BalkanCom 2022

Fifth International Balkan Conference on Communications and Networking

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 22-24, 2022

Era of Machine Intelligence in Communications

Conference Venue

The Fifth BalkanCom Conference will be held in Sarajevo in Hotel Europe, an Austro-Hungarian building turned into a five-star hotel and a perfect venue for our International BalkanCom conference. Built 1882, at the crossroads of the Oriental and modern style, Hotel Europe is imbued with the best attributes of both worlds and its external splendour alone will have you captivated. Positioned in the heart of the Sarajevo city it is literally a few steps away from the tourist Old Town core.

Hotel Europe has for an entire century been a silent witness to the history of Sarajevo and has hosted the most notable personalities from Europe and the rest of the world. It is at this Hotel that distinguished statesmen and politicians, high-profile corporate executives, motion picture and television personalities, artists and athletes have all stayed whilst visiting Sarajevo.

After 130 years of tradition, Hotel Europe has been restored to its original splendor and designed according to the highest standards of hospitality. The hotel offers 160 luxurious rooms and14 suites, spa&wellness facilities including fitness center, indoor swimming pool, Turkish bath, tanning beds, saunas, and massage, as well as fully equipped conference halls where 5th BalkanCom will be held.

City of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the country's administrative, economic, cultural, education and sport center. The City of Sarajevo is divided into four municipalities: Stari Grad, Centar, Novo Sarajevo, and Novi Grad.
Sarajevo surrounded by the Olympic mountains: Bjelasnica, Igman, Jahorina, and Trebevic. The average land elevation of the city is 500 m above sea level.

For several hundred years, the borders of two great empires, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian, which represented the two poles of the world at that time - East and West, Islamic and Christian - met in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This made the country and its capital a crossroads for different worlds - a place where the Orient met Occident in the heart of the Balkans. Sarajevo is one of those rare cities where, during a ten-minute walk, you can see places of worship for the world'' most important monotheistic religions: Orthodox and Catholic churches, synagogues and mosques. All of these traditions have given Sarajevo a specific aroma and a particular cultural mix.

In Sarajevo, you can find traces of the Neolithic Butmir Culture, Illyrians, Romans, Slavs, as well as remains representing the medieval Bosnian Kingdom, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialistic Federal Republic of Yugoslavia…. Over the past 100 years, Sarajevo has found itself a member of six different states and has witnessed the Sarajevo Assassination, the First and Second World Wars, the XIV Winter Olympic Games, the longest-running siege of any town in modern history... Sarajevo is steeped in history and is always eager to share its many fascinating stories with visitors.

Most of Sarajevo's tourist attractions are located in the Old Town known as Bascarsija spreading towards the city centre easily reachable on foot and well connected to other parts of the city and to the surrounding mountains and other natural and cultural sites by public transportation.

  • Area: 141,5 km²;
  • Altitude: 500 m above sea level;
  • Climate: Mild continental climate;
  • Population: cca 438.000 citizens (291.000 citizens in four City of Sarajevo municipalities; 2013)
  • Population ethnic diversity: Bosniaks, Croats, Serbs, Jews, and other ethnic groups;
  • Time Zone: European Time Zone (GMT +1);
  • Power Supply: The electric supply is 220V with 50Hz frequency;
  • Water: It is safe to drink tap water in Sarajevo;

Info about the city:

http://www.sarajevo-tourism.com/

https://sarajevo.travel/en

Info about the currency:

The currency in Bosnia and Herzegovina is BAM, or Convertible Mark. BAM is the internationally recognized symbol for the Convertible Mark, while KM is used locally. One Mark is divided into 100 pfennigs and notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 KM.

The exchange rate for the Convertible Mark is fixed to the Euro: 1.95 BAM = 1 Euro.;You can exchange money at exchange offices, banks or post offices.;

Tourist Information Centre

Address: Sarači 58, 71000 Sarajevo
Phone: + 387 33 580 999;
E-mail:;tourinfo@bih.net.ba

Visa information

All participants are required to check the official website of the Ministry of Foreign;Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina to see whether they are required to obtain a visa when entering Bosnia and Herzegovina:;

http://www.mvp.gov.ba/konzularne_informacije/vize/default.aspx

As an applicant country for membership in the;European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains visa policy similar to the;visa policy of the Schengen Area. Bosnia and Herzegovina grants visa-free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities and it also grants visa-free entry to several additional countries -;Azerbaijan,;Bahrain,;China,;Kuwait,;Oman,;Qatar,;Russia, and;Turkey.

Nationals of the following states may enter into Bosnia and Herzegovina with a passport;or a valid identity card proving identity and citizenship of:;;

  • Member State of the European Union
  • State signatory to the Schengen Agreement
  • Andorra, Montenegro, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Serbia, the Holy See and Swiss Confederation

Visa policy map:

Getting there

By plane:

Sarajevo International Airport is located only 12 kilometers from the centre of Sarajevo. It serves as a connection to many European cities and to the rest of the world through major international airline hubs, such as Istanbul, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Zurich.... The airports in Tuzla and Mostar, both of which are about a two-hour drive from Sarajevo, handle flights made by low-cost airlines. More info on reaching the conference venue from the airport can is available on our Getting around page.;

Link Airport:;https://www.sarajevo-airport.ba/?lang=eng

To help you with the flight search you can use sites like:

By bus:

Sarajevo is connected to many European cities by direct bus lines. The Centrotrans Eurolines bus company (www.centrotrans.com) connects Sarajevo with Austria, Belgium, Montenegro, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, and Serbia. Other companies, like Biss Tours;and Globtour, also offer direct bus lines from many European cities to Sarajevo.

Link Bus station:;http://www.autobusni-kolodvor.com/en/default.aspx

By train:

Rail travel in Bosnia and Herzegovina is neither sufficiently modernized nor popular but is a suitable and safe way to travel for low-budget travelers. Sarajevo is directly connected to the Croatian capital, Zagreb, and, from there, with the rest of Europe. A one-way ticket from Sarajevo to Zagreb costs around 60 KM and a return ticket costs around 95 KM.;

By car:

Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the process of developing a highway system in order to make road travel more efficient, but one would be well advised to drive carefully on regional roads. Speed limits are set at the following: 50-60 kph within city limits, 80kph on open roads and 120 kph on highways.;

Getting around

It's easy toget around in Sarajevo. Everything in the city centre is reachable by foot and you can get to those further afield by using public transport or by taking a taxi. The conference venue, Hotel Europe is inthe heart of the city, just a few steps away from the tourist Old Town core, so getting around shouldn't be a problem.

Getting around from the airport

BUS OPTION: The Sarajevo International Airport is connected toSarajevo city centre by buses operated by Centrotrans Eurolines. The bus schedule is available on the airport's website and a one-way ticket is 5 KM, round trip is 8 KM.

TAXI: Taxi stands arenext to Terminal B of Sarajevo Airport. A taxidriver is obliged to make out a bill on passenger's request. Price may be agreed upon but it must not exceed the taxi meter amount (start:1.90 KM, drive per km:1.20 KM, each piece of luggage: 2 KM). Getting from the airport to Baščaršija (the city centre) should be around 20 KM.

Important: You can only pay for taxi services in cash. Taxi is payable only in KM currency. Sarajevo Taxi has a card payment option, but this must be emphasized when making a call, as not all cars have a device for this type of payment.

Getting around the city

Sarajevo is well connected by public transport. Tickets for the tram and trolleybus can be purchased at the kiosk (one-way ticket price is 1.60 KM) or in the vehicle (price 1.80 KM). Tickets for the bus and mini-bus can be purchased only in the vehicle at the price of 1.60 KM (one-way).Trams run from Baščaršija toIlidža(Line No. 3) and the ride takes about 30 minutes. By taking a trolleybus, you’ll be able to see the part of Sarajevo that runs along the left bank of the Miljacka River. Line No. 103 runs from Trg Austria to Dobrinja and takes about 30 minutes.

Sarajevo has some of the cheapest taxi rates in Europe and several private taxi companies operate in the city 24 hours a day.Price may be agreed upon but it must not exceed the taxi meter amount (start:1.90 KM, drive per km:1.20 KM) and can only be paid in cash in local currency. Several local taxi companies:

– Boss taxi: +38733 531 200
– Crveni taxi: +38733 760 600
– Kale taxi: +38733 570 900
– Paja taxi: +38733 15 22
– Samir&Emir taxi: +38733 15 16
– Sarajevo taxi: +38733 15 15, application
– Žuti taxi: +38733 663 555

If you are arriving to Sarajevo with your own car, please keep in mindthat it would be advisable to use monitored parking lots or the underground garages located at BBI Center, Sarajevo City Center, Hotel Europe.It is risky to park on unlit streets and you should definitely be sure not to leave any valuable items in clear view inside your car.