Shopping in Bosnia & Herzegovina - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

When going shopping in Bosnia and Herzegovina, don't rush to big malls in the first place. In pursuit of relatively cheap but high-quality goods, pay primary attention to the famous local bazaars or markets. One of them is the old oriental Bascarsija Bazaar in Sarajevo that looks like medieval streets-labyrinths where artisans offer their goods right from workshops standing here: for example, fine hand-made shawls, professional jewelry, and ceramic products, Turkish coffee grinders, delicious oriental food. Artisans create their works right in front of buyers. Here there's even a small café where you can get some rest and have a meal after shopping. Copper products, which Bosnia is famous for - coffee pots, plates and, other goods - should only be purchased directly from shops of craftsmen. Otherwise, there is a possibility of buying a fake. And in the old part of Mostar, near the Neretva River, there is the Kujundziluk Bazaar, which has been operating since the 16th century. This noisy and colorful place offers customers hookahs, amazing oriental scarves, knitted sweaters, unique jewelry, and other precious handmade souvenirs. Choosing an oriental carpet, it is important to pay attention to its underside. The more knots there are, the higher the quality of a carpet. Try to choose products in bazaars by ear - sellers constantly shout out prices of their goods, trying to attract customers to themselves.

But for renewing the wardrobe, it's recommended to visit one of Mostar's shopping centers. Mostly European-style goods are sold here. Clothing and footwear in Bosnia and Herzegovina are quite cheap and of good quality. Must-buys are hand-made woolen pointed toe slippers worn by many Bosnians at home.

Alta Shopping Center located on Franz Lehar Street is open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, on Sundays from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. It is one of the most popular shopping malls in Sarajevo. The city center is full of restaurants, boutiques offering goods from famous brands, bookstores, and cosmetics shops; here you can also buy a variety of food. A shopping center on Vrbanja Street operating from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM offers collections of such brands as Zara, Levi's, and Adidas. A four-story mall in Tuzla on Univerzitetska Street is a standard mall with friendly staff offering the most necessary products. Open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Pyramid Shopping Mall in Mostar is open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM 7 days a week, offering a variety of shoe shops and sports stores. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The country's most unique souvenirs are, perhaps, items made of spent shell casings and bullets. Most of these remnants of war that covered Bosnian streets were collected and converted into amazing products by craftsmen. These are pens, figurines - anything that masters could imagine and bring to life. There are a lot of other military souvenirs, such as knives and helmets. All this is freely available for sale in tourist areas.

Always crowded and lively, the main Ferhadija Pedestrian Street in Sarajevo is famous not only for beautiful architecture clearly demonstrating the Austro-Hungarian influence, but also for multiple cafes, restaurants, Turkish shops, bars, nightclubs, shops, and boutiques. Here you will find clothes from both world-famous and local designers. After shopping, you can smoke a hookah or drink Italian coffee and admire the diversity of eras and cultures, organically intertwined in the atmosphere of the street.

A nice souvenir would be a painting bought at a reasonable price from one of the many Bosnian artists. No, they do not draw portraits to order here. Artists creating in different techniques exhibit their ready-made artworks along the streets in big cities. It only remains to choose. It is also worth noting that the Bosnian currency's name is "The Convertible Mark" or "KM". You'll have to use it in most shops, however, Bazaar merchants often accept Euros.