In 2022 my wife, Lauren, and I quit our jobs and embarked upon an epic six month European road trip. From the very beginning of our planning I was captivated by the idea of spending time in Sarajevo. Lauren and I both had our dream destinations and for some undefinable reason, Sarajevo was mine. It is very different from your typical idea of a European capital, but, when someone asks me ‘is Sarajevo worth visiting’ I am please to be able to answer, for me ‘yes, it absolutely is!’.
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Beautiful and walkable
First views of Sarajevo are usually from up high. The city is nestled in amongst the mountains, concentrated in the dip of the valley and then more dispersed as you go into the surrounding hills. I was impressed by how green and lush it appeared, on our first day, looking out over the old town from our small balcony in the Bistik district. There are plenty of parks and trees, all over, but particularly as you go further up the banks of the city.
Just like we found in our trip to Bratislava Sarajevo is a compact and walkable place. The old town is filled with great buildings and Ottoman-era architecture. Although compact, there are so many narrow winding streets that I always felt like there was more left to see. The old town (more on that next) and the new town sit side by side. Walking from one to the other almost goes unnoticed, but they could not be more different as a typical European high-street, transforms into a bustling 15th century market.
Walking out from the river, ascending the banks of the hills that surround Sarajevo, you quickly will find yourself in a residential district. Tree-lined streets, family homes, local shops and restaurants; if you are like me you will enjoy wandering these parts of Sarajevo just as much as the more attraction-heavy areas.
Walking out from the river, ascending the banks of the hills that surround Sarajevo, you quickly will find yourself in a residential district. Tree-lined streets, family homes, local shops and restaurants; if you are like me you will enjoy wandering these parts of Sarajevo just as much as the more attraction-heavy areas.
The Old Bazaar
Probably the most iconic part of the city, the Baščaršija (old bazaar) is in the very heart of the city. Essentially, the Baščaršija is what Sarajevo has instead of a typical European city ‘old town’. It is a quite unique, middle-eastern-infused network of single-floor 15th century market buildings.
The area has been maintained to keep its original features, and the streets are far too narrow for cars, so it really feels like you have gone back in time. The buildings are divided up into units filled with traders, coffee shops and traditional restaurants. The smells, sights and sounds make for an electrifying experience. Naturally, if you like to shop for mementos or pieces of local art when you travel, this is the place to come in Sarajevo.
Cat Life
The Old Bazaar has free-roaming, relatively tame cats all over. On the bustling little streets you will frequently see them darting through the legs of pedestrians or sunbathing on the walls at eye-level. Frequently they can be observed playing, hunting and lounging around in the grounds of the many mosques but we particularly noticed them in the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, in the heart of the Old Bazaar.
In the hustle and bustle of the Old Bazaar the cats tended to seek their own space, slightly away from the humans. As we moved just a little further out of the busy areas however, we found cats were a little more interested in people. Most times when we sat down or stopped for a coffee in the quieter streets, cats would come close or even find take up a spot right next to us.
The Bosnian Coffee Scene
Within the Baščaršija there are many coffee houses serving traditional Bosnian coffee. Bosnian coffee is similar to but subtlety different from Turkish coffee. What you get is an intense, strong and bitter flavour in the form of a thickly foamed, relatively small drink. Adding a sugar cube is common, to take the edge off. A local coffee connoisseur showed me that placing half of a cube under your tongue and drinking the coffee through it was the optimal experience; it was certainly sweet!
There are also some options for a more typical espresso-based or filter coffee. Chief among them, in my opinion was Ministry of Ćejf. They served Bosnian coffee too and had the benefit of being located slightly outside of the old Bazaar area, on a steep road, lined with its own assortment of colourful, fascinating shops. Immediately next door to Ministry of Ćejf is Teahouse Džirlo, a highly specialised Bosnian tea house that provides you with an egg timer to ensure the brewing timing is just right.
The Zuta tabija (Yellow Fortress) at Sunset
The Yellow Fortress sits high up to the East of the city. It is a relatively small fortification which now has space on top for people to enjoy spectacular views of Sarajevo. There is a café and bench seating but many people simply perch themselves atop the high fortress walls with a bottle of something from home. Lauren and I spent a couple of hours here. We read our books, drank lemonade from the café (it does not serve alcohol) and waited as the sun gradually dropped over the west of the city.
