Ljiljana Krejic | Live the World
November 23, 2022
The best skiing on a budget in Europe: this is Europe's best-kept winter secret
Do you know in which European country you can spend amazing winter holidays on the Olympic mountain and on a budget? Can you imagine a country where a half of its territory is covered by mountains with perfect conditions for winter activities? A country where splendid mountains and glacial lakes will be all yours, without the rush of tourists? A country with masses of deep and powdery snow, with zero lift queues? When, on the top of this, you add a legendary known gastronomy, hospitality and positive spirit of the locals, it becomes clear why Bosnia & Herzegovina is called “the best-kept winter secret in Europe”. And all of that comes with very reasonable prices, as opposed to the expensive mass winter tourism. If you want to experience the best skiing on a budget in Europe, hurry up to book your trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina, before everyone else does it.
If this winter you are looking to avoid costly tourist traps in Europe and going off the beaten track for ski holidays is your choice, Bosnia & Herzegovina could be the perfect undiscovered destination to explore. This country remains pretty calm on the tourist front, while it offers endless opportunities for winter adventures. Rough and rolling Dinaric Alps, with peaks above 1500 & 2000 meters, are emerging as the number one alternative to mass winter destinations in Europe. Actually, among winter sports fans in the Balkans, Bosnia is well known for the best value-for-money skiing.
34 years ago, Bosnia & Herzegovina (at that time it was a part of Yugoslavia) hosted Winter Olympic Games, that brought a worldwide popularity to the country’s mountains. Sarajevo was chosen to host those Olympics since in its vicinity are two the most popular mountains in Bosnia & Herzegovina – Jahorina and Bjelašnica. Both of them are only half an hour away from the capital city, and they have the first-class slopes, the best accommodation & renting capacities, as well as après skiing activities. The skiing season lasts almost five months (from December to April), with the high season from January to mid-February. Not far from those two ski resorts are Igman, Trebević and Treskavica, where winter tourism is also blooming. Worth mentioning are also Mont Vlašić, Kupres and Rostovo in Central Bosnia, Kozara in the top northern region of the country and Blidinje in the western Herzegovina.
Blessed by fascinating mountains, Bosnia & Herzegovina has something to offer for every type of winter activities – some mountains are ideal for amateurs, others are perfect for professional skiers. Besides skiing, all ski resorts also offer snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country, night skiing, etc. For those less interested in skiing but preferring hiking, the most impressive Mount Prenj, also known as “Bosnian Himalayas” is waiting to be conquered.
Often overlooked and off the ski radar, Bosnia & Herzegovina is slowly but surely becoming one of the world’s fastest-growing winter destinations. With its 16 ski resorts, alpine-like peaks and breath-taking sceneries, it has enough to offer for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. At the same time, it has, by far, less crowded and much less expensive ski resorts than other famous resorts in Europe. A perfect alternative ski heaven on the slopes that hosted the Olympics, and voila - the location for Europe’s best skiing on a budget.
Create a personalized plan and share it with your friends
Never run out of things to do! Sign up to our newsletter today, what are you waiting for?