Top new holiday spot tipped as ‘new Croatia’ with some of Europe’s cheapest beer

BOSNIA and Herzegovina has been named as a top trending travel destination for 2025.

Described as a “less crowded alternative to Dubrovnik” by a team of travel experts at Wild Frontiers, Bosnia and Herzegovina harks back to when Brits enjoyed cheap travel to countries like Croatia.

4

The tour operator revealed their top trending travel destinations for next year after they crunched the numbers on Google searches and holiday booking data.

While Kyrgyzstan in Asia nabbed the top spot, Europe’s Bosnia and Herzegovina took second place.

In 2023, the country saw a 17.3 per cent rise in visitors in the last year, and bookings to the Balkans, through Wild Frontiers, rose by 70 per cent over the last 12 months.

Even though Bosnia and Herzegovina has plenty to offer – from fascinating history, amazing nature and beaches with clear blue seas – the country often slips under the tourist radar.

A sentiment echoed by travel Blogger, Dan Flying Solo, who said: “Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a relatively off-the-beaten-path – and affordable – destination in Europe.

“After two deep dive visits, I’m convinced the country’s greatest asset is the mesmerising near-photoshopped lakes, the lush countryside, and the lofty hiking trails.

Before getting to grips with the country’s natural landscapes, most Brits are likely to touch down in its capital city of Sarajevo.

Sarajevo has some of the cheapest beers in Europe, with a pint costing £1.75.

There are plenty of places to grab a craft beer too, including Zlatna Ribica and Gastropub Vucko, both of which are popular among locals and tourists alike.

Just like the booze, grub is cheap too, with three-course meals for as little as £11.

The Bascarsija – the city’s oldest bazaar and the cultural centre of the city – is a great place to find traditional dishes like cevapi, flat breads filled with grilled meat, and burek, flaky pastries filled with cheese, spinach or even sour cherry for dessert.

The city’s Turkish influence can be seen in the bazaar, with traditional coffee, clothes and rugs among the many stalls.

Other attractions include the War Tunnel, or Tunnel of Hope, left over from the Bosnian war that was originally built in 1993 to get aid and humanitarian supplies into the city.

It’s one of many sites that help people learn about the fairly recent conflicts that took place in the area.

Where else is there to go?

Perhaps the most famous place in Bosnia is the town of Mostar, with its reconstructed Ottoman Empire bridge, Stari Most, one of the country’s most famous sites, spanning the Neretva River.

Every summer, brave people throw themselves off the bridge as part of an annual diving competition, with the men of the town also jumping from the bridge as a tradition.

Other places to visit include the town of Blagaj, not too far from Mostar, which has been compared to a fairy tale by Responsible Travel.

What’s it like to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina?

SOAK up the sun along the Dalmatian Coast for half the price of Croatia – by crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s little-known share of the shoreline.

With its turquoise waters, pine forests and terracotta rooftops, the Dalmatian Coast is famously pretty.

But while the tourist hordes flock to Croatia for this scenery, you could enjoy it for less by going to the Bosnian beach town of Neum instead.

This budget haven butts into Croatia in between Dubrovnik and Split, a quirk that can be traced back to 1699 when the city state of Dubrovnik, terrified of an attack by Venetians, gave a tiny tract of land to the Ottoman empire to give itself a buffer against Venice.

This means Bosnia and Herzegovina now has the world’s smallest coastline, after Monaco, at just 12 miles.

Graced with daytime highs of 25C in September and within easy distance of both Dubrovnik and Split, the only major difference is the cost.

Even in Neum’s largest and most swanky hotel, the Grand Hotel Neum, a last-minute long weekend this month starts at £49pp per night. That includes breakfast, spa access, a choice of four swimming pools and a private beach.

Food and drink is much cheaper too.

You’d get change from a fiver for a couple of local beers and you can find Bosnian, Mediterranean and international dishes very reasonably priced.

The real crowd-pleaser is Ćcevapi, a popular Bosnian lunch to go.

Locals joke it’s the reason KFC never took off here.

This simple yet filling meal consists of mini grilled meat kebabs and raw onion slices stuffed inside a warm pitta bread. Again, you would struggle to spend £5 on this beloved staple.

By Laura Sanders

Its highlights include a monastery, which was originally built for a Dervish cult.

However, for the more traditional holidaymakers who like to spend their getaways by the beach, there’s more than enough to enjoy.

Neum town is arguably the best place to visit the Bosnian seaside, with Beach Searcher praising its scenery and its waters.

They wrote; “Neum town is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and famous for its magnificent mountain scenery and turquoise waters of an incredible deep colour.

“It seems that nature created it for one purpose – to make your vacation unforgettable.”

Bosnia’s lakes are also another draw for holidaymakers, and among the standouts are Bilećko Lake, Boračko Lake and Perućac Lake.

The last of those has waters that are around 22C during the summer months, making it a lovely place to cool down on a hot day.

4

What else do I need to know?

Both Ryanair and Wizz Air operate direct flights from the UK to Sarajevo, with flights starting from £15 for a one-way ticket.

Flights from the UK to Sarajevo take roughly two hours and 40 minutes.

Accommodation is also cheap, with overnight stays costing, on average £56 per night, according to the research from eurochange.

Sun Online Travel have found an overnight stay at the Pigeon Square Rooms, which is just 150 yards from the city centre, for £38 per night.

There are other options too, including a five-star hotel called Enjoy Apartments, which also costs £38 per night per room.

There are three local languages in Bosnia & Herzegovina, including Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian – although English is likely to be spoken at most hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.

The Convertible Mark (KM or BAM) is the country’s official currency, with £10 getting 23.43 KM/BAM.

Here’s another little-known holiday destination not far from Moldova, but with cheap flights and beer.

And we’ve recently revealed our favourite spots for an autumn break.

4