I have seen the golden hour and the moments just before sunset in many locations around the world. They are always worth seeing, but Sarajevo has a particularly spectacular quality. It might be the sprawling brownish-reddish roof tops layered up and down the hill sides and the generous, vibrant greenery. There is the added ambience of the minaret towers lighting up and issuing the melodic ‘call to prayer‘.
Food of Sarajevo
Regional Specialities
Like many of the Balkan countries, Bosnian food tends to centre around stews, breads, pastries and grilled meats. As Lauren and I travelled around the Balkans we found two food items that each country seemed to claim as their own, or at least they they did them better. The first is Cevapi: grilled sausages, served with raw onions in a sliced flatbread, personally not my favourite, but you get a big meal.
The second is Burek, a food item sent from the heavens, it is amazing to me how so much deliciousness can be contained in such an unassuming container. Burek is typically a thin flaky, layered pastry, filled with meat, cheese, spinach or potato. Cooked as one giant circular pie, it is sold by the slice. Several people we met on our travels told us to expect the best Burek when we got to Sarajevo and they were not wrong. Sac, a traditional-looking restaurant buried deep in the Old Bazaar, has a much deserved reputation for incredible Burek which I can whole-heartedly endorse.
Other Cuisine
While the Old Bazaar contains mostly traditional style Bosnian eateries, there are a multitude of international cuisines available beyond the old town. Indian, Italian, burgers, fresh fish. There was also an exciting, more experimental side to Sarajevo’s food offerings. Lauren and I ate at The Singing Nettle, a gloriously unusual and enjoyable restaurant that provided Bosnian cuisine, locally sourced produce in an authentic setting, but with a twist…and the twist was nettles. Where possible nettles had been used in the cooking process, to add flavour or provide the wrapper for the rest of the dish; but beyond the nettles the menu was a refreshingly quirky light and healthy option.
Lauren and I spent nearly an hour walking the more than 1000 metres of descending, twists and turns, suspended several meters off the ground
There is also a surprisingly good array of vegetarian and vegan restaurants which are well covered in the excellent ‘Meet Bosnia‘ blog.
For desert, Sarajevo offers a real stand out speciality item which is available on almost every corner of the Old Bazaar. Rahatlokum is a Bosnian version of Turkish Delight and comes in an enormous array of flavours, mainly fruit.
You can buy from a speciality shop, of which there are numerous in Sarajevo, or you will find delivered alongside your coffee or with your bill at the end of a meal. I particularly enjoyed the more elaborate designs which came in the form of a mini roll, a Turkish Delight interior with assorted extras on the outer layers, such as chocolate, honey and nuts. Lauren and I enjoyed a box of assorted Rahatlokum for our sunset visit to the Yellow Fortress (as mentioned earlier).
Mount Trebević
Accessible by cable car, Mount Trebevic overlooks the city of Sarajevo from the south. As well as the views and walking routes there a couple standout features worth visiting for:
Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track
In 1984 Sarajevo hosted the winter Olympic Games and Mount Trebevic was a key venue. Most notably the Bobsleigh and Luge track was constructed much of which still stands today. The track is an imposing concrete half-sided tube covered in colourful graffiti art. Lauren and I spent nearly an hour walking the more than 1000 metres of descending, twists and turns, suspended several meters off the ground. Since its original use, it has become overgrown with trees and bushes and it feels like walking through an open-air art exhibition. It was a real highlight of our visit.
Čolina Kapa Astronomical Observatory
About a fifteen minute walk from the cable car, walking east, there is a clearing and Sarajevo becomes visible once again. In this clearing sits the ruins of what was once the Čolina Kapa Astronomical Observatory. It was badly damaged during the Bosnian war but the shell largely remains in tact. Although not recommended, it is possible to walk around inside and ascend the remaining stair way to the top. There are big chunks of steps and floor missing however, so it is most safely viewed from the outside.
Incredibly Multi-Cultural
The city feels different from other capitals in Europe for many reasons, but I think the mix of middle-east and northern European influence is a key factor. Muslim, Christian and Jewish elements co-exist seemingly, harmoniously with mosques, churches and synagogues all-over. And the city benefits from the myriad of cultural influence in its art, culture, food, drink and entertainment. Polish blogger Kimi, dives into the multi-culturalism in more depth in her excellent article ‘Multicultural Sarajevo‘.
