Bosnia and Herzegovina – a small state
In recent decades, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been actively developing tourism and now can offer travelers a lot of historical attractions – ancient Christian churches, mosques and medieval castles. In addition, this European country has a magnificent nature. 90% of its territory are picturesque mountains and foothills. And in the winter many fans of alpine skiing come here.
In ancient times, the lands of Bosnia and Herzegovina were inhabited by the Celts and Illyrians. In the 1st c. ne the territory was controlled by the Roman Empire, and from the VI. – Byzantium. In the following centuries, Serbs settled the piedmont fertile lands. In the XII century, a Bosnian state was formed here. The country received its present name and constitutional form in the form of a parliamentary republic after the end of the Balkan War in 1995. Historically, the name “Bosnia and Herzegovina” was the result of a merger of two words: the name of the river Bosna and the German title “Duke”, which in the XV century wore voivode Stefan Vuksic Kosach.
Unfortunately, the 21st century Bosnia and Herzegovina meets with a lot of pressing problems. Today it is considered the poorest country in Europe and has a very high unemployment rate. BiH has in its territory peacekeeping forces of the European Union, operating under the auspices of the UN. They provide solutions to ethnic problems and the removal of political tensions, and are also the guarantor of preventing ethnic conflicts.
However, these internal problems do not prevent the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina to remain very welcoming and hospitably accept all those who want to get acquainted with the traditions and culture of the peoples inhabiting it. Most of the guests come here from neighboring countries, Germany and Turkey. The flow of tourists from Russia and the CIS countries is not yet large, but it is growing every year.
Traveling in Bosnia and Herzegovina is absolutely safe. For Russians, this country provides a 30-day visa-free entry. The road here does not take much time, and in the large tourist centers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its ski resorts you can find a fairly high level of service. Low prices, natural attractions, excellent cuisine and interesting architectural monuments make a trip to one of the most beautiful countries in South-Eastern Europe very attractive.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in a temperate continental climate zone. And for its south and southwest characterized by a subtropical Mediterranean climate. The summer months are not too hot here. In mid-summer, the air temperature does not rise above + 27ºС. It is always warmer on flat areas, and in the mountains in summer the temperature is between + 10ºС and + 21ºС.
Winters in this country are also quite mild. Frosts below -10ºС are very rare here, and usually the temperature ranges from 0ºС to + 5ºС. In the mountainous part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, steady snow cover lasts several months – from November to April, that is, the ski season in this country is quite long. True, the ideal conditions for skiing, as a rule, begin in December and end in late February. In these few months, the most alpine skiing fans come to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Precipitation falls mainly in summer and at the beginning of winter – from November to December. And on the eastern slopes of the mountains of precipitation per year is almost 4 times less than in the west. The mountainous nature of the area determines other climatic features of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are many microclimatic zones here, where the nature of the weather changes very quickly during one day.
After the Balkan war, the tourism infrastructure in the country is developing quite rapidly. Every year more and more travelers come to Bosnia and Herzegovina who want to get acquainted with this “chamber” original state of Europe.
Experts from the World Tourism Organization believe that in terms of growth in the tourism industry for the next few years, Bosnia and Herzegovina will become one of the world leaders. In the popular “Lonely Planet” guidebooks, Sarajevo is mentioned as one of the most attractive tourist centers in Europe, where a lot of cultural, historical and religious monuments are of interest to travelers from any country.
