Things to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo, the capital, lies in a narrow valley ringed by mountains, and its old Baščaršija bazaar of copper workshops and coffee houses sits beside the Austro-Hungarian boulevards of the newer centre. Mosques, churches and a synagogue stand within a short walk of one another. The surrounding peaks of Jahorina and Bjelašnica hosted events of the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Mostar's Old Bridge arches over the green Neretva River, rebuilt after its destruction in 1993, with Ottoman streets on both banks. Nearby lie the Kravica waterfall, the walled village of Počitelj and the spring-fed dervish house at Blagaj. Visoko, in the Bosna valley, was a seat of medieval Bosnian rulers, and Banja Luka, the largest city in the north-west, lies on the Vrbas River, popular for rafting.

Ćevapi, small grilled sausages tucked into flatbread with chopped onion, are the national fast food, and burek, a spiral pastry of minced meat, is a breakfast. Bosnian coffee is brewed in a small copper pot and served with a sugar cube and Turkish delight. Late spring to early autumn suits hiking and river swimming, and the mountains hold snow from December.