A Powerful History
Sarajevo has experienced war within the living memory of many of its citizens. Specifically the infamous Siege of Sarajevo in 1992 has left a trauma on the city, both visibly and in the psyche of its people. And as you would expect, most of the museums and points of interest are related, in some way, to this period of history. There are bullet holes strewn walls, war-related street art and murals, mortar shell holes filled with resin all over the roads and pavements. .
I have never been anywhere else with such a recent experience of war and there is evidence of it all around. But once you delve into the history of Sarajevo it becomes apparent that it is has been a focal point of conflict throughout its history. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, one of the instigating moment of World War 1, took place next to the Latin Bridge, in the centre of Sarajevo. All the way back to the Sack of Sarajevo by the Austrian empire, which devastated the city back in 1697.
But, understandably, it is the memory of the Bosnian war that is present through-out Sarajevo today and many of the cities most prominent museum’s are dedicated to it. Lauren and I visited Galerija 11/07/95, a profoundly moving museum / gallery hybrid exhibition space focussed on the Srebrenica tragedy, a horrific, massacre that took place in 1995. The exhibition is very well curated with a mix of media formats including a really creative poster series called ‘greetings from Sarajevo’ which features famous advertising designs re-imagined. The museum does well to show both the tragedy but also the culture, spirit and imagination that was present during the war-time years.
Sarajevska Pivara (Sarajevo Brewery)
The Sarajevo Brewery is an iconic red and white fusion of oriental and European design standing proudly in the Bistrik area, just a short distance from the river. The building is eye-catching and demands a closer look from passers-by. It also has its place in Sarajevo’s recent wartime history, making water available to residence from its fresh water supply, throughout the siege. Today you can visit the brewery for a tour, take in its museum or enjoy dinner and a show at its restaurant. Booking ahead is strongly recommended.
Assorted Curiosities
Just walking the streets of Sarajevo we came across an assortment of unexpected and unexplained items that seemed like they probably had backstory.
ICAR Canned Beef Statue
A one metre tall, steel monument of a can of beef, sitting atop a marble plinth. The plinth says “Monument to the International Community by the grateful citizens of Sarajevo”. During the siege, when food was running out, the international community organised supplies to be dropped in from the air. These cans of beef, among the aid supplies became infamous amongst Sarajevo’s residence for being almost inedible. The general view of Bosnians is that the aid and support received during the siege, from the international community, was lack-lustre. It is believed the words of thanks, written on the plinth are meant to be read sarcastically.
Bust of Paddy Ashdown
People who lived in the UK in the 90s and 2000s will probably know the name Paddy Ashdown. Even for those who did not pay attention to politics he was a well known figure who’s name seemed to seep into everyday life. For those who followed politics a little more closely, he was a member of parliament and, leader of the Liberal Democrats. But what may not be commonly known, and certainly not to Lauren and I, was that he served as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a position created to oversee the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, immediately following the Bosnian war in 1995.
Papagajka
A vibrant green and yellow, post-modernist building designed by architect Mladen Gvozden in 1982. The name Papagajka is a nick-name for the building and means parrot in Bosnian. It is an example of a post-modern, brutalist architectural style that was popular in Yugoslavia, but this is one of the last remaining of its kind in Sarajevo. Today it serves as an apartment block with business units on the lower floors. It really stands out as starkly different from the buildings around it which enticed Lauren and I to take a closer look.
Conclusion – Is Sarajevo Worth Visiting
Sarajevo is a colourful, multicultural and highly-walkable gem in the Balkans. Lauren and I found it to have so much character and a truly unique voice that has inspired its creativity. It is not surprising that the impact of the war is still felt so strongly and if you visit Sarajevo you should expect to be confronted by its tragic history. Our six days, felt like long enough to explore and enjoy Sarajevo without rushing but two or three days would certainly be enough to see most of what I have listed in this article. So, is Sarajevo worth visiting? I hope after reading this article you agree that it is!
Jon
Jon is an adventurer at heart. He has driven 8000 miles across Europe, completed multi-day hikes and swum with sharks. He has had a long and impressive career managing in a training and education business as well as leading transformational change during Covid-19. He has now taken the brave decision to step away from corporate life to pursue his creative ambitions. He is currently editing his first book as well as creating this blog. Together with Lauren, Jon has embarked on many adventures including a winter road trip of Italy, a sleeper train tour for his birthday and kayaking in the Galapagos Islands.