Tucked away in a quiet northwest corner of Bosnia-Herzegovina lies one of the last untouched natural ecosystems in Europe. While that sounds like something many tour companies say these days about their own homes, you would be hard pressed to find more unspoiled countryside than that around Banja Luka, where lack of easy access and limited infrastructure once halted the usual tourist swell to this region. Nowadays, though, under the careful guidance of Zepter Passport, the new whl.travel local connection in this part of the world, Banja Luka is now opening up a little.

The rivers surrounding Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina, support some of the liveliest fish populations in the world, which is ideal for fishing enthusiasts. Photo courtesy of Zepter Passport Travel Company

Fortunately deeply dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zepter Passport has taken careful steps to make sure that human impact is minimal in Banja Luka. In some ways, this has been helped by the company’s relative youth, which means that it doesn’t have many bad habits to work against. It can really help steer Banja Luka on a greener path toward the future.

Travellers to Banja Luka therefore suffer only an embarrassment of riches, deciding between the incredible variety of exciting things to see and do. While Banja Luka city has its share of clubs and bars, old fortresses, presidential palaces, funky cafes, oh-so-hip student eateries and stunning locals (it’s reputed to be home of some of the world’s most beautiful women), visiting the outlying region is perfect for what some might call ‘quiet adventure.’

Banja Luka River Systems

The area surrounding Banja Luka includes lush forests in which there is a smattering of tiny villages and more wildlife than people. Feeding all this verdure, though, is a complex river system that is teeming with fish and other aquatic creatures, and arguably the main draw of this tiny pocket of the world.

+ The Pliva River, known for its spectacular multicoloured waters and large grayling fish, attracts fly-fishers from all over the globe.

+ The Una River was given its name, meaning the ‘only one,’ by Roman explorers. This intricate system of waterfalls, rapids and calm waters shelters unique species of fish and plants.

+ The Unac River brims with rainbow and brown trout. This mountain river is famous for its twilight activity, when the majority of its fish and flowers spring to life.

+ The Ribnik is the wildest river in the Banja Luka region and home to the largest grayling in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Snag one of these cunning fish and claim the ultimate trophy.

+ The Sanica is a tiny tributary of the larger Sana River, but it makes up for its size with the sheer weight of its fish population: 70 percent of the region’s grayling population can be found here, while the rest is brown trout.

+ The Krusnica River’s waters are diamond clear, sourced from a nearby mountain spring that is absolutely pure (don’t be timid about drinking from these waters). Near Banja Luka, the spring reaches a depth of nearly 120 meters, allowing for a wider variance of wildlife and larger fish.

+ The Neretva River has one of the richest instances of soil erosion in the Balkans due to seven nearby mountain peaks and a vast tangle of tributaries. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful fly-fishing spots in the world and is said to have the most copious flow of any waterway draining into the Adriatic Sea. A wide variety of fish flourish in the Neretva, from brown and marble trout to grayling, softmouth and lat.

The Old Town of Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina, is packed with shops, quiet eateries, funky cafes and what some say are the most beautiful women in the world. Photo courtesy of Zepter Passport Travel Company

Active Adventures

With such a rich complex of rivers, Banja Luka draws back angling enthusiasts year after year, especially fly-fishers. Fly-fishing entails multiple casts of an artificial insect or ‘fly’ using a nearly weightless fishing line. It’s a practice that requires significant deliberation and skill and has consequently often been dubbed ‘the contemplative man’s recreation.’

Fly-fishing tours led by Zepter Passport are strictly catch-and-release only. Barbless hooks are mandatory, making their removal easy after a trophy photo is taken so that the fish can be released back, unharmed, into the water.

For non-anglers and anyone else taking a break from the rivers, the surrounding landscape offers a great mix of activities. Traverse the Kozara mountain system and look out over the entire western half of Bosnia; raft down the Vrbas River, one of Europe’s best and the site of the World Rafting Championship in 2009; or, for a piece of Banja Luka’s cultural history, explore the country’s rich ethnic and religious history by foot and visit the numerous monasteries dotting the countryside.

Banja Luka’s weather draws visitors year round to the city and the region’s main draw – the vast, wild countryside of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In support of this, a wide variety of Banja Luka hotels is available, both in and outside the city, from budget to luxurious.

Though the term ‘getting away from it all’ has been overused, Banja Luka, while hardly remote, is admirable in its ability to live up to its promises. For example, any map of Banja Luka reveals a sense of a city so isolated yet so close to Europe’s hotspots that it is serviced by most European airports. Fortunately, the few local travel companies operating in Banja Luke have made sincere efforts to protect the natural beauty.

www.banja-luka-hotels.com is the latest Bosnia-Herzegovina destination to join the whl.travel network, following Medjugorje and Sarajevo.

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IN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE / NA LOKALNOM JEZIKU:

Smjesten u mirnom sjeverozapadnom dijelu Bosne i Hercegovine lezi jedan od poslednjih netaknutih prirodnih ekosistema u Evropi. Iako to zvuci kao nesto sto mnoge kompanije koje se bave turizmom govore o svojim sredinama, tesko cete naci vise netaknutih predjela od ovih oko Banjaluke, gdje je nedostatak lakog pristupa i ogranicena infrastruktura u proslosti kocila masovni turizam u ovoj oblasti. U sadasnje vrijeme, ipak, pod pazljivim vodstvom Zepter Passport-a, novog whl.travel lokalnog partnera u ovom dijelu svijeta, Banja Luka se polako otvara.

Fly-fishing is a unique type of sport, using an artificial fly to counter a weightless line. All fishing with Zepter Passport is catch-and-release using barbless hooks. Photo courtesy of Zepter Passport Travel Company

Srecom veoma posvecen ocuvanju prirodnih ljepota Bosne i Hercegovine, Zepter Passport je preduzeo pazljive korake da osigura da ljudski uticaj bude minimalan na prirodu. Na neki nacin, to je potpomognuto i relativnom mladoscu kompanije, sto znaci da nema mnogo losih navika protiv kojih bi se borila. To zaista moze pomoci uputiti podrucje Banjaluke ekoloski prihvatljivijim putem u buducnost.

