List of World Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina


The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Bosnia and Herzegovina inherited the former country of Yugoslavia's accession to the convention on 12 July 1993 as one of the successor states.
, there are three sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the list and a further nine on the tentative list. The first site, the Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar, was inscribed to the list at the 29th UNESCO session in 2005. In 1993, during the Bosnian War, it was destroyed by the Croatian Defence Council in an artillery barrage. It was reconstructed after the conflict and reopened in 2004. In 2007, the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad was inscribed to the list. This was followed by the inscription of the Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards in 2016. The latter is a transnational site, which is also partly in Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Out of 28 listed Stećci sites, 20 are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the most prominent one in Radimlja.

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, whereas vii through x are natural.
SiteImageLocation Year listedDescription
Old Bridge Area of the Old City of MostarMostar2005946; vi
This site encompasses the Old Bridge and the surrounding area. The Ottoman bridge, which crosses the Neretva river, was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and completed in 1566/67. In 1993, during the Bosnian War, it was deliberately shelled and destroyed by the Croatian Defence Council. After the war, the bridge was rebuilt using traditional construction methods and local materials, and reopened in 2004.
Mehmed Paša Sokolović BridgeVišegrad20071260; ii, iv
The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, which crosses the Drina river, was completed in 1577 by the Ottoman court architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of the Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović.
Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards*20 sites20161504; iii, vi
Stećci are the monolith medieval tombstones found in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as parts of Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. They first appeared in the 12th century and reached their peak in the 14th and 15th centuries. There are 20 sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly in the southeastern part of the country. The largest cluster is located in Radimlja, in the Stolac municipality.

Tentative list

In addition to the sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of 2018, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded nine sites on its tentative list.
SiteImageLocation Year listedUNESCO criteriaDescription
Sarajevo – unique symbol of universal multiculture – continual open city Sarajevo1997v
Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has a long and rich history of religious and cultural diversity.
Vjetrenica caveRavno2004vii, x
Vjetrenica is the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the warmer parts of the year, cold air blows from its entrance. It is an important biodiversity spot. Fossils of prehistoric carnivores have been found in the cave.
The natural and architectural ensemble of JajceJajce2006ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii
The city of Jajce is located at the confluence of the Pliva and Vrbas rivers. It was founded in the Middle Ages and acquired its final form during the Ottoman period.
The historic urban site of PočiteljČapljina2007ii, iii, iv, v, vi
The city of Počitelj presents one of the few urban ensembles in Bosnia and Herzegovina preserved in their integrity from the medieval and Ottoman periods.
The natural and architectural ensemble of BlagajMostar2007ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii
The town of Blagaj, situated at the spring of the Buna river, contains several examples of Ottoman architecture, such as the Blagaj Tekke.
The natural and architectural ensemble of BlidinjeJablanica, Posušje, Tomislavgrad2007i, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix
The Blidinje Nature Park area is an example of the geological processes that took place during the orogenesis of the Dinarides, as well as an example of the evolutionary development of postglacial flora and fauna. The area features a wide range of endemic plant communities and contains several stećak tombstones.
The natural and architectural ensemble of StolacStolac2007ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii
The historic core of Stolac is an example of a complex cultural-historical and natural environmental ensemble. The area contains remains from prehistory, the Illyrian-Roman era, the Middle Ages, and the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Yugoslav periods.
Strict Nature Reserve – Primeval forest "Perućica"Foča2017vii, ix, x
The primeval forest of Perućica is an important biodiversity spot, home to brown bear, wolf, and lynx, as well as to several species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its mountain creek forms the high Skakavac Waterfall.
Jewish Cemetery in SarajevoSarajevo2018ii, iii, iv, vi
The burial complex lies on a steep site and covers a total area of. There are more than 3,850 tombstones in a total of seven plots, along with four memorials erected to the victims of World War II fascist terror and several cenotaphs. The complex also includes a large Ashkenazi ossuary built in 1962 following the exhumation of the old and the new Ashkenazi graveyards. In 1966, the cemetery was closed for burials. It is believed that the Geniza is located in the southeastern part of the cemetery.
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe Šipovo2019ix
This is an extension to the site, already listed in several European countries, documenting the evolution and spread of European beech. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the nomination includes the Strict Nature Reserve - Primeval forest Janj.
Complex of travertine waterfalls in Martin Brod - Una National ParkBihać2019vii, ix
The upper stream of river Una features a series of waterfalls and travertine formations and is an important biodiversity spot.