The Bosnian Mountains

Good Choice for Winter Tourism

If you like ski, winter sports, party, beautiful nature... your choice should be the mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winter tourism is very developed and visitors can spend memorable times here. This a short guide to bosnian winter tourism


By BELMA BULJUBAŠIĆ
from Sarajevo, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA


The citizens of Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina) still remember the 1984 14th edition of the Winter Olympic Games. In that period Sarajevo was in the centre of media attention. Those were unforgettable times. There are a lot of beautiful mountains In Bosnia and Herzegovina which are found very attractive by tourists. The winter tourism is very developed and people who chose to come here will find they have made an excellent choice. They can choose between the mountains: Bjelašnica, Jahorina, Čvrsnica, Vlašić, Igman. There are a lot of other places, but these are the best.

Well, I want to present the most famous Bosnian mountains. The first mountain, Bjelašnica, is considered to be a heaven for skiing. During the Olympic Games here was the best skiing place in the world. Bjelasnica is located about twenty five kilometers away from Sarajevo and tourists can find good cottages, apartments and motels. Visitors call it a wonder of nature. Here you can enjoy the wonderful, unspoiled nature side by side with modern equipped ski slopes and cableway. If you want a little rest, there are cafes, restaurants, and disco clubs. Every season, countless visitors come to this place. If children don't know how to ski, they can learn it on Bjelašnica - there are ski schools for children and adults, too. There are a lot of traditional bosnian villages with people living the old-fashion way. They wear traditional clothes and have domestic animals like cows, horses, sheep etc. The girls marry very young (at ages between fourteen and fifteen years old!).

Jahorina - Heaven for Young People

The second mountain is Jahorina. Young people adore it, and they claim that Jahorina is one of the best locations for people looking to rest as well as for those wanting to party. Here you can find whatever you want. About twenty kilometers of ski slopes connected to six ski lifts and some cable cars can be found here. The accomodation is excellent (a lot to choose from: little apartments, cottages, private accomodation, motels and luxury hotels). It offers better options than Bjelašnica. The restaurants, the disco-clubs, and the night life in general are more entertaining. Famous singers and artists have their shows, and Jahorina is one of the places where the young people spend their New Year's holidays. Jahorina is place with many attractions: night skiing, night walking, parties... A heaven for young people, for sure!

The third location is mountain Vlašić- young people adore it just like they do Jahorina. All the apartments and cottages for the New Year's celebration are reserved before August! It is situated near Travnik (a town in the middle of Bosnia) and at a height of around 1300 meters above sea level. Like Bjelašnica and Jahorina, there are a lot of apartments, little houses etc.

Vlašić is one of the places tourists visit during the year. The ski slopes are modern and guests can enjoy unforgettable moments and also the hospitality of people who live and work there. A very famous product is vlašićki sir (a cheese from Vlasic), which is very dainty. There is a dog breed - the dog tornjak, that has its origins here in Vlasic.

Another beautiful place is Čvrsnica- one of the highest mountains in Herzegovina. Čvrsnica has 2228 meters above sea level! Tourists can find here a natural forestry lake and the area is considered to be a wonder of nature. Some journalists say that Cvrsnica is the Tibet of Herzegovina.

Well, to all people who want excellent parties, sports and relaxation... welcome to Bosnia and Herzegovina. You have made a brilliant choice!