Good Time to Visit
Weather
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) enjoys moderate continental conditions, with hot summers and very cold winters. In Sarajevo (elevation 537 m), average temperatures are at their lowest in January at -1°C (with a minimum of -4°C and a maximum of 3°C), and reach their highest in July at 20°C (with a minimum of 13°C and a maximum of 26°C). Precipitation ranges between 5 and 10 cm a month, with the lowest amount falling in March, and the highest in November.
Visitors are advised to bring lightweight clothing in the summer and heavyweight clothing during the winter. Warmer clothes will be needed in the north of the country, which is colder and wetter; and for areas at high altitudes. Rainwear is recommended all year round.
Festivals
In February/March the capital, Sarajevo, hosts the Winter Festival - a two-month celebration of worldwide artistic talent and a symbol and celebration of creativity and freedom within diverse cultures.
July sees Sarajevo host the Nights of Bascarsija, a month-long celebration of classical music, rock and roll, folk music, theatre, folklore, books, film, opera and ballet. The performances take place outside, in Sarajevo's Old Town district (in the famous Bascarsija neighbourhood).
The most popular of all of Sarajevo's festivals, the Film Festival, is held in August, when the cinema goers are treated to a showcase of films from neighbouring countries, which may have been neglected in terms of press, but have an excellent artistic standard. In October, there's the International Theatre Festival in the capital, followed by an International Jazz Festival in November.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1-2 January | New Year's Day |
| 6-7 January | Orthodox Christmas |
| 14-15 January | Orthodox New Year |
| 27 January | St Sava's Day |
| March/April (variable) | Easter |
| 1 March | Independence Day |
| April/May (variable) | Orthodox Easter |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 15 August | Velika gospa (Assumption) |
| 1 November | All Saints' Day |
| 25 November | National Statehood Day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Variable* | Islamic New Year |
| Variable* | Birth of the Prophet |
| Variable* | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
| Variable* | Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) |
* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.
