You’ve probably never thought about booking a ski holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But that may change after this story. Blessed with long ski seasons on magnificent snowy mountains, this country is Europe’s best-kept winter winters and the perfect budget alternative to popular and expensive winter destinations. In addition, its ski resorts are much less densely populated and still not open. If you decide to fly to the Bosnian Olympic city, then here you can go skiing around Sarajevo.

Thirty-six years ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of Yugoslavia) hosted the Winter Olympics, which brought the country’s mountains world fame. Sarajevo was chosen as the venue for the 1984 Winter Olympics because it is close to the three most popular mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jagorina, Bjelašnica and Igman. They are only half an hour’s drive from the capital, and they have first-class slopes, the best conditions for accommodation and rentals, as well as excellent conditions for skiing.

Two more ski resort centers – Vlashych and Kupres are located far from the capital.

How to get there

During the ski season and New Year holidays, charter flights are sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina. When traveling to Sarajevo from Kyiv in the warm season, you can use the Lufthansa airline with a transfer in Munich, “Turkish Airlines” with a transfer in Istanbul or “Austrian Airlines” with a transfer in Vienna. You can use a direct flight on certain days of the week, which may not always be convenient.

You can also fly directly from the cities of Ukraine to neighboring Montenegro, Croatia or Serbia, and then continue your journey to Bosnia and Herzegovina by bus or train. Buses and trains run according to the schedule regularly, so this travel option will be acceptable for travelers who are wary of air transport.

Climate

Most of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is dominated by a moderately continental climate, which changes to a subtropical Mediterranean climate in the south and southwest. For the most part, the country usually has warm summers and not very cold winters. In the mountains, the air warms up to + 12 … + 18 ⁰ C in the summer and -4 … -7 ⁰ C in the winter, on the plain part the average annual air temperature is about +20 ₀ C, and in winter – 0 … -2 ⁰ C. In the southern and the southwestern territory is hot and dry in summer, the average temperature is about +25 ⁰ C, and in winter there is more precipitation, the thermometer drops to +5 ⁰C. In the mountainous area, snow falls in November and does not melt until April, which is very pleasing to the lover of active recreation.

May-September is considered the most comfortable time for travel and recreation in nature in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for those who want to visit ski resorts, the most favorable will be the winter months, when enough snow has already fallen.

Hotels

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, you can find both a budget option for a hotel stay and luxurious five-star hotel rooms. You can book a hotel you like in advance.

Aparthotel Vucko, Jahorina

Hotel Blanca Resort & Spa, Vlashych

Hotel Bjelašnica, Bjelašnica

There are four ski centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are located near Sarajevo and were Olympic facilities in 1984.

Yahorina

Jahorina sports center is located 30 km from Sarajevo. For mountain skiing, 25 km of slopes are equipped, which are served by 4 chair lifts, 4 ski lifts and two children’s lifts. Equipment rental is available at the station, and there is an instructor school. In addition to alpine skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing and sledding are also available. Several tracks are lit for night skiing. There are hotels and apartments for every taste near the slopes.

Mount Yahorina

Perhaps less known to European skiers, Mount Jagorina is very popular among skiers from the Balkans thanks to the best value for money skiing. It is the largest ski resort in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the highest peak, Ogorelica, reaching 1916 m above sea level. Just 28 km from Sarajevo is a mountain that is easy to reach when you are in the capital. Mount Jahorina is one of the most popular winter attractions in the Balkans, with about 30 km of groomed slopes. The ski season lasts from December to April, thanks to abundant natural snowfall. With nine lifts, this mountain can accommodate more than 11,000 skiers per hour. Mount Jahorina offers everything you need – skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross-country trails, luxurious pistes and great après skiing. Night skiing is an additional attraction.

Learn more about the Yahorina ski resort

Belyashnytsia

Bjelasnica ski center is located 25 km from Sarajevo. The resort is served by 2 cabin lifts, 3 chair lifts and 3 rope lifts. The height difference on the slopes is from 1266 to 2067 meters. Accommodation is possible in several hotels near the ski slopes.

Belyashnytsia mountain

Mount Beliasnica is located only 25 km from Sarajevo, surrounded by the rough and steep Dinaric Alps. It is the highest and steepest mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the highest peak located at an altitude of 2,067 m above sea level. In fact, it’s an adrenaline junkie’s dreamland, as it’s the steepest of all slopes. The ski race from the highest peak (2,067 m) to the base (1,200 m) lasts only 10 minutes. Mount Belyashnytsia is one of the mountains where the men’s alpine skiing competition was held during the 1984 Winter Olympics. This is not surprising, as some of its tracks belong to the tops of European ski tracks. In addition, its difficult forest tracks are ideal for experienced skiers and snowboarders. However, among the 14 km of pistes that are groomed every day, there are pistes for all types of skiers, from beginners to advanced skiers.

