Bosnia and Herzegovina Travel

The ruggedly charming Balkan nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (abbreviated as BiH) is known for its passionate human warmth, magnificent mountains, raftable rivers, impressive waterfalls, gorgeous Turkish-era stone architecture with quirky bars, inviting street-terrace cafes, traditional barbecue restaurants, and vibrant arts scenes. The country is home to three main ethnicities - the Bosniaks, the Serbs, and the Croats.

BiH traces permanent human settlement back to the Neolithic age, during which it was populated by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations. From the 6th through the 9th centuries, the area was inhabited by the Slavic peoples. In the 14th century, the Kingdom of Bosnia was established. It later fell to the Turks and remained under the Ottoman Empire from the mid-15th to the late 19th centuries. During this period, the country's cultural and social outlook underwent significant changes and Islam became the main religion. In 1878, it got annexed into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, subsequently playing a crucial role in the outbreak of World War I. After World War I, it formed a part of a newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. After World War II, it became a part of Yugoslavia. Following the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1992, most of the population of BiH voted for independence in a referendum. Much of the Serbs, however, opposed independence and boycotted the referendum. A ghastly war soon engulfed the region, as ethnic nationalists supported by Serbia and Croatia, in some cases, tried to grab territories they claimed as their own. Horrific ethnic cleansing campaigns between 1992 and 1995 killed thousands and violently displaced more than two million people in much of BiH. In 1995, finally, the international intervention led to a peace agreement, known as the Dayton Accords.

Through this series of articles, I intend to share our stories and experiences of traveling across Bosnia and Herzegovina with our fellow photography and travel enthusiasts. I hope they help you plan your travels across this beautiful country!