- Height on Bjelašnica mountain
- 1,495 m
- Permanent residents, 2013 census
- 13
- From Sarajevo
- About 50 km
A village on a mountain
Lukomir sits at 1,495 m on Bjelašnica mountain, a bare, open landscape well above the valleys most visitors see on a Bosnian trip. Wikipedia calls it the highest and most remote village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is Wikipedia’s own claim, and we have not checked it elsewhere, so read it as “often described as the highest”.
It is small. The 2013 census counted 13 permanent residents. Wikipedia adds that 17 families return in summer, so the village is much busier in the warm months than in the cold ones. A second settlement, Donji Lukomir (Lower Lukomir), lies about 500 m lower, near the Rakitnica canyon.
What you see
The photograph at the top shows the main thing: stone-built houses spread over a high, treeless plateau. This is not a village with sights in the usual sense. There is no castle, no museum and no ticket office that we know of. People come for the setting, the stone houses and the sense of having reached somewhere remote.
We found no verified detail on facilities, such as shops, cafes or places to stay, so do not count on any of them. Carry food and water, and dress for mountain weather. At this height it will be cooler than in Sarajevo, and the weather can change.
Getting there
Lukomir is about 50 km from Sarajevo. We could not verify the road, the season in which it is open, or how long the drive takes, and the Wikipedia page does not describe them. What can be said is that the road is mountainous, and that most visitors come on a tour or with a guide from Sarajevo. Search GetYourGuide for tours from Sarajevo, which is the base for the trip. We have not listed a Lukomir tour here, because we have not checked one.
If you plan to drive yourself, read car hire and driving for the basics, and ask a local about the road before you set off. Do not rely on a navigation app alone in the mountains.
It is a long way from Mostar
Mostar is not a sensible base for Lukomir. We have no verified distance or time by road from Mostar, but the village lies on Bjelašnica, near Sarajevo, and Mostar is about two hours from the capital by train. A trip from Mostar would mean getting to Sarajevo first and then going up the mountain.
That makes Lukomir a stop for travellers who are going on to Sarajevo anyway. The usual way to combine them:
- Spend your days in Mostar. The Mostar itinerary and the trips to Blagaj and Kravice fill the time.
- Travel on to Sarajevo. The Sarajevo to Mostar page covers the train and the bus.
- Add a day for Lukomir from Sarajevo if the season and the weather allow, and book it with a guide or operator.
Our Sarajevo page covers what the city itself offers.
Seasons
The only seasonal fact we can state is the one above: more families are in the village in summer than in winter. We found nothing reliable on when the road is passable, when snow arrives or how guided trips change through the year. Ask your operator, and have a plan B for a day when the weather turns.
What to bring
Sturdy shoes, a warm layer even in summer, water and some food. Do not expect mobile signal or card payment to work, because we cannot confirm either. If you are walking, tell someone where you are going, and use a guide if you are not used to mountain terrain.
If you only have a day or two left after Mostar and want a lighter option near Sarajevo, the old town in the capital is much easier, and the Sarajevo page shows what it offers.