Putnici u Banjaluku stoga pate jedino od velikog izbora, jer moraju da odluce izmedju velikog i raznolikog spektra stvari koje mogu da vide i urade. Dok grad Banja Luka ima veliki broj nocnih klubova i barova, staru tvrdjavu, predsjednicku palatu, otkacene kafice i mjesta za provod, kao i nevjerovatne ljude ( Banja Luka vazi za jedan od gradova u svijetu sa najljepsim zenama ), posjeta okolnom regionu je savrsena za ono sto bi neki mogli nazvati “tiha avantura”.

Rijecni sistemi u okolini Banjaluke

Podrucje oko Banjaluke ukljucuje bujne sume u kojima ima mnogo malih sela i mnogo vise zivotinja nego ljudi. Ono sto daje zivot ovom podrucju je veliki rijecni sistem koji je prepun ribe i drugih vodenih stvorenja, koji je vjerovatno najveca vrijednost ovog dijela svijeta.

+ Rijeka Pliva, poznata po svojoj kvalitetnoj vodi i velikim lipljenima, privlaci ribolovce iz cijelog svijeta.

+ Rijeka Una je dobila ime od rimljana koje znaci “jedna jedina”. Vodopadi, brzaci i mirna voda se ispreplicu njenim tokom, koji cuva jedinstvene vrste riba i biljaka.

+ Rijeka Unac prepuna je kalifornijske i potocne pastrmke. Ova planinska rijeka je cuvena po aktivnosti ribe u sumrak, kada rijeka prosto procvjeta od brojnosti ribe.

+ Ribnik je jedna od najljepsih rijeka u okolini Banjaluke i dom za neke od najvecih lipljena u Bosni i Hercegovini. Uhvatite neke od ovih opreznih riba i uslikajte znacajan trofej.

+ Rijeka Sanica je mala pritoka vece rijeke Sane, ali nadoknadjuje svoju velicinu bogatstvom ribe, u kojoj sa oko 70% preovladjuje lipljen.

+ Voda rijeke Krusnice je kristalno cista, izviruci iz planinskog izvora ( nemojte se plasiti piti iz ovog izvora ). Njen izvor premasuje dubinu od 120 metara, dozvoljavajuci tako veliku raznolikost vodenog svijeta.

+ Rijeka Neretva dobija jako mnogo vode i minerala sa 7 okolnih planina i velike mreze pritoka. Mnogi je smatraju jednim od najljepsih mjesta za musicarski ribolov na svijetu. Mnoge riblje vrste zive u Neretvi, od potocne do mekousne pastrmke, preko lipljena i drugih.

The countryside of Bosnia-Herzegovina is straight out of a Grimm's fairy tale: packed with dense forests and misty rivers all far enough from civilisation for nature to exist in its wildest forms. Photo courtesy of Zepter Passport Travel Company

Aktivne avanture

Sa tako brojnim rijekama, Banjalucka regija privlaci brojne ribolovce, posebno musicare. Musicarenje je ribolov vjestackom musicom ili insektom, koristenjem nekoliko tehnika kojima se lagana ribolovna snjura koristi da prezentuje imitaciju. To zahtijeva veliku vjestinu, koncentraciju i preciznost, pa se cesto smatra da je to i “umna rekreacija”.

Musicarske ture organizovane od Zepter Passport-a su strogo u rezimu “uhvati i pusti”. Kukice bez povratne kuke su obavezne, jer se ribe lako skidaju s njih po ulovu i slikanju, i riba se odmah vraca nepovrijedjena u vodu.

Za one koji ne pecaju i sve koji zele da naprave pauzu od rijeka, okolni pejsazi nude veliku mogucnost raznih aktivnosti. Obidjite planinu Kozaru i s njenih vrhova pogledajte skoro cijelu sjeverozapadnu Bosnu; probajte rafting Vrbasom, jednom od najboljih Evropskih rijeka za rafting i mjestom Svjetskog prvenstva u raftingu 2009. godine; ili, za dozivljaj istorijskog naslijedja Banjaluke, istrazite bogatu etnicku i religijsku istoriju pjeske i posjetite brojne manastire koji su svuda po okolini.

Zbog blage klime, Banjaluka privlaci posjetioce cijele godine u grad i okolinu, zahvaljujuci i velikoj i skoro netaknutoj prirodi Bosne i Hercegovine. Da bi to podrzali, razliciti hoteli u Banjaluci su u ponudi, u gradu ali i izvan njega, od jeftinih to luksuznih.

Iako uzrecica “pobjeci od svega” je i previse koristena, Banja Luka, iako je dosta jednostavno doci do nje, moze da ispuni sva obecanja. Na primjer, bilo koja karta Banjaluke otkriva grad koji je izolovan a opet tako blizu evropskim glavnim i popularnim destinacijama, dostupan sa nekoliko evropskih aerodroma. Srecom, nekoliko lokalnih turistickih kompanija iz Banjaluke su ucinili znacajne napore da zastite prirodne ljepote.

www.banja-luka-hotels.com je poslednja destinacija u Bosni i Hercegovini koja se prikljucila mrezi whl.travel, poslije Medjugorja i Sarajeva.

Since then, millions of pilgrims have, in a special way, encountered Our Lady for themselves when climbing the hill. Ever since the first days of the events, Podbrdo has been known as Apparition Hill.

Along the steep, rocky path that leads up the hill from the houses below, there are 15 bronze reliefs which represent the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the Rosary. Climbing the hill, you have an opportunity to meet with Our Lady in the most special way, in the place that She has chosen and through Her favourite prayer, the Rosary.

As you come to the top of the hill you will see the magnificent Statue of Our Lady, as pictured here, which was erected on the 20th anniversary of the original apparitions as a permanent reminder of the event.

In addition to its deep spiritual significance the site also offers beautiful views over the valley below.

The afternoon hours shed a flattering light on Sarajevo's Miljacka canal in the historical quarters, all surrounded by modern high-reaching towers. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

This month, whl.travel local partner Dzenita Delibasic of Green Visions delivers the scoop on Sarajevo, capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sarajevo never fails to capture the imagination. Whether it fascinates with its rich history of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences, intrigues curious minds with sights like the Latin Bridge where Franz Ferdinand’s assassination triggered World War I, or charms with its towering green surrounding mountains, unquenchable cafe culture and friendly hospitality, Sarajevo is a place that exceeds expectations.

