Peace is allowing visitors to rediscover this Balkan nation's world-class ski slopes, medieval forest, and vibrant capital

To anyone still associates Bosnia and Herzegovina with television images of war and columns of refugees, the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo will come as a surprise. Instead, they'll find a vibrant city with diverse architecture reflecting its rich history, and scores of people strolling through the Turkish Old Town or sipping coffee in outdoor cafés in the elegant nineteenth-century central quarter. Looking up from the valley at the surrounding hills dotted with thin white minarets, it's almost inconceivable that 16 years ago Bosnian Serb tanks and artillery rained bombs onto the town and its citizens for 43 months, killing 11,000. Today, only some bullet-ridden buildings remind visitors of the 1992–95 ethnic war, in which some 100,000 civilians perished. International groups working in Sarajevo praise the security situation in the country, where the crime rate is lower than in most Western European nations. Land mines scattered in rural areas pose a risk only if visitors wander off the main paths. (Land mine zones are normally marked and fenced.)

Although Bosnia was split into two autonomous regions—the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic—after the war that followed the breakup of the former Yugoslav federation in 1991, there are no visible boundaries between them, and visitors are equally welcome in each (ethnic animosities persist but are not readily apparent). Local authorities are increasing efforts to improve infrastructure and facilities, and a promotional film, Enjoy Life, Enjoy Bosnia-Herzegovina, created by the national tourism association, has been broadcast on CNN. "The campaign shows Bosnians how beautiful their country is and inspires them to visit new places," said Zdravko Kujundzija of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, referring to remaining psychological barriers to a greater mixing of Bosnia's three ethnic groups: Serbs, Muslims, and Croats.

The publicity appears to be working: Visits to Mostar, set on the banks of the emerald Neretva River and famous for its Ottoman-era architecture and Mediterranean climate, are expected to reach pre-war levels soon. Snow-covered mountain peaks are just a four-hour drive from the Adriatic coast, and though there are only some 18 miles of highway in the entire region, most roads have been reconstructed and are safe to drive. Rental cars are readily available in Sarajevo, but visitors are advised to drive with caution due to the locals' carefree style of motoring. The mountain resorts of Igman, Bjelasnica, and Jahorina, near Sarajevo, hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1984 and are once again attracting skiers. In summer, adventurers can scale 7,800-foot Mount Maglic, Bosnia's highest peak, or hike the medieval forest of Perucica, both in Sutjeska National Park. The clear waters of the Neretva, Una, Drina, and Tara rivers are all excellent for swimming or rafting, while the picturesque medieval town of Jajce, with its waterfalls and nearby Pliva Lake, is another highlight. Neum, Bosnia's sole Adriatic Sea resort, has lovely beaches and smart hotels.

On the Ground: In Sarajevo, the Hotel Villa Orient and its sister property, the Hotel Meridian, both in the Old Town, are centrally located and pleasant (387-33-232-702, 387-33-446-177; hotel-villa-orient.com; doubles, $160). In Mostar, charming Muslibegovic House is a traditional Bosnian Muslim home turned hotel/museum (387-36-551-379; muslibegovichouse.com; doubles, $110). In Neum, Aparthotel Villa Nova is surrounded by pine forest and fronts a private beach (387-36-885-220; villa-nova.info; doubles, $54–$75). For more information, see the official tourism Web site (bhtourism.ba/eng) or tour company Green Visions (greenvisions.ba).

Daria Sito-Sucic is a Sarajevo-based correspondent for Reuters.