Bosnia’s mid-altitude mountain resorts near Sarajevo, historically reliant on snow sports, are now steadily pivoting to attract summertime tourists.
These destinations, a short drive from the Mediterranean coast, are embracing a new seasonal appeal. Despite the Balkan nation’s notoriously poor record-keeping, tourism officials in the country of 3.3 million confirm a clear trend is emerging.
“We used to rely on snow, but there is no escaping the fact that snow is now likely to fall and accumulate at altitudes above 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) and our mountains are simply not that high,” said Haris Fazlagic, the Sarajevo tourism board president.
Fazlagic believes that by expanding their summer offerings, mountain resorts can lure tourists away from the scorching heat and high costs of traditional seaside vacations along the Adriatic coast of Croatia and Montenegro. He said increasing the area’s year-round appeal is “the future of tourism,” but acknowledged it’s a long-term strategy.
In 2017, after several winters with little snow, the Jahorina and Bjelasnica mountains near Sarajevo began to expand their summer offerings. These mountains, which hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, have elevations of 1,906 meters (6,253 feet) and 2,067 meters (6,781 feet), respectively.
They now operate ski lifts year-round for scenic views and are steadily adding new hiking, biking and ATV trails and tours.
“The weather here is fantastic — it’s not hot at all,” said Dusko Kurtovic, a visitor from the Bosnian town of Doboj, while on a walk during a short vacation in Jahorina last week.
Like other visitors exploring the forest trails and riding ski lifts around Sarajevo, Kurtovic was dressed for balmy summer weather. Temperatures here typically stay between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius (75-86 degrees Fahrenheit).
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