, including Aleksa Šantic, Alois Podhajsky, Džemal Bijedic, Osman Ðikic, Avdo Humo, Vladimir Corovic, Svetozar Corovic, Elisabeth Radó, Senad Lulic, Predrag Matvejevic, Himzo Polovina, Zlatko Ugljen, and Grga Martic. Mostar is also widely celebrated in popular lore, featured frequently as the setting for books, movies, and television programs. Dani Matice Hrvatske is one of city's significant cultural events and it is commonly sponsored by the Croatian Government and the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mostar Summer is another umbrella event which includes Šantic Poetry Evenings, Mostar Summer Festival and Festival of Bosnia and Herzegovina choirs/ensembles. The city is a home of music festival called Melodije Mostara (Mostar Melodies) which has been held annually since 1995. Theatre festivals include Mostarska Liska (organized by the National Theatre Mostar) and The Mostar Spring (organized by the Matica hrvatska Mostar).
With its long and warm summers, and short and mild winters, this small town is considered to be one of the coastal towns which have the greatest number of sunny days in the year. Morning ride will take us through interesting suburbs of Sarajevo and areas of central Bosnia until we pass Ivan Mountain and enter Herzegovina region. The first stop of the day is a short visit to Mostar town with focus at Mostar’s old bridge, old bazaar and old town. After Mostar, we will visit Blagaj, home to Buna river spring – the most beautiful, powerful and clean river spring where we will have a traditional lunch.
After 2 hours of driving we will arrive to our destination - Neum, the only BH seaside city which is situated on the southern part of the Adriatic coast. Ever since the ancient times, the area of Neum was well known as an important crossroad of different roads which led from the seaside to the mainland. Bathing season in Neum lasts from June to September. Thanks to the policy of moderate Neum pricing, a large number of guests choose this town as vacation destination during the season as well as in off-season time.
Of course Neum is not considered only for its beautiful beaches, sea and comfortable accommodation that make the vacations great. A rich gastronomical offer of Neum’s specialties in a great number of restaurants and taverns, terraces with “live” music, promenades, sport terrains, and other fun choices, will make our sojourn ampler and more pleasant. While in Neum we will take a boat tour and explore the whole Neum bay while having a lunch. After that you will have some free time for your own activities and we are going back to Sarajevo.
The hiking experience of your dreams through the most beautiful landscapes of Bosnia and Herzegovina and destinations that are breathtaking. Bosnia is famous because of her beautiful and breathtaking nature, and Bosnian lakes are on the top of the list. The tour starts from Sarajevo and goes towards Kiseljak, one of the famous BiH cities because of its natural mineral water. At the spring the water is drinkable, so you may want to bring an empty bottle. After, we are headed to Fojnica, small historically town known for healthy thermal waters and gold mining.
While in there we will visit Franciscan Monestry and discover very old story about “most likely, oldest written document on human rights – ahdnama”. Then the fun part starts – our 16 km long trip to Prokosko lake, with plentiful of small creeks crossing our way. This part is optional, you can go with van right to the Prokosko lake if you don’t wont to hike. This lake is located on Vranica Mountain at altitude of 1635 meters above sea level and it is one of those breathtaking places which makes every moment unforgettable. It is 426 meter long and 191 meter wide with maximum depth of 13 metres. With high altitude climate and nice position the lake is considered to be one of the most beautiful locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We will visit a small village and unique and beautiful small mosque, possibly the highest one in whole of Europe at altitude of 1666 m.a.s.l. and it is possible to visit it. Then we’re going to have a local lunch in one of the small houses, we suggest some of the local specialties like local bread, sheep cheese, pies, donuts and locally made tea. After lunch we are going back to Sarajevo.
Jajce - The city of Bosnian kings
Jajce is a city in Central Bosnia, in the Jajce basin, at the confluence of the Pliva and Vrbas rivers, which have always been characterized by unique natural beauties, while crucial historical events have taken place here since distant times to the present day. Eight historical layers can be discerned in Jajce. Jajce is witness to 4 empires and 3 kingdoms. Three global monotheist religions meet here. In Jajce, six architectural styles can be discerned.
Jajce has 22 national monuments. In 2007, Jajce submitted the required UNESCO nomination documentation to be placed on the World Heritage List. Monuments from ancient times and the middle Ages have been preserved in Jajce: Mithras temple, from 4th c., St Catherine's Church, Franciscan monastery, Medvjed Tower and the Town Gates, as well as many others. The city is surrounded by forest covered mountains, and there are also two lakes, as well as the wonderful Pliva Waterfall (22,5m) in the very center of the city.
Travnik - The city of Bosnian viziers
The City of Travnik, which had been the capital of Bosnian Pashaluk for 150 years, the residence of 77 viziers, seat of two consulates, lying in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represents the main administrative and political center of Central Bosnia Canton today.
In its past, rich in cultural and historical tradition, and encompassing interesting events and important personalities, the people of Travnik have called their city a city-museum in the open, and justly so. This city is unique in many ways. Its exciting past has produced many important personalities and events. This city tells its own story at every step.
A horrific past sits side-by-side with a welcoming future on this Sarajevo tour that takes you deep into the dark days and back out into the light of today. See the sites that mark some of the city's biggest tragedies but have since become places to celebrate life, as you listen to stories of the siege, from those who lived to tell the tale.
This Sarajevo walking tour tells the story of the most difficult times to have befallen the city of Sarajevo, but alongside tales of the will, courage, and determination of the local people to survive what was once hell on Earth.
Your Sarajevo tour will start at the most beautiful building in the city: the City Hall/National Library, which had originally burned down during the siege of Sarajevo but was rebuilt and re-opened in 2014 — a sign of the rejuvenation seen throughout the city.