These handcrafted beaded slippers are a colourful Sarajevo specialty item that visitors love to bring home as a cosy memento. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Day Trips

On your city tour of Sarajevo you’re brought to the city’s beating heart, the Old Town’s main square – Baščaršija – which has for a long time been the most happening place in town. All around it are old houses and cobblestone streets filled with numerous tiny shops where you can pick up the perfect gift for loved ones back at home.

In the nearby surrounding area, you will be captivated by the Old Town Hall (National Library), built in 1896 on the banks of the Miljacka River just across the street from Inat Kuca (Spite House), a well-known restaurant. Within just a few hundred metres of there is a wide range of historic sites such as Brusa Bezistan (a former trading centre that is now the Sarajevo City Museum), the Orthodox Church (1539), the Synagogue (1581), the Roman Catholic Cathedral (1889) and Gazi Husrev-beg’s Mosque (1531), to name just a few. If you wish to see how people lived in the time of the Ottomans, there is the Svrzina House, a Turkish-style house of well-known Muslim families.

Part of Sarajevo's beauty is its relative proximity to rural mountain villages like Lukomir, where old Bosnian ways of life are still preserved today. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Once you get your fill of the busy city centres and wish to escape into the mountains, we recommend a trip that combines both culture and nature. A day trip to Lukomir – at 1,469 metres above sea level it’s Bosnia’s highest village – combines a glimpse of life in the mountains with a visit to the local ancient stecci (medieval tombstones). Lukomir villagers still adhere to the ‘old way’ of doing things, including wearing traditional dress and the occasional turban or fez. This is the perfect place to understand a bit more about the realities of living in a Bosnian mountain village cut off from the outside world during the winter months.

A more active outdoor alternative is to join us on one of our snowshoeing trips which, thanks to the masses of deep, powdery snow that falls on the surrounding mountains, are becoming more and more popular in this part of the world. Nothing compares to the tranquillity of snowshoe walks far away from the crowds through pristine and snow-covered fairytale forests and mountain peaks.

Sarajevo is a great jumping-off point for winter sports such as snowshoeing, which is gaining popularity in the region. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Shopping

The perfect place to start shopping in Sarajevo is in the centre of the old town Baščaršija. On Kazandziluk Street, for example, old coppersmiths work at making fantastic coffee and tea sets. Other artisans produce handmade shoes and slippers, Bosnian and Persian carpets and high-quality gold jewellery.

Modern stores are in the shopping centres like BBI on Titova Street and Alta on Marijin Dvor. Fresh and organic fruit and vegetables can be bought at the Markale Market close to the Eternal Flame War Memorial.

And when that’s all done, it’s always time for a coffee in one of many cafés, where you experience the laid-back atmosphere typical of Bosnian coffee culture.

Coppersmith Street is one of the characteristic pedestrian arteries of Sarajevo's Old Town. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Restaurants

If you desire a beautiful view with affordable tasty traditional Bosnian food, go to Kod Bibana restaurant.

Vegetarians and seafood lovers will enjoy Karuzzo, a small but comfy place next to the Markale Market. Inat Kuca, mentioned above, offers a great variety of local food in an authentic Bosnian atmosphere.

For a refreshing pint of good beer on a hot summer night, head to the Pivnica (Brewery) restaurant near the Franciscan Church on the left side of the Miljacka River. Its got excellent food and is the only Bosnian brewery that produces dark beer. Eager to try local and international wines instead? Visit Noovi Wine Bar situated on a small hill above Djece Sarajeva Park on Tina Ujevica Street. Do not forget to order their mind-blowing mali kolaci (small chocolate cookies).

Sarajevo's Markale Market is popular with locals filling their baskets with fresh produce for their families. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Local treats

Cevapi, small and tasty sausages served with pita bread and onions, are ubiquitous, but best in the many cevabdzinica shops in Sarajevo, two of the most famous of which are Zeljo and Petica, both in the old town.

Another traditional treat is burek, baked pastry filled with meat that can be bought in a buregdzinica. After this filling snack, treat yourself to a hurmasica, a date-shaped pastry soaked in a very sweet syrup sauce, or tufahija, stewed apples with a walnut filling.

Night Out

As soon as the Sarajevo weather warms up, the entire length of Strosmajerova Street is crowded with the tables and chairs of its flanking coffee bars. From there, depending on your desire, you can choose between a cosy little Mediterranean restaurant like Barhana, at number 8 Djulagina Cikma Street, and staying late at the popular Cafe Opera, which is a kind of a mini-club with lots of local events like live music, DJ performances and thematic evenings.

Strosmajerova Street in the Old Town of Sarajevo is the hub of the city's chill cafe culture by day and vibrant nightlife after dark. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Lovers of ethnic cuisine, cocktails and wine will be among good company in Hacienda. This Mexican cantina is not only a lounge bar and restaurant, but also one of the best clubs in Sarajevo. Elsewhere, you can dance through the night in Sarajevo’s Basement disco or spend a relaxing evening with a cup of unbelievably delicious hot chocolate in the Cafe Zlatna Ribica (goldfish). This small bar is in the immediate vicinity of the Eternal Flame and its fin-de-siècle interior is decorated with sewing machines and other paraphernalia.

Whether it is summer or winter there is always some Sarajevo cultural event you can attend, like the Sarajevo Film Festival, the music of Baščaršija Nights, the arts-oriented Sarajevo Winter Festival and the MESS Sarajevo International Theatre Festival.

Llama Caravans in Argentina

Stretch your legs by trekking with llamas in the Jujuy Province of Northern Argentina. No, you don’t actually ride these long-necked beasts of burden; you trek alongside them in the traditional style of the ancient Andeans. Guided by Santos Manfredi and his wife Eva, you discover the rugged beauty of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a narrow mountain valley bordered by the Altiplano of the Andes. On the way, you stop for a picnic accompanied by delicious local wine; an optional overnight stay with a local family provides a chance to engage with the people of the village and learn about their way of life. At every step, the views are spectacular and an opportunity to experience a place that is inaccessible by car. You should be wary of one pesky issue, however: the llamas are prone to spitting!

