This craggily beautiful land retains some lingering scars from the heartbreaking civil war in the 1990s. But today visitors will more likely remember Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH) for its deep, unassuming human warmth and for the intriguing East-meets-West atmosphere born of fascinatingly blended Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian histories.
Major drawcards are the reincarnated antique centres of Sarajevo and Mostar, where rebuilt historical buildings counterpoint fashionable bars and wi-fi–equipped cafes. Fascinating Sarajevo is an architectural gem, with countless minarets amid the tile-roofed houses that rise steeply up its river flanks. Mostar is world famous for its extraordinary arc of 16th-century stone bridge, photogenically flanked by cute mill-house restaurants. The town is set at the heart of Hercegovina's sun-baked wine country, with waterfalls, a riverside sufi-house and an Ottoman fortress all nearby.
Area 51,129 sq km
Capital Sarajevo
Country code 387
Currency Convertible mark (KM, BAM)
Emergency ambulance 124, fire 123, police 122
Language Spoken Bosnian (Bosanski, 48%), Serbian (Српски, 37%) and Croatian (Hrvatski, 14%) are all variants of the same language.
Money Visa & MasterCard ATMs widely available
Population 3.79 million (2.37 million in the Federation, 1.33 million RS, 93,000 Brčko)
Useful phrases zdravo (hello); hvala (thanks); molim (please), koliko to košta? (how much does it cost?).
Visas Not required for most visitors (see www.mfa.ba )
ESSENTIAL FOOD & DRINK
Bosanski Lonac Slow-cooked meat-and-veg hotpot.
Burek Bosnian burek are cylindrical or spiral lengths of filo-pastry filled with minced meat. Sirnica is filled instead with cheese, krompiruša with potato and zeljanica with spinach. Collectively these pies are called pita.
Ćevapi (Ćevapčići) Minced meat formed into cylindrical pellets and served in fresh bread with melting kajmak.
Hurmastica Syrup-soaked sponge fingers.
Pljeskavica Patty-shaped ćevapi.
Kajmak Thick semi-soured cream.
Klepe Small ravioli-like triangles served in a butter-pepper drizzle with grated raw garlic.
Kljukuša Potato-dough-milk dish cooked like a pie then cut into slices.
Ligne Squid.
Pastrmka Trout.
Rakija Grappa or fruit brandy.
Ražnijići Barbequed meat skewers.
Sogan Dolma Slow-roasted onions filled with minced meat.
Sač Traditional cooking technique using a metal hood loaded with hot charcoals.
Sarma Steamed dolma-parcels of rice and minced meat wrapped in cabbage or other green leaves.
Tufahija Whole stewed apple with walnut filling.
Uštipci Bready fried dough-balls.
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