Safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Landmines. The country's one genuine peculiarity is that mined ground remains in rural areas, so never step off surfaced roads and marked paths.
Warning signs. The red "Pazi Mine" skull signs are not decoration. Going past a barrier or into an abandoned building can kill you.
Cities. Pickpockets work the tourist areas of Sarajevo and Mostar, so watch your bag in crowds and on trams.
Hiking. Use marked trails only, and take a licensed mountain guide for anything ambitious.
Driving. Local drivers are aggressive and the mountain switchbacks demand full concentration and some skill.
Wildlife. Bears and snakes live in the remote forests, though staying on the trails makes an encounter very unlikely.
Demonstrations. Protests happen in the capital. They are usually peaceful but can shut down traffic for hours, so check before a transfer.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a hospitable country with modest street crime. Cheating tourists is not the custom and the schemes are mundane.

Taxis in Sarajevo. The meter is compulsory, but at the airport and around Baščaršija it is sometimes "forgotten". An app operates and prices are low.

Currency exchange. The convertible mark is firmly pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, so there is little to cheat on. Change at banks.

"Guides" in Mostar. At the Old Bridge you are offered a walk and commentary at a verbally quoted price. Agree in figures.

Souvenirs. Objects made from shell casings are a local tradition, but genuine handworked metal costs more than the stamped kind. Haggling is expected.

Car hire. Check whether crossing into neighbouring countries is permitted: many firms restrict Croatia and Montenegro or charge separately. A Green Card is compulsory.

Landmines are the most important thing to know about Bosnia. Substantial areas remain mined after the war, and clearance is still unfinished. Dangerous areas are marked with red skull signs and red-and-white tape, but the marking has been lost in places. The rules are strict: do not leave tarmac and beaten paths in rural areas, do not enter abandoned or ruined buildings, and do not walk the former front lines around Sarajevo. Go into the mountains only with a local guide or on officially marked routes.

Two entities. The Federation and Republika Srpska have separate police forces and partly different rules. A car needs insurance valid in both.

Drink-driving. The limit is 0.3 per mille.

Drones. Permission is required, and they are prohibited over military sites and airports.

Photography. Military installations are off limits.

Politics and the war. The 1990s remain painful, and assessments differ diametrically between communities. Keep your views to yourself.

Vaccinations. None mandatory. For hiking, discuss tick-borne encephalitis.

Water. Tap water in Sarajevo and the large cities is drinkable. In rural areas, ask.

Winter air is a serious problem. Sarajevo sits in a mountain basin, and in winter temperature inversions trap smog from coal heating in the city for weeks. On some days Sarajevo tops global air pollution rankings. People with asthma and heart conditions are better off not coming in winter.

Mountains. The Dinaric highlands are beautiful and little developed. Rescue services in the familiar sense are scarce, coverage disappears quickly, and leaving the trails is unwise for the additional reason of mines.

Rivers. Rafting on the Neretva and Tara is popular, but water levels change sharply. Choose an operator with equipment and insurance.

Healthcare. The public system is weak. Sarajevo has acceptable private clinics; the regions have little. Anything serious means evacuation to Zagreb or Belgrade. Insurance is needed.

Emergency numbers: 122 police, 124 ambulance, 112 unified.

Bosnia sits in the lower half of the European corruption table, but police are generally correct with tourists.

The structure is complicated. The Federation, Republika Srpska and the Brčko District each have their own police, plus cantonal units. In practice this means only that you will encounter different uniforms as you travel.

Numbers. 122 for police, 112 for the European line.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. The process is slow and English is not universal.

Traffic police. Many speed traps, with fines issued on the spot. Unofficial payment occurs but is applied to foreigners less often.

Languages. Younger people and tourism staff speak English. Russian is rarely understood, though Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian are Slavic and individual words are recognisable by ear.

What actually matters. Bosnia is safe for a tourist in the cities. The country's one genuinely serious danger is mines beyond the roads and paths.