An autumn day in Bosnia and Herzegovina is like being inside the Beast’s castle – fascinating, magical, and a little bit lonely . When the majority of tourists leave and continue their lives in their respective countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina moves to its slumber until the next wave of peak season arrives.

Having spent three hours on the road from Dubrovnik, crossing the border took some considerable time. Unlike in Montenegro where the stamping of passport was quick and casual, the border guard at B&H personally went inside our minivan to check the faces of individual passengers, despite conversing with our licensed driver and tour guide with all papers presented. It might just be a common protocol, but stamped on the faces of people in our group were worry, confusion, and a bit of tension.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Balkan country bordered by Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and the Adriatic Sea. It has a long history of being a war-torn country and until now, people are still struggling to survive. Imagine half of the population without a permanent source of livelihood 20 years after the war. And to top it all off, B&H has three presidents – one Bosniak, one Croat, and one Serb – who rotate within a four-year term.