From there, we'll head to a local historic brewery, founded in 1864 and with a sad story behind the brews, as it was one of the few sources of drinking water for Sarajevans during the war.
We'll then visit the gallery that's home to the exhibit Siege'92-'95, honoring the longest siege in modern history. You'll learn about the darkest parts of Sarajevo's past before heading to the street of Green Berets (resistance organisers), which is now the centre of the city's nightlife.
Next up on your Sarajevo tour, we'll head to the local marketplace, which was the site of a horrific massacre in 1994. Yet today, it's a place to get fresh produce and local goods, and while we're there, we'll stop into the beautiful Market Hall, where we'll try local delicacies such as smoked beef and cheese.
We'll then continue to the Central Bank, where the famous Sarajevo Haggadah (an ancient manuscript containing the traditional text of Passover Haggadah) was kept safe during the siege. From there, it's on to the Great Park of Sarajevo, where you'll see the monument to the murdered children of Sarajevo, and then on to the presidencey building and Olympic Hall. We'll keep walking along the Miljacka River and see the contemporary bridge that's named Festina lente, meaning “make haste slowly“.
Next up, your Sarajevo tour will proceed to the Central Post Office, which burned down in 1992 but has since been rebuilt, before finally reaching the National Theatre, the main stage for two of the biggest cultural events in Sarajevo: the Theatre Festival and the Sarajevo Film Festival (founded during the siege as cultural resistance to the madness of war).
This tour includes visits to city of Mostar, Blagaj and at the end discovering waterfall of Kravice. All of this represents the wild and captivating nature of beautiful Herzegovina. The sunniest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the heart of Herzegovina, Mostar is located in the valley of river Neretva, and it has an abundance of historical stories. You will see the old part of Mostar with cobblestone streets, medieval structures and traditional Ottoman monuments and buildings. The river Neretva divides the town of Mostar and provides a fascinating view of the architectural and cultural view of the town. But two sides are joined by the Old Bridge of Mostar which was completely destroyed during the homeland war, but it was rebuilt and returned to its former glory.
We will visit the village of Blagaj which is located on the spring of the river Buna. There you will see the beautiful historical Tekka - national monument, once a monastery built by the Dervish society during the Ottoman Empire in 1520. The architecture makes for a rich combination of the Ottoman and Mediterranean styles, a true architectural wonder for the eyes and spiritual peace. Our final destination is Kravice waterfall - It is a sparkling waterfall which cascades into a beautiful emerald colored lake within a small valley from the river Trebižat.
During the tour, we will take you through the falls which are 25 meters high and across a wooden bridge. At the bottom of the waterfall lays the pool-like emerald lake which is not very deep and the bottom can be touched in most places. This makes is very safe for bathing in even for non-swimmers. Kravice is a perfect destination for families and children. You can relax and enjoy the uncontaminated nature accompanied by nature’s pleasing sounds of birds and running water.
On this tour we will visit Travnik and Jajce, the two Bosnian gems which represent the fascinating heritage and history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Travnik, the Viziers town and Jajce, a King’s town.
Driving from Sarajevo our first stop is Travnik which was one the capital town of governors’, also known as the Ottoman Vizier Town. We will see the colorful mosque of Sultan Sulejman which is specific for the amount of color interlaced into its decoration. We’ll pass on to the vizier tombs, known as the Ottoman Turbe and a picturesque cemetery. Also we will visit the monastery of St Luke and the Church of St Mary. Then we’ll walk up the hill to see the Travnik Fortress and beyond the fortress you will see an uphill trail which leads up to the famous mount Vlašic.
Next stop will be Jajce. Known as the King's town, just like Travnik, located in a valley and watched over by a fascinating roman Fortress. Differently to Travnik, the Jajce fortress stands in the middle of the town and everything else is built around the hill where the fortress is located. Jajce is a town built in the 14th century, during those times it was the capital of the Independent Kingdom of Bosnia. It was protected by a large city gate which we will also visit. After, we move on to the most famous site of Jajce, which is the river Pliva waterfall which is located below the old town and this is the place where the river Pliva flows into the river Vrbas.
In this location, we will have a break with lunch and refreshments. You will enjoy the relaxing sounds and scents of these natural surroundings.
Explore the wild Bosnia and relax your spirit in the heart of the untouched nature. Travel back in time and relive the ancient times of Bosnia at the Ethno Beys village.
Bijambare is located on the Nisici plane, some 35 km away from Sarajevo. Bijambare is known for the enchanting dense forest and the Bijambare (read biyambare) caves. The Bijambare caves are composed of several smaller caves, 3 of which are open to visitors. The first cave we will explore is the central Bijambare cave, this is also the most popular cave in the Bijambare park. This cave is more than 400 meters long. It has passageways which lead to four different chambers. These chambers are naturally decorated with stalactites which hang from the roof of the cave resembling large curtains. The floor of the cave is covered in stalagmites. The largest chamber, which is the fourth chamber, is known as the chamber of music, due to its acoustic traits. The central Bijambare cave is the home of various species such as bats and crickets.
Within these caves many fossils have been discovered, even going back to the ice age. These fossils include animal skeletons and paleolithic cave men remains. The lower Bijambare cave is located 100 meters away from the central bijambare cave. We will explore this cave too and walk further down the forest to the Ethno Beys village. This is an authentic Bosnian village. There you can see many different artifacts and exhibits common to the Bosnian traditions. The Ethno Beys village is built with original ancient techniques and materials which are 200 years old.
You will have the chance to travel back in time and relive the ancient life of Bosnia. We will also take some photos and have a traditional local meal in the traditional house in village.