‘Tourism can offer us hope’: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s staggering scenery and beautiful towns

With its wild horses, varied activities and rich history, the small Balkan country embraces a bright new future of sustainable travel

As our Jeep crests the hill we see them, gathering around a nearby waterhole, drinking, grazing, play-fighting. The vast Kruzi plateau stretches before us, edged by the foothills of Mount Cincar, an untamed landscape of scrub and limestone karst in south-west Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Look, here come more,” says Matej, our safari guide, and sure enough a herd of wild horses gallops past, a whirlwind of manes and clattering hooves. Dozens of horses, once used for farming and transport, were set free more than 50 years ago and replaced by machines. Today they number upwards of 700, living in the mountains high above the village of Livno. It’s a magical sight, and another surprise on my tour.