Sarajevo

Overview

Sarajevo is one of Europe's most historically layered and emotionally complex cities. The city where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 (triggering World War I), where four competing religions coexist within 500 metres of each other (mosque, Orthodox cathedral, Catholic cathedral, synagogue), and where the longest siege in modern warfare (1,425 days, 1992–1996) was survived by a civilian population of 300,000. Sarajevo is also a city of remarkable warmth, excellent food, strong coffee culture, and a generation of young people who have rebuilt something from the wreckage of the 1990s.

Best Time to Visit

May to October is best. June and July are warm (26–30°C) with long days and mountain access. Sarajevo Film Festival (late July/early August) is Central and Eastern Europe's most important film festival, transforming the open-air Metalica cinema in the old town. Winter brings skiing (Bjelašnica, 30 minutes from the city) and a dramatically atmospheric old town.

Top Things to Do

Baščaršija (Ottoman Bazaar)

The 15th-century bazaar district is the heart of the Ottoman-era city — a grid of craft workshops and hans (merchants' inns) centred on the Sebilj fountain. Each street still specialises in a craft: coppersmiths (Kazandžiluk), goldsmiths, woodcarvers. The Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque (1531) is the finest Ottoman mosque in the Western Balkans; the covered bazaar (Brusa Bezistan) is a beautifully restored han from 1551.

Latin Bridge & The Assassination Corner

The corner of Appel Quay and Franz Josef Street (now Latin Bridge corner) where Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on June 28, 1914, is marked by a small plaque. The adjacent Museum of Sarajevo (in the building above) tells the story with extraordinary archival material. The Latin Bridge itself is Ottoman (16th century) and beautiful.

Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija)

The Ottoman fortress above the old town gives the best panoramic view of Sarajevo — the minarets, the domes, the Austro-Hungarian boulevard, and the encircling mountains that penned the city during the siege. At sunset, the city turns gold.

War Childhood Museum

The award-winning museum uses 50 objects — one per exhibitor — to tell the stories of individuals who were children during the 1992–1996 siege. Small, quiet, and devastating. The most powerful museum in the Balkans.

Tunnel of Hope (Tunel D-B)

The 800-metre tunnel dug under the Dobrinja neighbourhood during the siege — the only link between besieged Sarajevo and free Bosnian territory. Civilians and military supplies passed through it for three years. The preserved section and adjacent museum are essential for understanding the siege.

Food & Drink

• Ćevapi — Grilled skinless lamb and beef sausages in a fresh somun (flatbread) with raw onion and kajmak (clotted cream). The Bosnian national dish. At Ćevabdžinica Hodžić in Baščaršija.
• Burek — Flaky phyllo pastry filled with minced meat (or cheese, spinach, potato). Bought by weight from the bakery. Bosnians consider their burek the best in the Balkans (they're right).
• Bosanski lonac — Slow-cooked lamb and vegetable stew in a clay pot. The countryside version of Bosnian comfort food.
• Bosnian coffee (Bosanska kafa) — Ground coffee brewed directly in a džezva (copper pot) and poured into a small cup. Served with sugar, a sugar cube to dip, and a glass of water. Drinking it is a social ritual.

Getting Around

Sarajevo's centre is compact and walkable (the old town is entirely on foot). Trams run east–west. Taxis are cheap.

From Mostar: 2h30 by bus. From Dubrovnik: 3h30 by bus.

Budget Guide

Day Trips

• Mostar — The Ottoman bridge (Stari Most) over the Neretva River, rebuilt after being destroyed in 1993. The most beautiful sight in Bosnia. 2h30 by bus.
• Bjelašnica — The 1984 Winter Olympics ski mountain, 25km from the city. Open in winter; walking and mountain biking in summer.
• Travnik — The former capital of the Ottoman pashas of Bosnia, with a 15th-century fortress and two mosques. 1h30 by bus.

Practical Info

• Currency: BAM (Bosnian Mark), pegged to the euro. Cash preferred in traditional establishments.
• Language: Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian — mutually intelligible. English in tourist areas; less so elsewhere.
• Tipping: Round up or leave 10% in restaurants.
• Safety: Very safe for visitors. The surrounding countryside has uncleared landmines in some rural areas — stay on marked paths.