Give a Little on a Tour in Vietnam

Responsible travel in its truest form, Bloom Microventures in Hanoi, Vietnam, allows you to really get off the beaten track and interact with local community members who who have benefited from microfinance loans from the Microfinance and Community Development Institute (MACDI). You are driven out to a remote rural community where you spend the day with the locals – hear their stories and participate in daily activities like preparing lunch or harvesting crops. In the afternoon, you are encouraged to borrow a bicycle and explore the village, meet the local people and savour the countryside of northern Vietnam.

Yakkity Yak in the Himalayas

After a very bumpy and long bus journey to the north of bustling Kathmandu, Nepal, and a further four days of trekking along a yak trail through misty valleys, you arrive at Kyanjin Gompa, a tiny village in the remote Himalayan foothills. This village is home to mostly Tibetans who, while they live in Nepal, still follow ancient Tibetan traditions and customs. The views are incredible as this is the end of the ‘road,’ if there were roads… but what also makes this village different is the tiny cheese factory where two locals make delicious yak cheese as good as if transported from the slopes of the Pyrenees Mountains in Europe. It doesn’t get much more local than this and there is also a monastery that you can explore!

Smile for a Week at Crocodile Creek

Watch out for the elephants as you drive along the dusty road to the Crocodile Creek Community Village, an accommodation and community project in Livingstone, Zambia. The village was built by and for the people, and provides a sustainable income for local families involved in assisting guests. Located on the banks of the Zambezi River, four bungalows welcome visitors interested in the world-famous Victoria Falls, located just downstream, as well as the social development of the local people. Crocodile Creek is a prime example of how things should be done, with all materials used in building the village found in or around the area. Even the the camp-style bathrooms – a product of local innovation – are built into the natural surroundings. All food is prepared using vegetables from the on-site garden, as long as the elephants haven’t eaten them first! Stay for a few days – or a few weeks! – to lend a hand in in adjoining village.

Nugal-warra Elder Willie Gordon shows his guests around on his Rainbow Serpent Tour. Photo courtesy of Guurrbi Tours

Aboriginal Cave Paintings Rock!

Discover one of the oldest cultures in the world in tropical North Queensland, Australia, on a walk with a Nugal-warra elder, Willie Gordan. Willie started his company, Guurrbi Tours, in 2003, and the his tours are already listed as one of Australia’s must-do experiences.

Just outside of Cooktown, you walk to rock art sites where Aboriginal people recorded stories that have been passed down to Willie, who gives insight into the life and spirituality of his people. Learn about the traditional Aboriginal way of life whilst devouring delicious ‘bush tucker‘ (native food) and learning about bush medicine and ancient survival methods. With an infectious laugh and admirable passion, Willie is unforgettable.

Hikers take in the stunning view Krvavac peak near Lukomir village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo courtesy of Green Visions

Real Local Culture in the Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina

High in the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the village of Lukomir lies far removed from the rapidly developing city of Sarajevo, just a few hours away. The people of Lukomir – the Bjelašnica highlanders – maintain a very traditional way of life, and you are invited to experience it with Green Visions.

This responsible travel company delivers the very best local travel experiences in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is committed to several projects that encourage the sustainable development of tourism in the region. The area around Lukomir is ideal if you’re after real travel adventures and traditional villages, not to mention old water mills, stunning views and high mountain terrain. Visit Bosnia and Herzegovina and travel like a local!

Reachable on snowshoes outside Sarajevo, capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Skakavac Waterfall is found frozen at high noon on Christmas. Photo courtesy of Dzenita Delibasic

The city of Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, lies in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains, which makes it the perfect location for winter activities. In fact, because of the fantastic winter sport opportunities on the surrounding mountains of Bjelašnica and Jahorina, Sarajevo was chosen to host the XIV Winter Olympic Games in 1984.

Fortunately, there is ample winter fun for non-skiers as much as skiers. For example, thanks to the deep masses of powdery snow on the hills around Sarajevo, snowshoeing is an excellent alternative to the mogul fields and becoming more and more popular in this part of the world.

In response to that, outdoor adventure tour operators like Green Visions, the whl.travel local connection in Sarajevo, offers trips and activities throughout the year, including options that peek into Sarajevo’s magical winter world. For the past 10 years, Green Visions has been developing year-round tourism that taps into the beauty of a frozen wonderland in close proximity to the city. Trips begin in a village just outside town, yet the trails lead to places so deeply natural and buried in white that they feel like they’re part of a different universe.

The Renowned Skakavac Waterfall

One of the most memorable hidden places in winter is Skakavac Waterfall. Skakavac is the Bosnian word for ‘grasshopper’ and the beautiful waterfall it denotes is a staggering 98 metres high, making it the largest continually flowing chute in the country. As such it is listed as a Monument of Nature and afforded special protections. Besides being very attractive in the summer, though, it takes on a new personality during winter months when it is almost completely frozen.

Skakavac is located north of the Sarajevo city centre. Green Visions has mastered the route and perfected a day trip, called the Grasshopper Waterfall Snow Adventure tour, mostly because we love getting out there so much ourselves.

Sandra shows the scale of the giant icicles of Skakavac Waterfall outside of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo courtesy of Dzenita Delibasic

In summer, the three-hour hike of easy walking is accessible to just about anyone. The trek begins in Nahorevo, a village right at the trail head, just beyond which you are immediately embraced by the beautiful slopes of Bukovik Mountain. In extreme winter conditions, however, the story is a little bit different. Because the waterfall is located on the far (northern) side of the mountain, low temperatures virtually guarantee lots of snow from the end of December until the end of March. Without proper equipment, reaching the waterfall is almost impossible. That’s where the snowshoes come in; they are they perfect way to reach the waterfall and enjoy the sublime scenery.

A Christmas Adventure to Remember

On 25th December 2010, the Green Visions team organised a special snowshoe Christmas hike to this enchanting place. On this particular morning, the sun was shining brightly in a crystal-clear sky and the air was a sharp cold. It was the perfect weather for snowshoeing. We really enjoyed the winter sun as the snow grated beneath our feet for the almost four strenuous hours it took us to reach our destination.

Waiting for us there was a fantastic view of water, mist and ice, transformed into fabulous frozen waterfall. We first arrived at the top and took a couple of photos of the vista. After a short lunch break and a soak in the sun, we decided to follow a narrow to the bottom.

Once below, we admired the waterfall in all its beauty, a natural ice sculpture reaching upward, touching the skies high above. We also realised that the icicles were more than five metres long! It was definitely a scene to remember.

The extreme cold discouraged us from staying any longer. Since noon had already passed, it was time to head home where warmth awaited. We all took one last look at Skakavac and said goodbye to it, promising that we would return soon, definitely before spring.

The trip back to Sarajevo led into the mist of the valley against a beautiful mountain backdrop. Photo courtesy of Dzenita Delibasic

Local Amazement

Walking back we observed the spectacle of the whole city of Sarajevo covered in mist. Only the Hum communication tower seemed to float above it all against the backdrop of the Treskavica and Bjelašnica mountains, both completely white and beckoning to us like beautiful ladies in their amazing gowns. That will have to be another adventure for another day.

On the way home we stopped in a local village to warm up in a tiny hut owned by Dragan. A lively character and impeccable host, he offered us his best rakija (plum brandy). After he found out where we’d been, he was more than surprised, saying that nobody had passed this way in more than two weeks. It was just too cold this time of year. As we thawed in the warmth of his home, the astonishment in his comments made us swell with pride.

Contact your whl.travel local connection in Sarajevo for more about Skakavac Waterfall and the Grasshopper Waterfall Showshoeing Hike or exploring other fun snowshoeing options, not to mention accommodation, other tours and local hints about the city.

Over the past two weeks, in honour of this annual stock-taking, we’ve shared some of the fourth-quarter stirrings from a few places around the world: Sikh pilgrimages in Pakistan, Orthodox Christmas in Athens, Eid in the Maldives and a little bit of everything in multicultural Tanzania. We’ve offered our top five picks of other places where you can tap into a mystical vibe to help bring out your own if you’re not already adept at just finding the spiritual experience in all travel.

Free Christmas expression at its best during SantaCon, here celebrated in New York City. Photo courtesy of Flickr/ÐIÐËO

Even after all that, we still had a few items on our list that we wanted to share.

Funny Edge

Some of what we learned about simply caught our silly fancy, like SantaCon, “where guys and girls of legal age dress up like Santa and go cavorting around town for no better reason than that it’s huge fun.” What better way to get ho-ho-ho jolly?!

Others had a hilarious edge of tradition gone amiss, as in when you’re sure that a present-day custom is based on some slight misunderstanding of past acts. Take, for instance, the Norwegian tradition of hiding brooms on Christmas Eve night (thus denying marauding evil spirits their means of transport).

Or ponder the practice in the Czech Republic of single women throwing a shoe over a shoulder on December 24 to determine if they will marry in the coming year. If you’re a single handsome prince, it might be the best time for a stroll and welcome risk of getting knocked unconscious by flying footwear (only to be awakened by a beautiful, penitent and eligible princess).

And how about the Christmas pastime in Latvia of ‘mumming’? This involves parading around in animal or corpse masks and costumes, and then visiting houses to help drive away evil spirits. There’s song and dance involved and an invitation to snack – a good gig for hungry bellies on Christmas Eve.

At a Posada in Mexico, blindfolded children and adults line up to hit the piñata with a wooden stick in an attempt to release the traditional candies hidden within

A Mixture of Mirth and Meaning

There was also some mirthful stuff underpinned by religion.

If you’re visiting Los Cabos, Mexico, during December, you are likely to hear a traditional song connected to the celebration of ‘Las Posadas,’ which lasts for nine days (December 16-24). ‘Posadas’ are reminders of the journey of Joseph and Mary just before the birth of Jesus as they moved from place to place in search of somewhere to stay. The practice today is for guests to gather in the main entrance of selected house (uniting family and friends), light small candles and then sing the traditional song (Entren santos peregrinos, peregrinos/Reciban este rincón/Que aunque es pobre la morada, la morada/Os la doy de corazón). When the song is over, the host opens the door and all the guests enter while singing the last part of the song. Guests then kneel and pray at the house’s nativity scene, after which a piñata filled with traditional candies makes its appearance. There are also public Posadas held usually on the main plaza of every town and open to visitors.

In Estonia, where pre-Christian traditions are still observed and the cycle of nature treated with due reverence, celebration of the winter solstice, called jõulud, is arguably just as important as commemoration of Christ’s birth. Different people give different weights to secular and religious significance, but many first celebrate nature in ways that involve water (a sauna) or a fire in a forest (see the video below), followed by conventional holiday meals taken in a family circle.

Getting Serious

Of course, the season also comes with a serious message, one taken to heart in many places across the planet.

In the Seychelles, for over 200 year a British colony, most of the year-end practices follow British custom, although the local Seychellois place a greater emphasis on the New Year festivities than Yuletide pomp. Perhaps it has to do with the ritual significance of Christmas, a time for midnight mass, gift exchanges and family togetherness. By contrast, starting on the evening of December 31, everyone is out for street parties in Victoria, the capital. After midnight, everybody hits the discos until late in the morning of January 1st. January 2nd is then a time of family reunion, an occasion for brothers and sisters to gather at their parents’ house and get reacquainted. Note that fire crackers are illegal in the Seychelles.

Finally, in places around the world, like Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina, people gather to remember miracles and apparitions. In Medjugorje, in the summer of 1981, six children saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Since then, regardless of age, nationality, color, education and even religious belief, millions of people have made the pilgrimage to this visit this small village to find peace and renewed sense of purpose in life. Each year, a special call goes out to young people to make the journey to Medjugorje on December 31. This year (2010), beginning at 7pm, children from the Cenacolo Community (former drug addicts) turn the area around the Church of St James into Bethlehem for a few hours. This is followed by prayer and Holy Mass.

