Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is a country rich with history – from the medieval villages, Ottoman Empire rule, Austro-Hungarian monarchy, to most recent Yugoslav wars, Bosnia has always been a turbulent site, as well as the place of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which started World War I.

Nowadays, the country is divided into two autonomous political entities: the Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb Republic), located in the north and east, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, occupying the western and central areas. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also a characteristically rich ethnic and religious mix – Islam, Orthodox Christianity, and Roman Catholicism are all recognized religions.

Bosnian natural beauty and resources are what makes it so distinguishable – unspoilt nature of great diversity, clean rivers and lakes, the mighty Dinaric Alps, numerous mountain ranges popular for hiking, skiing, and hunting, including the Kozara, Vlašic. Numerous glacial lakes dot the landscape and the country is also rich in natural springs, many of which are tapped for bottled mineral water or for popular thermal health spas. In Bosnia, you can find many variations between traditional and modern and between rural and urban culture as well. The national capital Sarajevo has a well preserved lively old quarter, Baščaršija, reminiscent of the Ottoman era, with landmarks like the 16th-century Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque. Bosnian cuisine also displays its Turkish influence –  stuffed vegetables, burek, sweet cakes of the baklava type, as well as in the national dish of ćevapi, or ćevapčići. In kafana, a traditional coffeehouse, you can drink delicious and strong Turkish coffee and soak in the Bosnian coffee culture.