Although it is often “in the shadow” of neighboring countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) offers a number of tourist destinations and historically important locations.
That’s how one BiH city made it to the top of the list of a magazine from the United Kingdom (UK). According to the magazine, Banja Luka was named “the best under-explored city in Europe”.
“A pretty little city has been named the best to visit in Europe but gets hardly any tourists. Banja Luka is the second-largest city in BiH, sat on the Vrbas River with a population of 138.963,” they wrote.
They point out that Banja Luka was included in the Rough Guides in its list of the best under-explored cities in the world, based on visitor numbers collected by Euromonitor. They also state that the second place was taken by the town of Liepaja in Latvia.
Rough Guides called Banja Luka one of the most attractive cities in Europe, which has tree-lined boulevards and leafy squares with cafes. They recommend visiting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Republika Srpska (RS) Art Gallery, the Ferhadija Mosque, and the Kastel Fortress. They also state that the Krupa waterfalls, the Ljubacke Dolina Museum, and the Recreational Zone are nearby.
“The recreation area, which is a bus ride from the city, is described as a green oasis with trails for outdoor activities such as hiking and biking. Krupa waterfalls are described as “like a trip to the past” with paths through the forest at the edge of the water, as well as the monastery and castle ruins,” they add.
They explained that Banja Luka has a number of hotels and accommodations for tourists and that it has an airport, but that no UK airline flies to it.
Other cities that made Rough Guide’s list of the best under-explored places are Bodden Town in the Cayman Islands, Karak in Jordan, Concepcion in Chile, and Rotorua in New Zealand.
