Just shy of 18 years ago I had just graduated college and a couple of buddies and myself were galavanting around Italy celebrating our graduation.
My buddy’s father who happened to live in Italy asked if we would be interested in heading to Croatia and Bosnia.
What the heck sounds like fun so we rented a 1986 (if memory serves correct) turbo diesel Chrysler minivan in Ancona, Italy put it and ourselves on a ferry across the Adriatic and landed in Split, Croatia, drove around, crossed the border to Bosnia and ended up in Medjugorje, Bosnia.
Turns out we were on a Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Medjugorje. I was not Catholic but a Protestant but still it was just so beautiful, I did not speak Latin but the mass was so lovely. While there is back and forth in regard to the shrine and the supposed miracles it still and always will hold a special place in my heart.
I became Catholic three years ago and I would really like to return in 2025 as that will be 20 years since I have been there.
The Vatican now allows official priest led pilgrimages to Medjugorje so am kind of leaning toward one of those but not opposed to just figuring it out on my own. However, I do believe I may have bribed our way into Bosnia at the Croatia/Bosnia border crossing and I would like not to do that again.

Just wondering if anyone has been to Bosnia recently and how their experience was. And I am sure some of you are scratching your head about the location, I assure you both Croatia and Bosnia (at least some parts) are absolutely amazing.
It is funny anytime I mention having traveled to Croatia and Bosnia everyone asks if I was in the military and I respond, no was on vacation.

I haven't been there, but might I recommend 206 Tours.

I did a trip with them to Israel and it was excellent. Several of the folks in my group had done multiple tours with them and had nothing but good things to say.

My sister-in-law #2 was born in Germany to a Serb family with her father from Bosnia and her mother from Croatia ... back when it was all Yugoslavia and didn't matter. After the country broke up, her family had a bear getting some citizenship, any citizenship; she eventually wound up being a naturalized German. Getting birth certificates etc. from the original issuing local authorities for marrying my brother was a whole extra adventure.

She typically travels once a year to visit relatives in Croatia and Serbia, and her father's grave in Bosnia, variously with my brother and or/their daughter in tow. My niece is turning six and seems to understand Serbo-Croatian pretty well, but doesn't really speak it.

Sarajevo will be my next trip to Europe, so I'm following this. I haven't gone south of Slovenia, but I'm still trying to figure out if I'll fly to Sarajevo from Vienna or drive from Klagenfurt. I have to see the museum on the assassination of the Austrian Archduke. If Mrs. Lee could come with me, then I'd definitely do the drive down the coast. But I'll be solo, so maybe just a quick in and out from Vienna.