As Croatia’s popularity with travelers has soared, so have tourism costs – some up by around 20 percent, not helped by rising inflation. At the same time, its neighbor Bosnia and Herzegovina is quietly attracting foreign visitors with its natural beauty and budget-friendly vacations. Although Bosnia and Herzegovina can’t compete with Croatia’s enviable coastline (the former only has a 19-kilometer slice of Adriatic), it does have landscapes of canyons, rivers, lakes and waterfalls, as well as as attractive cities such as Sarajevo and Mostar.
Indeed, as a new tourist favorite among BalkansBosnia and Herzegovina counts British holidaymakers among its growing fan base, with a host of tour operators offering group trips to the country.
Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid journeythe general director of Europe, Middle East and Africa, says Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the company’s best-selling European destinations to British travelers. Travel bookings in the country saw a 61% increase this year compared to 2022.
“(It) is growing in popularity as people look for (alternatives to) well-known European destinations, as well as a quieter and cheaper alternative to Croatia,” Ms Bencheikh adds.
“Bosnia has so much to offer: great food, incredible landscapes and exciting outdoor adventures like hiking in the Dinaric Alps, watching wild horses at Mount Cincar or whitewater rafting on the Neretva River . »
Skender Hatibović, founder of the Sarajevo-based company Awesome tourssays the return of direct flights between London and Sarajevo (Wizz Air launched a route in 2022; Tui operates during the winter season) has helped.
He added: “Although Bosnia and Herzegovina has always held some appeal for travelers from the UK, we were delighted to see the over 25% increase in arrivals (from our customers). »
Funky Tours has noticed a changing profile among arrivals from the UK, with increasing numbers of single travelers, as well as couples and travelers. families.
Even if the luxury hotel landscape has evolved, with the modernization and improvement of properties, some to become three or four stars, accommodation remains significantly cheaper than in France. CroatiaFood and drink hotspots are also considerably cheaper. For those traveling independently, car hire is available from Sarajevo Airport from £17 per day. We’ve compared similar vacation spots and accommodation types between the two countries and shown where you can save.
The capital: Sarajevo
A two-night stay in a four-star hotel: £140 in Sarajevo versus £320 in Zagreb
There are few European capitals as convincing as Sarajevo. Stroll along the pedestrianized Ferhadija thoroughfare past 19th-century Austrian buildings and you will soon enter the 16th-century world of the Ottoman Empire and the legacy of its 500-year rule over the region. On the sidewalk, an east-west marking designates this “Meeting of Cultures of Sarajevo”, where the call to Islamic prayer mixes with the bells of the neighboring Catholic and Orthodox cathedrals.
The country’s largest mosque, Gazi Husrev-beg, dominates the Ottoman quarter bustling with goldsmiths, coppersmiths, cafes and restaurants grouped in cobbled streets. You will then arrive at the old Turkish bazaar, Baščaršija, and the 16th century Baščaršija mosque.
Most of what visitors see had to be rebuilt after the 1991-95 Bosnian War. This included the grand 19th-century city hall overlooking the Miljacka River, which was destroyed by Serbian forces in 1992. To better understand the city, visit the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide and its Siege Museum. Sarajevo, as well as the Sarajevo Museum 1878-1918, next to the Latin Bridge, where the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to the First World War.
The national park: Una National Park
A three-night stay and park entry: £170 in Una National Park versus £390 in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
Bosnia’s largest national park runs along the border with Croatia and is just an hour from Plitvice Lakes National Park. Although the latter is one of the busiest tourist destinations in Croatia, Una National Park has a fraction of the visitors but almost as many spectacular scenery.
As the park winds along the Una River for 76 square miles, you pass thundering waterfalls, including Štrbački Buk and Martin Brod, where whitewater rafters cling for dear life.
The other city: Mostar
A two-night stay in a four-star boutique hotel: £175 in Mostar versus £370 in Trogir
The excursionists of Dubrovnik Crowds around Mostar’s magnificent Stari Most (Old Bridge), watching locals dive into the Neretva River below. After the summer rush, you may find that the tourist crowds have thinned and you can enjoy the city at a more leisurely pace.
While the bridge, which had to be rebuilt after its destruction by Bosnian Croats in 1993, is the star attraction, the 16th-century Old Town is the place for slow strolls through the cobbled lanes of Ottoman bazaars, houses , restaurants and mosques.
Mostar makes a convenient starting point for nearby attractions, including Blagaj Tekija, a 16th-century Sufi pavilion built in the gorge of the Buna River, right next to its source.
The natural wonder: Kravica Waterfall
Two-night self-catering stay and park entry: £98 in Kravica versus £270 in Krka National Park
Halfway between Mostar and the Adriatic coast, in the heart of the karst landscape of Herzegovina, the Kravica waterfall plunges 80 feet into the Trebižat River. It is a majestic sight, made even more glorious by the fact that one can swim in these clear waters.
In this natural amphitheater, you can picnic by the water or eat grilled fish in a simple waterside cafe. This is an easy day trip from Mostar, but it’s an attractive place to stay and explore some of the park’s hiking trails.
Wild swimming spot: Lake Svitavsko
A two-night stay: £56 near Hutovo Blato versus £180 at Imotski Lakes
It can get crowded along Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Adriatic coast alone, at Neum, but just 40km north is the Hutovo Blato Nature Park and, among its bird reserves, rivers and marshes, the calm waters of Lake Svitavsko.
Take one of lake tourswhich usually include lunch, before swimming at the lakeside beaches.