Mount Igman

Mount Igman is located not far from Mount Beliasnica and only 22 km from Sarajevo. In fact, this is the northern wall of Belyashnytsia Mountain. As it is home to a great ski jumping station, it was also the venue for the 1984 Winter Olympics. Mount Igman (1,502 m) is a small and cozy ski resort, more suitable for families with children. It is famous for exceptionally high air quality, thanks to the large number of pine trees.

The ski center consists of Veliko Pole and Malo Pole. There is a 30-kilometer track for cross-country skiing and biathlon on Veliky Pola, and ski tracks on Maly Pola.

Learn more about the Belyashnytsia ski resort

Vlashych

For lovers of winter recreation and skiing, Bosnia is a suitable country, especially since the infrastructure at local ski resorts is good, and the cost of recreation is lower than in Europe. 120 kilometers from Sarajevo is the Vlasic ski resort, which is considered one of the best ski centers in the country. On average, the snow lasts about five months a year at this resort, despite the fact that Vlasich is the southernmost ski resort in Europe. The climatic conditions at the resort are just perfect, so people come here not only in winter, but also at other times of the year.

The slopes of the resort are located on three main mountains: Raljenik – 1943 meters high, Cavo – 1817 m and Pavo – 1807 m. The resort is known for its beautiful nature, as well as the very tasty cheese that is made here. The resort has four ski lifts, and vacationers have the opportunity to ride not only on skis, but also on sleds and ice skates (there are tracks for cross-country skiing). For accommodation, hotels of various classes are provided, there are good cafes and restaurants that offer various dishes.

The center of Vlasic is located exactly in the middle between the big cities of this region and the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The recreation center Babanovac is located in the center of the resort. Ski slopes are covered with snow for five months of the year. The resort became famous for its ski jump, which is currently out of business, but should be restored in the near future. There are several three- and four-star hotels and apartments.

Cupress

The Bosnian ski resort of Kupres is located 120 kilometers from the Croatian city of Split. This is not a winter, but an all-season resort, there are many tourists here at any time of the year. The resort is in the stage of rapid development, every year new hotels, tracks and lifts appear. At the moment, the resort has four slopes for skiing (their total length is 14 kilometers). For experienced skiers, two tracks are provided and to some extent they can be called black. The length of the longest black track is 2100 meters, and the length of the red track is 2850 m (there are two red tracks as well as two black tracks). For inexperienced (beginner) skiers, there are several small sections where they can improve their skills (there is also a section for children).

Kupres mountain center is good both in winter and summer. Four lifts are working. High-quality snow lies on the tracks for five months of the year. Skiing, sledding, dog sledding and snowmobiling are possible. Equipment rental is offered. A 3-star hotel operates for the accommodation of vacationers. Cross-country skiing is available in the valley in the Blidinje National Park located next to the resort.

Shopping

Large shops are open every day, except weekends, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Modest shops, where you can buy almost any essential goods, as well as souvenir shops are open every day from early morning until late at night.

Tourists should pay special attention to ceramic products, home textiles, woven carpets, leather goods, and silver-plated copper products. Tourists are also offered to buy local white and red wines – “black wine”, Balkan strong alcoholic drink rakija.

  

In the markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is necessary to bargain, as local merchants, having easily calculated the traveler, do not hesitate to greatly inflate the prices.

Kitchen

The cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina is very diverse due to its rich history. Here you can taste Turkish kebabs, Mediterranean vegetable dishes with lots of greens, Slavic dairy products and various cheeses.

During the excursion, you can get by with local snacks :

Chevap is a kebab with bread or pita.

Burek – cheburek with meat.

As main dishes, you should try :

Bosnian lonas is a roast with meat and vegetables.

Shish – barbecue.

Guvech – stewed meat with vegetables and rice.

Hajduk is a grilled chop.

 

Entertainment and attractions

Ski resorts, Ilija sanatorium, Neuma beaches provide a variety of recreation: both active and calm, without fuss, to improve health.

Thanks to its unique location, rich and turbulent history, Bosnia and Herzegovina is full of various sights:

The old town of Mostar.

Sutjeska National Park.

Latin Bridge in Sarajevo.

Kravytse waterfall.

Vrelo-Bosne Nature Park.

Medjugorje

Mosque of Gazi Khusrev Bey.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

      

Bosnia and Herzegovina is called “the best-kept winter secret in Europe”, with very affordable prices and no rush of tourists, unlike expensive mass winter tourism. The perfect alternative skiing paradise on the slopes where the Olympics were held and voila – a destination for the best skiing in Europe at affordable prices. So, now that you know where to ski in Sarajevo, the last thing you need to do is choose one of the four ski resorts. If you’re wondering if there are other winter destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, check out the ski resorts around Mostar and find out where to ski around Banja Luka. Enjoy your winter vacation in the Balkans!