My wife gave me a gift few weeks ago. She ordered a book called “Kroz Bosnu i Hercegovinu” from Sweden, from the writer himself. The writer, dr. Izet Muratspahic, is actually only a translator of the book, that was written 100 years ago by the Swedish geologist and geographer dr. August Heimer.

Mr. Heimer was a part of an international expedition through Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1904. He described the country with such a precision and dedication that it simply impressed me. There are a lot of statistics, numbers and specific details about Bosnians, their towns, villages and nature and its phenomena. For instance, did you know that Bosnia in the beginning of 20th century exported approximately 100 million kilograms of plumbs, or that Bosnians tattooed themselves for the centuries as the part of their tradition, or that a valley near town of Stolac has the average temperature as same as the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, thus making it warmest place in Europe?

Mr. Heimer and his 70 colleagues entered Bosnia in city of Brcko on the Sava River in the north. On the train they continued to city of Tuzla, than Lukavac, Doboj, Maglaj, Zenica, Sarajevo, Travnik, Donji Vakuf, Jajce, Banjaluka, Bugojno, Gornji Vakuf, Prozor, Konjic, Jablanica, Mostar, Buna, Capljina, Popovo Polje, Trebinje and the coast of Adriatic Sea (in chronological order). I must admit, it was really impressive expedition through Bosnia exactly 100 years ago, and I just hope I can do the same in nearer future, since it was my dream for years to travel across the beautiful, colorful and diverse country. For all who want to know about Bosnia’s history or just want to get some historical facts and how the life was 100 years ago, this is great book.