Jan

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Sarajevo Travel & Sightseeing Guide

January 10, 2008 |

A trip to Sarajevo
As the dust of the Bosnian War clears, Sarajevo has emerged from the longest military siege the world has seen in modern history. As one of the world’s longstanding epicentres of culture and religion, Sarajevo has hosted the Winter Olympics and served as the setting of the assassination that ignited WWI. Represented by strong Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim and Catholic populations, Sarajevo is awash with vibrant history and culture.

Flights to Sarajevo
Sarajevo Airport is kept in a suburb not far from the city centre. Still a growing facility, the airport currently sees around half a million passengers off to destinations across Europe and the Middle East. There are no public transit links between the airport and the city centre, giving taxi drivers license to gouge prices. If you’re worried about the fare, you can take a taxi to one of the outlying tram stops and then continue on to the airport. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Sarajevo try lastminute.com.

Trains and buses connect Sarajevo to the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The local tram network is the best way to get around the city, though it’s occasionally necessary to use public buses in conjunction with the trams in order to reach your destination. As long as you’re sticking to the city centre, walking is the preferable method of getting around.

Sarajevo

Sightseeing in Sarajevo
The cobbled alleys and side streets of the Old Town are a delight to meander, characterized by Ottoman-influenced architecture and a distinctively Eastern flavour. Ali Pasha’s Mosque is particularly noteworthy, with its dome and minaret. The main marketplace in the Old Town is fascinating and features a fountain.

At Ilidza, there’s a remarkable alley lined by more than 700 maple and chestnut trees that form a sort of tunnel over the top of the pedestrian path. End to end, the trail extends about 2 miles and has been popular since the late 19th century.

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Fun by night – eating drinking and partying
Local cuisine in Sarajevo covers a range of flavours and influences. Meat pies (burek) are for sale in several little shops. Phyllo pastries layered with spinach, potatoes, pumpkin and cheeses are a rare treat eaten with homemade yoghurt.

Such a tight fusion of cultures in the narrow streets of Sarajevo means that you’ll find a broad assortment of international cuisines. The same applies to the bar scene as well, with Italian wines, German beers and live music playing in and out of numerous cafés.

A couple of local hookah bars are great places to enjoy conversation between intermittent tufts of sweet, chalky smoke. A few dance clubs are located in the Old Town centre, and all of the entertainment is within easy walking distance of local accommodation.

Fun by day - shopping and activities
Sarajevo hosts a film festival and a jazz festival that attract a small share of international attention in their seasons. No matter what time of year you visit, perusing goods in the open air marketplaces is a nostalgic experience, worth your while even if you’re not buying.


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