Languages
Croatian, to a lesser degree Serbian, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and German
Currency
Convertible Mark (BAM), which you’ll see listed as KM
You must have cash in Bosnia. You’ll need it for some restaurants, hotels, tours, etc. Some places in Sarajevo and Mostar will take euros, and Mostar will sometimes take Croatian kunas.
International Airports
- Sarajevo (SJJ)
- Tuzla (TZL)
- Banja Luka (BNX)
- Mostar (OMO)
Landmines
Bosnia and Herzegovina still has landmines and unexploded devices from the 1990s war, especially in the mountainous areas and countryside. If you decide to hike or get out of you car and explore the terrain on foot, make sure the area is safe and probably go with a guide.
Do I need a Visa?
Coming from the US: No.
Tipping
Restaurants: 10% unless “service charge” is listed on the bill or the bill is a round number (they will round up to include tip)
Bars: 5-10% of the bill
Cabs: Round up by a few KMs
Hotels: may round up the bill a little as a means to collect tips for the cleaning staff.
Not-to-miss Local Food, Beer, Drink
Food
Burek–phyllo dough with fillings
Cevapcici/Cevapi–grilled sausage
Raznjici–shish kebab
Ajvar–red pepper/eggplant condiment
Ustipci–fry bread
Mixed grill
Meza–platter of smoked meats
Dolma–pepper stuffed with meat, veggies, rice
Baklava
Pastrmka–local trout in Mostar
Janjetina–lamb cooked on a spit
Bosnian salad–similar to Greek salad with feta cheese
Drinks
Water
Drinking tap water in Sarajevo is fine. If you’re outside of this area drink bottled water.
Coffee
Bosnian Coffee (bosanska kafa)–similar to Turkish and delicious
Local Beer
- Sarajevsko Pivo
- Nektar
- Preminger
- Tuzlanski pilsner
- Unski biser apes a culoa
- Ktar
- Crni Dorde
- Kastel
- Premium Crno Pivo
- Erster
Local Wine
Whites:
- Zilavka
Reds:
- Blatina
- Vranac
Not-to-miss Sites:
- Sarajevo: Old Town, War Tunnel Museum
- Mostar: Stari Most
Movies and Books:
- Welcome to Sarajevo
- No Man’s Land