Stop flying to Croatia - beautiful European country has 90% less tourists

When it comes to planning the perfect spring or summer getaway, is not usually the first country that springs to mind. Appalling misconceptions about the Balkans, especially given its gory recent history, often make the region - and by extension - unfairly overlooked.

And when people do decide to visit the Balkans, finds itself overshadowed by its more popular neighbour , which welcomed 21.3 million tourists in 2024, according to the Croatian National Tourist Board.

By comparison, 1.9 million tourists passed through in that same year, which is around 90% less. But to miss out on this lesser-visited country is to miss out on such exquisite natural beauty, the historical monuments and breathtaking scenery.

Now nearly 30 years since Bosnia closed the door on a dark chapter in its long history - the Bosnian War - the country is fast becoming a social media sensation, thanks to eager tourists and TikTokers discovering this hidden gem.

Some of the most popular locations earmarked by such wanderlusters include the capital Sarajevo, the picturesque Mostar and its famous Stari Most bridge, as well as the Kravica Waterfall, close to the southern border with Croatia.

Bosnia left such an indelible mark on one intrepid traveller that he described the country as "obscenely beautiful".

The man, known only as Ikoke, wrote about his travels on the Reddit r/travel board and could not contain his astonishment at how it preserved so much of its history while moving with the times.

"I went to Bosnia & Herzegovina in April. This was my first visit to the Balkans, long overdue," he wrote.

"I chose B&H because I'm a history nerd and Bosnia seems to be an embodiment of the frontier between the East and the West (overused cliche phrase notwithstanding), has a fascinating heritage that's a mix of south Slavic, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences.

"My itinerary was two nights in Sarajevo, one night in Konjic, two nights in Mostar and a last night back in Sarajevo. Sarajevo was chosen as the obvious entry/exit point because of the international airport and its rich history."

The reason he chose Mostar was pretty obvious: "Because of the iconic bridge, and also as a base to explore Herzegovina."

He later added: "Konjic was kinda a last minute choice because I wanted to experience a smaller, less touristy town. The fact that it's the access point for ARK D0 [the Cold War bunker built on the orders of former Yugoslav president Josep Broz Tito] was an added bonus."

Ikoke also posted his holiday photos on the Reddit forum and claimed the country looked so photogenic. He gushed: "it was like walking into a high saturation Insta[gram] filter".

Sarajevo had clearly blown the man away, no thanks to it being "surprisingly green" and being peppered with "a couple of hard hitting museums", particularly the Museum of War Childhood and the Gallery 11/07/95.

The latter was named after the opening date of the Srebrenica Massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Serbian forces - the worst genocide in mainland Europe since the end of World War II.

Staying in Sarajevo, Ikoke went on: "The old town (Bascarsija) is well maintained and picturesque, if a bit touristy like old towns everywhere.

"As you walk through the town, you can literally see architectural styles changing from classic Mitteleuropean to old Ottoman or Cold War functional! The city is strewn with scars from the Civil War, still visible but thankfully fading!"

As soon as he reached Mostar for his two-night stay, Ikoke was overwhelmed by the number of day trippers who had descended upon the city. He strongly recommended "spending at least one, preferably two nights in Mostar and enjoying the sights before/after tourists arrive".

He later added: "If possible, spend a day exploring Herzegovina. It had possibly the most dramatic sights in an already beautiful country. Blagaj, Kravice waterfalls and Pocitelj are amazing."

Ikoke then concluded his travelogue by making a list of and observations. This includes warning tourists not to rely on their bank cards for payment.

He wrote: "No safety concerns, cash is more widely used than any other European country I have been to, people are generally friendly, most people speak/understand some degree of English (younger people seem very comfortable with it), lots of loveable cats around, and take the train from Sarajevo to Mostar for amazing sights."

Fellow travellers agreed with his assessment of Bosnia. One such person said that the country "captivated me more than basically any other country I've visited".

They added: "The landscapes, the food, the architecture, the people, the culture and history, all of it felt very unique and interesting. Like you said, it feels like a mix of so many different cultures and influences but in a much older or I guess more integrated way than other "melting pot" type places like the US or UK."

Another person marvelled at Bosnia's natural beauty, saying: "One of the prettiest things I've seen was the sunset in Sarajevo from the hillside, sitting on a wooden bench."

One other person could not hide their delight at having visited the country multiple times, saying: "My favourite country of all! I am simply in love with BiH! I visited five times in the last 1,5 years and already planning to go back. I will also share a couple of my photos sometime."

Direct flights to Sarajevo operate from London Stansted Airport (with Ryanair) and London Luton Airport (with Wizz Air)