Top 5 Lookouts in , Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Reviewed By GeysirGal - Surrey, United Kingdom

I knew I wanted to see this place after reading about it in all the guide books and so was determined to find a tour - which I did with Green Visions who travel here a couple of times a week. Lukomir is of course Bosnia's most isolated village and indeed one of Europe's oldest - I don't think anyone knows for sure how long it has been inhabited, but it's a long time, and a lot longer than the village I live in. We got a bit of rain on the way up, via the long and bumpy yet exhilerating road but that soon cleared to leave a beautiful and sunny day. In fairness to one of the previous reviewers you would need a good day to see the village at its best and I would imagine it would be pretty miserable to go all that way and not be able to see anything. Actually the journey to the village was one of the best bits - the scenery as you climb higher and higher right up into the mountains really is spectacular. It reminds me in some ways of Iceland - minus the lava fields. These days the village is only inhabited during the summer months with villagers going back into the towns during the winter when the roads become inpassable due to snow. The women stil wear their tradtional dress and can be seen hanging out the washing and tending to the gardens. Not all of them like to have their picture taken so its best to ask and of course respect their wishes if they say no, this is after all their home and not a goldfish bowl, although they do rely heavily on tourism to survive. Because the village is so isolated the weather up here differs wildly from that in the towns lower down - proper walking gear with wind and waterproofs and of course good boots are strongly recommended. The weatherr can close in very quickly up here and it's always best to cover all eventualities - even on the balmiest of summer days. Our tour involved a short walk to a nearby waterfall, which was nothing too strenuous followed by a walk through the village and lunch in one of the houses - delicious traditionally baked pie with fresh salad - and I mean fresh - wonderful hearty and traditional fare. We sat out in the sun to eat enjoying the view and the fresh air and discussing village life. After lunch we went for another walk to the highest point in the village to admire the view - fantastic in all directions with so much silence. You would have to be a special kind of person to live in this place and it is hard to see how it can continue with so little for the younger generation to do to be able to support themselves. Like many villages it is an ageing population. This is then a dying way of life that should be seen before its too late.