Visoko and the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun

Visoko is a town in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 30 km north-west of Sarajevo and reachable in 35-45 minutes by car or 40-60 minutes by bus or train. It is the base for the so-called Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun (Visočica hill) and related hills, promoted since 2005 by Bosnian-born researcher Semir Osmanagić as ancient pyramids. Mainstream archaeologists and geologists dispute the claims and regard the hills as natural formations, so the site is best approached as a curiosity with a contested story. Visitors can see the excavated stone paving on the Pyramid of the Sun site for about EUR 5 (about 10 KM), and the Ravne tunnel complex for about EUR 10 (about 20 KM), a network of passages with bare walls that is cool year-round. Visoko also has real history: the medieval Visoki and the royal town of Visoki is near Mile, where Bosnian kings were crowned, and the Old Town (Visoki fortress) on Visočica hill is a genuine medieval fortress. The town centre has the Muhamed Hevai Uskufi Library and museum quarter, and the old bazaar tradition survives in leatherwork. A short half-day plan starts with an early bus or train from Sarajevo, followed by a taxi from Visoko to the Ravne site, a tunnel visit of about an hour, a walk to the hill excavation area, lunch in Visoko town, and a return to Sarajevo by mid-afternoon. Organised half-day tours from Sarajevo take four to five hours, and the tunnel entrance is usually excluded from the tour price. April to October gives the easiest walking conditions, although the tunnels stay at a constant cool temperature, so a light jacket is useful in any season.