Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Konvertibilna Marka (BAM; symbol KM) = 100 feninga. Notes are in denominations of KM200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 and 50 feninga. Coins are available in denominations of KM2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 feninga. Some Euro notes (but not coins) are widely accepted.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are in use.

2018

New Year’s Day: 1 and 2 January 2018
Epiphany: 6 January 2018
Orthodox Christmas Day: 7 January 2018
Republic Day: 9 January 2018 **
Orthodox New Year: 14 January 2018
Independence Day: 1 March 2018*
Catholic Good Friday: 30 March 2018
Catholic Easter: 1 and 2 April 2018
Orthodox Good Friday: 6 April 2018
Orthodox Easter: 8 and 9 April 2018
Labour Day: 1 and 2 May 2018
Victory Day: 9 May 2018
Ramadan Bayram (End of Ramadan): 16 June 2018
Kurban Bayram (Feast of Sacrifice): 21 and 22 August 2018
All Saints’ Day: 1 and 2 November 2018
Dayton Agreement Day: 21 November 2018**
Statehood Day (Republic Day): 25 November 2018
Christmas Day: 25 December 2018

All information subject to change.

Held every year since Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1984, this winter festival keeps audiences entertained for the best part of two months. Over 1,000 artists from around the world present a thrilling mix of concerts, literary discussions, film screenings, dance displays and art exhibitions.

Held for two weeks beginning on or near Sarajevo’s Liberation Day on 6 April, the Collegium Artisticum gallery’s annual exhibition is a highly anticipated event. Around 200 Bosnian artists display their recent work, hoping to win one of three prestigious prizes awarded by the nation’s leading art and architectural associations.

Symphony orchestras, brass bands and classical choirs from across both Bosnia and its neighbours perform at this fabulous five-day music festival. The carefully planned programme often ties in with anniversaries of composers or historic events and features a superb array of concerti, opera overtures and folk tunes.

Over 40,000 children take part in this fantastic festival at the end of the Bosnian school year. A colourful parade of kids wearing national and fancy dress kicks off the festivities, followed by four days of fun ranging from dancers and magicians to movies and a mini circus.

Created in 2005 to help restore artistic collaboration in Bosnia, this classical music festival hosts a sterling selection of renowned musicians from at home and abroad. As well as staging a programme of world-class music, the festival gives Bosnian music students the chance to work with international musicians through masterclasses.

Throughout July, Sarajevo’s Old Town plays host to a terrific series of events at cultural venues and on open-air stages. Among the free performances are film screenings beneath the stars, dramatic opera singing, boot-stomping rock concerts and enchanting puppet shows.

Founded in 1995 towards the end of the four-year Sarajevo siege, this festival has been going strong for two decades. Around 100,000 movie fans are treated to high-quality cinema from across South-East Europe in a variety of venues from the intimate (seating fewer than 200) to 3,000-seater open-air cinemas.

A relative newcomer to Sarajevo’s cultural scene, having started off in 2010, the city’s ballet festival looks set to remain on the calendar for many years to come. With its impressive line-up of dancers and captivating programme of modern and classical ballet, Baletfest has been a hit with Sarajevo’s audiences.

One of the region’s oldest theatre festivals, MESS has been entertaining audiences for more than half a century. The festival stages local, national and international plays by leading playwrights, but also aims to unveil works by up-and-coming writers. Theatre companies travel from across Europe to perform in this much-loved event.

Sarajevo’s international jazz festival stages a cracking programme of music, with one or two concerts taking place every night. The line-up invariably features an enviable rundown of some of the world’s leading (and often Grammy award-winning) jazz artists, such as Dianne Reeves, Gregory Porter and John McLaughlin.