5 minutes reading time Bosnia and Herzegovina
If you were to try to describe Bosnia and Herzegovina in one sentence, the shortest thing to say is that it’s a country that has a soul. Beautiful landscapes sung by folk songs make up the most significant part of this country. Vast dark green forests, access to the sea, ominous mountains, and raging rivers are woven into every part of this small country. It’s located at the crossroads of east and west; the Drina River has divided two civilizations since Roman times. Bosnia and Herzegovina have always been the center of attention due to her strategic position. Unfortunately, this also brought her a lot of misfortune; wars are inevitable in Bosnia.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, nothing is simple. The country is divided into the “Federacija” and “Republika Srpska”. “Federacija” was further subdivided into cantons. This brings many complications in practice. In this wonderland, three official languages are exactly the same.
Good people are the greatest value
Yet what most describes a country are its people. Bosnians are pure emotion; it must be said that they almost always use the heart more than the head. Nowhere in the world will you find hospitality like in Bosnia. Here it’s quite reasonable for people to host a complete stranger even to spend the night without hesitation. Belief in human goodness has never stopped here. This isn’t a cliché; the way of life in Bosnia is entirely different than in the west. You live slower; you work less. With Bosnian coffee, a person sometimes spends the whole day without doing anything useful. This isn’t easy to understand for most people who come from other parts of the world. If life is too tiring and stressful for you, know that Bosnia is a vacation place.
Emotion is the definition of Bosnia
Football matches are perhaps the best example of emotion. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s placement at the World Cup in Brazil was celebrated by 50,000 people on the streets of Sarajevo.
The best description of the sentiment of Bosnia and its inhabitants is a song. It’s a special kind of song called “sevdalinka”. She is the pride of Bosnia, although perhaps unknown in the world. It’s most similar to American blues because of its sorrowful melody. It arose precisely as a result of the painful and challenging time that this country has experienced in the last 200 years. No one can understand sevdalinka but the people of Bosnia, yet her emotion can be felt even by a man who doesn’t understand the Bosnian language. One of the more beautiful descriptions of sevdalinka is that it’s a song when you sing and cry at the same time.
Natural beauties are hard to count
Of the tourist attractions, we can single out Sarajevo as an Olympic city. It’s known as the European Jerusalem because countless cultures and civilizations meet there. Today, Muslims, Catholics, Orthodox, and Jews live together in Sarajevo. The richness of cultures has always been an invitation to tourists. It’s easy to fall in love with Sarajevo. The saying goes that once you drink water in Sarajevo, you will surely come again. We will also single out Mostar with its pride “Old Bridge”, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of the smaller towns, it may be valuable to visit the royal city of Jajce, which is rich in history and natural beauty. What is worth mentioning is the Sutjeska National Park, where the Perućica rainforest is located (one of the last two in the whole of Europe). Although a small country, there are as many as seven national parks here.
It’s also worth visiting Livno. The largest field and the largest artificial lake in Europe testify to the endless natural beauty. Wild horses that you can feed here are a real rarity in the world. You can only see something similar in Iceland and Mongolia.
Bosnia is the real heart of Europe. Even her shape resembles the heart. The development opportunities are huge. However, the past war events, as well as corrupt politicians, are holding back this country. So the majority of the population is moving to Western European countries.
Food in Bosnia calls for caution
As for food, this country is known for its unusually tasty and caloric food. “Ćevapi and “burek” are the most famous and very high-calorie foods. “Baklava” and “hurmašica” should be singled out as desserts, which are also very high in calories and harmful to health if you can’t stop. And that is not easy.
Football is everything
Sport is perhaps the main occupation. Although without notable success, Bosnia lives for the competition. Edin Dzeko is the pride of the country. The trauma of 2014 and the match against Nigeria will never be forgotten here. The flagged offside is still a national tragedy. The most successful sports team in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the team in sitting volleyball. This is another confirmation that everything in this country is somehow unique and different.
Culture
Among the cultural attractions, it’s worth mentioning the Sarajevo Film Festival, which was founded during the war. It’s currently the best and most famous film festival in Southeast Europe. It’s visited by many celebrities every year.
Bosnian pyramids; truth or myth
Finally, here is an interesting fact about the Bosnian pyramids. Research on this phenomenon has been done for years. Those who are better-acquainted claim that underground corridors could not have occur naturally, but it’s the work of human hands. It’s thought that they could be more significant and older than the Egyptian pyramids. It remains for us to follow the diggings and find out whether it’s a truth or a myth.
Conclusion
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a small country with about 3.8 million inhabitants. Yet its historical, cultural, and natural importance belong to the whole world. It is both eastern and western; the values of these two civilizations most clearly resemble in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In short, this country belongs to all good people.
