Hostels in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a breathtaking, heart-warming, and yet heartbreaking country. It is home to some of the most beautiful and giving people that you will ever meet, and yet you can't help but feel haunted by the sheer number of buildings that are riddled with bullet holes.

The capital city is Sarajevo, and it has come a long way since the days of the siege in the early- to mid-nineties, where they were at war with the Serbians who were attempting to ethnically cleanse any of the Muslims, or Bosniac people, from the area. Many people here don't like to discuss the war too much, as they want to move on with their lives and not constantly have to relive those years. If you do, however, find a local that is open enough to talk to you about it, you will get a glimpse into the sheer horror of the people who experienced those years. Sarajevo itself has a load of museums dedicated to the siege and the genocides that happened during this time but if you are feeling a little overwhelmed there are also quite a few other things to do as well.

As the home of the Winter Olympics in the eighties, the most famous thing left over from this is the old bob-sleigh track on which the Jamaican team competed, made famous by the movie "Cool Runnings." It is a beautiful walk in the hills up near where the front line of the city for the Bosniacs was. Bosnia and Herzegovina hostels in Sarajevo are scattered across the city centre, but they are easy enough to get to on public transport. There is also a themed Bosnia and Herzegovina hostel here that gives you an experience of war times.

Mostar is the second-most visited place in Bosnia. It is located in the southern region and is a great base from which to explore the Herzegovina area. Mostar itself is famous for its Stari Most, or Old Bridge, which was destroyed after the war and then later rebuilt. The Old Town here is beautiful and has some really nice markets along the streets. In the local area, you will also find the Dervish House at Blagaj located on the stunning Buna River with its really clear water. The stunning waterfalls at Kravice are worth an afternoon, as is the old fortification at Positelj. The killing fields of Srebrenica, the town where the Serbian army committed genocide against eight thousand male refugees within the space of several days after taking a UN Safe Area is a really important historical area to the war but is a really sad place to visit as well. Bosnia and Herzegovina hostels in Mostar are again scattered across the city and there are quite a number of them. The Bosnia and Herzegovina hostels here can help to organize tours to see and do things around the area for quite a good price.

Getting around the country is fairly easy. There are quite frequent buses that enter from Croatia and travel from city to city. There are Bosnia and Herzegovina hostels in some of the other smaller towns across the country that you can stay in as well, but getting to these places might be a little more difficult if they are off the beaten path. Do also be careful with venturing off on your own into the bush anywhere you go, as there are still some landmines that haven't been found. Otherwise, enjoy! This is one of the most incredible countries in this region and the people are amazing!

Handwritten by local expert for Bosnia and Herzegovina hostels Globetrotter