Like the monolithic 'el Fraile' (the Monk) in the Kalasaya Temple in Tiwanaku, some of the statues at Tiwanaku, Bolivia, have withstood the test of time. Other stones used to build the main structures have been looted over the years, but the impressive site is still of great spiritual, historical and cultural significance. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Fulsen

Tiwanaku, Bolivia

The city of Tiwanaku (alternative spelling Tiahuanaco) is located at 4,000 metres above sea level in the mountains near the southern shore of Bolivia’s famous Lake Titicaca.The area was home to a pre-Incan society that survived from 1600 BC to 1200 AD; it is considered the cradle of Andean civilisation. The Incas that later colonised the region apparently believed that the ancient Tiwanaku was built by the god Viracocha, who rose from the depths of the lake and created the first humans. Hailed as the Stonehenge of the Americas, the monumental remains of this great culture have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and include several temples, a pyramid, symbolic gates, monoliths and mysterious face carvings.

On June 21st each year, around 5000 people congregate in Tiwanaku to celebrate the summer solstice at the Aymara Indians’ New Year, called Machaj Mara. Popular with followers of New Age religions from around the world, the highlight of the festival is sunrise, when the rays of the sun shine through the temple entrance on the eastern side of the complex. Then it’s time to party. Locals in colourful ceremonial clothing and visitors celebrate together by drinking singani (Bolivian grape brandy similar to pisco), chewing coca leaves, sacrificing llamas and dancing until dawn.

The stunning natural setting of Ulpotha is one of its great attractions. The eight-acre site by a small lake at the base of the Galgiriwiya mountains is considered sacred land, associated with Lord Kataragama, an incarnation of the son of Shiva. The area's seven hills feature in ancient spiritual lore.

Ulpotha, Sri Lanka

The traditional working eco-village of Ulpotha is hidden in an exquisite, secluded, wooded dell at the foot of the Galgiriyawa mountains, about a two-hour drive northwest of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The village has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years and is now a yoga, spa and Ayurveda retreat open to guests for part of the year.

Ulpotha has been nominated for numerous awards over the years and regularly makes it onto lists of the world’s best spas compiled by glossy magazines, television shows and travel websites. Guests can avail themselves of Ayurveda therapies and yoga classes led by practiced experts, although taking part in these activities is by no means compulsory; anyone preferring to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and delectable vegan cuisine can do just that.

The retreat is run as a non-profit and all proceeds from paying guests go to support the locals who manage the attached self-sustaining organic farm and staff the facility when it is open. Other on-site ventures include a biodiverse organic farm, reforestation of village and surrounding land and a free Ayurvedic clinic open year round to villagers (it treats over 100 patients a week).

The statue of Mary, erected in 2001 in Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina, to mark the 20th anniversary the vision of the Virgin Mary, is located on Apparition Hill, where the event was first witnessed by six Croation children on June 24, 1981. Thousands of pilgrims climb the hill every year, chanting the rosary as they go. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Beemwej

Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Launched onto the spiritual travel map in the summer of 1981 when six children saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary, the small town of Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina, nestled in the hills close to Mostar and the border with Croatia, has become a premier pilgrimage site for Catholics. Once a community of only 400 inhabitants, mostly farmers, the village now caters to visitors from around the world.

Millions have visited the hallowed spot on the mountainside, now called Apparition Hill, keen to worship at the site of the vision. The local church, St James’s, offers Mass in more than 10 languages, including Croatian, Italian, Spanish and English, in addition to a daily prayer service in the evening and there are plenty of tours and accommodation for the faithful.

Medjugorje literally translates as ‘area between two mountains,’ and the location is simply stunning, so even for the non-religious, there is plenty of distraction. The surrounding area is densely forested and boasts picturesque waterfalls, vineyards (the local wine is not to be missed) and plenty of sleepy villages. One word of advice: accommodation often books up quickly, so it is advisable to check ahead with the whl.travel local connection to avoid disappointment.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, was built by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi from 670 AD. It covers an area of 9,000 square metres and is considered the oldest place of worship in the western Islamic world, as well as a model for all later mosques in the Maghreb. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Patrick Giraud

Kairouan, Tunisia

Situated in northern Tunisia, the thousand-year-old city of Kairouan is often regarded as the fourth holiest city in Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. As the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa, the Great Mosque of Kairouan (first built in 670 AD) has been an important place of pilgrimage for centuries for Muslims, especially those not able to make the long Hajj; it is said that seven trips to Kairouan are equal to one trip to Mecca.

The name Kairouan actually means ‘caravan,’ which is a reference to the city’s beginnings as a stopping place for the desert-trade caravans on the lucrative trans-Sahara trade route. It was turned into an Islamic religious centre in 694 and only Muslims were allowed to enter its walls until relatively recently. As a result it was seen as an outpost of Islam and seat of Muslim scholarship, protecting the faith against the surrounding Jewish and Christian communities.

Although non-Muslims are not allowed inside the mosque, the doors are kept open to allow visitors to see inside and tours to the holy city can be arranged through the whl.travel local connection in Hammamet, an hour’s drive away.

Ahu Tongariki is the largest ahu (stone platform) on Easter Island. Its moai were toppled during the island's civil wars and in the 20th century the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami. It has since been restored with 15 moai, including an 86-tonne monolith that was the heaviest ever erected on the island. All the moai here face sunset during the summer solstice. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Rivi

Easter Island, Chile

Considered to be the world’s most remote inhabited island, Easter Island (otherwise known as Rapa Nui) in the southeast Pacific may have become a part of Chile in the late 1800s, but it is very much Polynesian at heart. This World Heritage Site is famed for the hundreds of towering volcanic stone statues, known as moai, dotted around the island and positioned on massive stone platforms called ahu.

Easter Island is also one of the most mystical places on earth, as so much of its history is shrouded in mystery: why and how were the moai built (they can weigh up to 75 tonnes and measure up to 10 metres in length) and what decimated the civilisation that built them? Locals believe the monoliths represent deceased ancestors. Because of this visitors can look, but, out of respect, mustn’t touch. Some experts suggest that Easter Island is an important point on a grid of sacred sites spanning the globe and it may have originally been settled purely because of the significance of its location. As with everything else concerning the island’s origins, though, nothing has yet been proven!

