Tips for a vacation in Bosnia: museums to visit

National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, the country's most important cultural institution, was founded in 1888. The actual museum was built in 1913 and features archeological, ethnographical and natural exhibits, as well as a botanical garden.

Ahdnama - Oldest human rights document in Franciscan monastery in Fojnica

You'll find the following impressive treasury of the Franciscan monastery in Fojnica: the “Ahdnama” (contract) that the invader of Bosnia, Sultan Mehmed II El Fatiha, signed guaranteeing the Bosnian Franciscans freedom of religion, the Fojnica Coat of Arms (used on the armor of medieval Bosnian noblemen), 13 “incunabula” (books published prior to 1500), and many other valuable documents from Bosnian's past. The “Ahdnama” was delivered by Sultan Mehmed II to Friar Anđelo Zvizdović, at that time the Abbot of the monastery in Fojnica, in 1463 in Milodraško Field. On the same occasion, Zvizdović was given the sultan's cloak, which is still preserved at the monastery.

The oldest preserved wooden sheath in Europe in Franciscan monastery in Livno

The Franciscan monastery in Livno houses an old library, an archeology and ethnography museum, an art gallery featuring the works of Gabrijel Jurkić, and a second gallery for contemporary art.
The museum's valuable collection is beautifully presented in thoughtful exhibits on the prehistoric period (the copper, bronze and iron ages), the Roman Empire, Late Antiquity, and the Middle Ages. The most valuable item exhibited is a prehistoric sheath founded inside a burial mound at the Pustopolje site. The prehistoric sheath has dimensions of 300 x 170 cm and is from the 17th c. BC, making it the oldest and largest preserved wooden sheath in Europe.

In the footsteps of the Bosnian Kingdom in Vranduk

Vranduk is a small village 10 km north of the city of Zenica. The town formed around a medieval fortress that was erected at the end of the XIV c. and which is still preserved today in its original form. The fortress was built in a strategic location above the Bosna River and protected the Bosnian Kingdom from attack by the Hungarians to the north. Today, the fortress' tower hosts a number of the exhibits of the Zenica City Museum, including an exhibit featuring a royal dinner, a notarial office from the Middle Ages, and a small blacksmith's shop.

The oldest written document with Bosančica in Franciscan monastery in Ljubuški

Within the monastery of Humac close to the city Ljubuški there is the oldest museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was founded in 1884. The museum contains many pieces from prehistoric times and the Middle Ages, which were found in the surrounding area. The most valuable item is the Humac Ttablet, the oldest written document to be found in BiH (XI – XII c.s), which is composed of a mixture of letter from old Bosnian Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets.

These and many other tips for an interesting vacation in Bosnia you can find in the Book "Come, Enjoy, Pass It On BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA".