Family holidays with children in Bosnia & Herzegovina - attractions and entertainment

It would seem that there shouldn't be many places for family vacations in such a small country as Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, they are pretty enough to fully relax and have fun with children. It is better to wear small kids in slings since baby carriages will shake heavily on rough city roads. The first place that is worth visiting with children is Playland Amusement Park located on Andela Zvizdovica Street in Sarajevo. The park occupies the third and fourth floors of Sarajevo City Center, the largest shopping and business center in the capital. In this children's kingdom, there are pools with plastic balls, carousels, slides of various sizes, electric cars, small houses, and much more. The cost of entertainment is up to 4 convertible marks. A similar place can also be found in "SCC" shopping center on Vrbanja Street.

Sporty families should not ignore Grbavica Stadium locally known as "Valley of Cups" that is located on Zvornička Street in Sarajevo. The stadium is open from midday to midnight. Built in 1940 and renovated in the 70's, the stadium can accommodate about 13,500 spectators. It hosts matches of the national team and all the most important games for the country. The 1984-85 UEFA Cup was held on this stadium. Besides comfortable seats, the stadium also offers standing areas.

Studying the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina with children, you can start with the round-the-clock accessible Latin Bridge in the Old Town. At first glance, the bridge over the Miljacka River is only notable for its antiquity. However, tourists only need to go to the bridge's north end to find themselves in the very place where one of the most devastating wars in human history began. This is where Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia were killed in 1914. War Childhood Museum tells about the history of another war. This historical museum on Logavina Street opened in 2017 tells stories of children who lived during the Bosnian War through various exhibits. These are toys, clothes, and other things that belonged to children. An audio or written story about the item and its owner is attached to each exhibit. The museum is open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The best location to spend time with kids in nature is Ilidža, a suburb of Sarajevo. There is wonderful Vrelo Bosne Park open 24 hours a day. The park with over a hundred years of history is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the country. In this little piece of paradise, you'll find is a forest, a clean river, a waterfall, a lot of bridges, a small cafe, and many trails. In the park, you can just sit in the shade of lush trees or bask in the sun, take a stroll, enjoying beautiful views and clean air, ride a bike, have a picnic or feed swans.

You can also swim in the Thermal Riviera located on 18 Butmirska cesta in Ilidža. It is a water park, a complex of outdoor and indoor swimming pools for adults and children. And while kids are splashing in the water, adults can visit a perfectly equipped modern fitness center. The complex is open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM six days a week, and on Saturday you can have fun until 2:00 AM. On weekdays, admission for adults is 13 KM, for children - 10 KM. Prices rise on weekends.

Any family cultural program should include visiting children's theaters. "Aparat Teatar" stages productions for adults and children of all ages. Performances are more focused on sounds and visual component than on language. The theater does not have its own building - its troupe consisting of musicians, actors, and stage directors, adults and kids, travels all over the country. Actors try to erase any boundaries between the stage and the hall and often involve their small spectators in the show.

Children's Theater of the Republic of Serbia with a half-century history is based in Banja Luka. It offers wonderful unforgettable performances for children, from ballet to puppet shows, as well as a museum of puppets working from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The capacity of the hall is 333 seats. The theater participates in international theater festivals and has many awards.