Describing himself as the real Flying Dutchman, Thierry Joubert has lived and travelled all over the world. Originally from Curacao, a small island in the Dutch Antilles, Thierry currently lives in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, ironically a place and country he fell in love with during the conflict in the 1990s. After lots of work with children in refugee centres, setting up kindergartens and a brief stint in software development, he decided to try his luck in outdoor adventure and ecotourism.

In 2000 he set up Green Visions with a few friends. As a social business, their main aim is to assist Bosnia & Herzegovina and its small, rural and mountainous villages and communities develop forms of tourism that are responsible and, above all, benefit the locals.

The Green Visions team are Azra , Nina , Dzenita, Samer, Lorenc, Alex and Thierry (front left)

This year Green Visions celebrated their 10th anniversary and are proud of their small achievements, including writing the first English guidebook to Bosnia (Bradt), doing over 2000 one- and multi-day walking, cultural, mountain biking, rafting and snowshoeing trips throughout Bosnia and the region, implementing various tourism development and environmental projects worth more than 500,000 euros, and setting up Eko Akcija, an environmental organisation involved in the protection of protected areas.

WHL Group: Which is your favourite WHL Group destination and which would you most like to visit?

Thierry: The Island of Mljet on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia is my favourite destination. I just love how the lakes and the sea are set so close together. Ideal for long walks and refreshing swims.

I would love to explore Turkey. The historical connection between Turkey and Bosnia & Herzegovina (my current home) has fascinated me for some time now. I originally planned to bike with my partner from Bosnia to Istanbul.

Thierry Joubert's passion for travel is not really about the travel itself, but more about feeling the place and its people. For him, travel is an endless and ongoing affair and right now he is happy to call Bosnia his home.

WHLG: What would you never travel without?

Thierry: My Swiss pocketknife

WHLG: What do you miss most about home when travelling?

Thierry: The coffee and quiet walks up to my mountain hut.

WHLG: What’s the most interesting trip you’ve ever taken?

Thierry: A one-month trek through Namibia – walking through Fish River Canyon, the Namib Desert and along the Skeleton Coast.

WHLG: What is your funniest travel experience?

Thierry: I set out on a four-day trek in Yosemite National Park (USA). I was warned of a lone bear stealing people’s supplies in the area I planned to walk. After I had set up camp and hoisted the food high up in a nearby tree, I went out to explore the nearby lakes and waterfall. After a great two days of walking around and no bear, I settled into my tent for the night. At around 1 in the morning I heard something climbing the tree and playing Tarzan with the bag of supplies. I jumped out of the tent screaming and ran after this big black bear. After chasing it for a while, it dawned on me what if it suddenly decided to stop and turn around. It ran off with all my food and for the next hour I sat at the fire listening to how it was enjoying my food and throwing around my pans. I thought it was hilarious.

WHLG: What is your scariest travel experience?

Thierry: I arrived late by plane in Zimbabwe, rented a car and set out on a four-hour drive to a friend’s hut in the bush. It was getting dark and all of a sudden a car coming from the opposite direction started flashing its lights. It was only when he got really really close that I realised I was driving on the wrong side of the road! We narrowly missed each other and I had the shock of my life.

WHLG: If you could go on holiday with anyone famous – living or dead – who would you take?

Thierry: Louis Theroux because he cares and is not afraid to ask questions.

WHLG: Describe the best and worst accommodation you’ve ever stayed in.

Thierry: The best was in Ulpotha, a small village with a yoga retreat in Sri Lanka. The worst must be the Hotel Belle I stayed in this October in Brussels.

WHLG: Describe your earliest travel memory.

Thierry: Travelling for two months with my parents when I was 7 in a camper van from Vancouver to New Orleans. This was the first time I saw snow, bears and moose.

Thierry and his kids, Luna and Ilija, on one of their mountain explorations.

WHLG: Please briefly explain what you think local travel is.

Thierry: Travel that is slow and allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture through meaningful relationships with people you meet along the way.

WHLG: In what ways do you see local travel benefiting the country in which you live?

Thierry: There are many rural villages in Bosnia & Herzegovina. These communities are off the beaten path and not frequented other than by really adventurous travellers. Local travel, if supported with the right type of infrastructure, i.e. accommodation and public transportation, can ensure that people get to see these small communities. Here they can experience authentic Bosnian life and culture directly from the source. Most money will then directly be exchanged between the traveller and local villagers.

I stand for a minute under some old gracious lime trees with their sweet smells and know that I am home in Sarajevo. With one simple scan my eye catches the blacksmiths, leathersmiths and goldsmiths carrying on the special, yet dying, skills of their forefathers.

In the evening, after a long day, I enjoy the warm gusts of wind that drive me home along the Miljacka river. I feel a shift in people’s energy. Our day is ending. Some of us rush home to be with our families, while others enjoy cooling down in the many small neighbourhood streets, cafés and on the numerous benches alongside the river.

I climb up again to the old fortified walls of Sarajevo and turn around for one last glance at the city before returning to my little green oasis on the Mošćanica river. The sun is setting and the fire in the sky illuminates the city and surrounding mountains. I now realise that during my daily walks I continuously rediscover Sarajevo, over and over again. It is a place full of surprises. A place to sooth your senses. A place to discover even if you have lived here all your life.

As many of you know, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a small and mountainous country, with a majestic melange of climates, mountain ranges, rivers and unique towns and villages. It is Green Visions‘ wish to open up our home to all those interested in understanding how time, nature and sometimes tumultuous events shaped these lands. We look forward to showing you our sacred garden, which we call Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Situated in the southeastern Europe, the Balkans is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for intrepid travellers. It’s a region of incredible untouched nature, delectable cuisines, rich historical lands begging for exploration and understanding, cool ocean breezes across golden sandy beaches, awe-inspiring mountain peaks dotted with centuries-old villages and genuinely friendly and smiling locals. The Balkans is also now quite a safe place to travel, so there’s no excuse not to visit this wonderful part of the world.

The Stari Most (Old Bridge) of Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, spans the Neretva River. Originally built during the Ottoman era, it was destroyed during the Bosnian-Herzegovian War and then rebuilt according to the old design and using as much of the recovered original stone as possible. The bridge and surrounding historic neighbourhoods are now a World Heritage Site.

Bringing new Balkan travel experiences to visitors in the region has been one driving mission of the International Finance Corporation Advisory Services in Europe and Central Asia (IFC is a member of the World Bank Group), along with the WHL Group and local stakeholders. Working together since 2008 to develop tourism market readiness and infrastructure, these partners have, through a Balkan Hotel Market Access Program, succeeded in improving access to the region for independent travellers who prefer to book and pay for services online.

The project targeted eight destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania for which Web-based travel portals were developed. In each destination, a local operator was carefully selected to own and operate the website, with follow-up support in technical development and web marketing provided by whl.travel (part of the WHL Group). It was not all about building websites though; the hard work fell to the local stakeholders, who worked directly with small accommodation owners unfamiliar with new technologies and therefore more reliant on traditional marketing. Despite the obstacles, Sarajevo and Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the Bay of Kotor, Budva and Podgorica in Montenegro; and Tirana and Shkoder and the Albanian Alps in Albania are now directly connected to the global e-marketplace.

A screen shot of the Tirana, Albania, website

After just one year of operation, the Web portals made possible by the Balkan Hotel Market Access Program had already generated over €105,000 for small accommodation and tour operators in the region. With over 150,000 unique visitors and some 620,000 page visits, the project had far exceeded expectations. The ongoing impact of the project is now also expected to be significant, having spurred commercial development in new destinations across Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and further destinations in Albania.

“We managed to achieve all program objectives and the project has been recognized by the IFC management as successful and efficient with significant impact on regional tourism development,” praised Denis Mesihovic, IFC Program Coordinator. “The fact that the program revenue for the first year of the operations was three times higher that the program budget and expenses speaks for itself.”

This is no time to rest on one’s laurels though. “While giant strides have been made with the development of the region’s first online e-commerce enabled booking portals, there is still quite a bit of work that can be done at the product level,” said Zachary Rozga, CEO of WHL Consulting (also a WHL Group company), the entity that managed the project for IFC. “As with many new and emerging tourism destinations, targeted assistance needs to be delivered to the individual hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses on issues like pricing and commissions, digital content development and e-commerce distribution.”

The ghost of recent violent times in the Balkans still haunts the region; few people give it priority consideration as a destination of choice for their next holidays, perhaps least of all places like post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mere mention of Sarajevo and Mostar conjures up memories of the human and material devastation that occurred during the 1990s.

Hikers in the Bosnia and Herzegovina highlands above Trnovacko Lake

However, over the last decade or so, easing recriminations have allowed for significant developments and improvements to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tourism infrastructure. Intrepid travellers tempted to try something new have been thrilled to discover an incredible country of stunning and pristine nature, a fascinating blend of cultures including some of the oldest traditional practices in Europe, friendly people, UNESCO World Heritage sites and world-famous Balkan cuisine. For city enthusiasts, Sarajevo, the capital, is a cosmopolitan centre with trendy bars and cafes, while nature mavens will find in the surrounding mountains and countryside countless escapes and excursions.

Where to Begin – Sarajevo and Surrounds

The Hotel Ada, located in the heart of Sarajevo’s Old Town, is a great little city base from which to stage urban explorations. Travellers come here to experience true Bosnian-style hospitality and try some of the locally grown organic food.

More delicious Bosnian cuisine is the highlight of Dveri, a restaurant in the Old Town with local specialties like goulash, stuffed eggplant, mukalica (pork chops covered in a spicy sauce) and warm homemade bread.

A Sarajevo city tour is an excellent way to get familiar with the town and its fascinating, yet poignant history. Highlights include 16th-century synagogues and churches and the Latin Bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated, triggering World War I.

To get out of the city and enjoy some beautiful Bosnian countryside, take a rafting trip on the Neretva River and brave some of the best rapids in Europe. The river’s high canyon walls and emerald-green water are not soon forgotten.

Green Visions and Lukomir Village

Green Visions is a Sarajevo-based tour operator that offers a variety of travel experiences emphasising the nature and unique culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We founded our company on the principles of balance and harmony between man and nature,” says Thierry Joubert, a managing partner. “We’ve pioneered a movement in creating alternative means of sustainable development while maintaining an eco-friendly approach to all that we do.”

Given this unique orientation, Green Visions was selected by the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group) as the local partner in a programme to promote tours and small- and medium-sized guesthouses in and around Sarajevo.  In cooperation with whl.travel, the global grassroots network of travel websites, Green Visions now makes these services available online through a Sarajevo travel portal.

Visiting hikers near Lukomir Village with a view to Krvavac peak

One particularly meaningful tour is the Lukomir Village Highland Walk, a hike to a secluded Bosnian settlement. The residents of this highest village in Bosnia and Herzegovina maintain one of the oldest traditional lifestyles in Europe, wearing authentic dress and living without contemporary comforts like electricity or running-water. Sadly, the Balkan hostilities of the 1990s were devastating to remote highland communities like Lukomir and are in great need of sustainable support.

Working with the Ministry of Trade and Tourism, Green Vision has embarked on a programme to preserve traditional highland practices and the local environments on which the villagers depend. Through tours, awareness of the villagers’ plight is being increased and reason provided for several families in Lukomir to receive both support in equipping their homes with traditionally crafted guest beds and furniture, and basic hospitality training. Admiring old farming methods and a lifestyle long since forgotten in Europe, travellers can now rest in a unique environment while also providing economic support to the villagers. Lukomir tours are only run during summer months, outside of which snow can stymie road access.

Green Visions has been involved in other development projects throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, including starting Bosnia’s first ecotourism and environmental protection agency and leading ecotours (over 2,000 so far) to even the most remote areas of the country.

When considering where to go this summer, keep Bosnia and Herzegovina in mind and make a trip with a difference! For more information about Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, including accommodations, tours, activities and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Thierry Joubert and the team from Green Visions at www.sarajevo-travel.ba.

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Want to learn more SUMMER IN THE BALKANS? Read about Albania and Montenegro.