2 days in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

One of my favorite cities in Eastern Europe is Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sarajevo has a warm Middle Eastern vibe, which isn’t so strange considering the fact that the country has been under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for centuries.
Sarajevo is rich in culture, and the mix of ethnic Christians and Muslims reminds me a lot of the same multiculturalism in Istanbul. It’s amazing to see how these two religious groups get along so smoothly, especially considering the Srebrenica massacre in 1995 (I’ll explain it briefly below). It’s super interesting to walk around in a city where you see a church to your left and a mosque to your right, and where there are as many women wearing short summer dresses, sandals and loose hair as there are women wearing long covering dresses and hijabs.

Sarajevo is a town full of contradictions, not only when it comes to religion and culture, but also the old buildings mixed with skyscrapers, the flat cityscape surrounded by great mountains, the European mixed with the Middle-Eastern.
A very underrated city that you have to visit someday!

The Srebrenica Massacre: In July 1995 during the Bosnian War the Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) in and around the Bosnian town of Srebrenica with the purpose to eliminate a part of the Bosnian Muslims – ethnic cleansing. The massacre is the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II.

Practical information:
Language: Bosnian (the name for the language is a controversial issue for neighbouring Croats and Serbs who call their languages Croatian and Serbian in spite of the fact that these three languages are basically the same)
Currency: Convertible Mark (BAM)

What to do in Sarajevo:
I spent 2 days in Sarajevo which was sufficient, but I would recommend 3 days in the city. The city isn’t very big, but there are lots of things to do! Many museums to visit, extraordinary shopping malls, great nightlife, mountains to climb (…) Plus the city in itself is so unique that just walking around and “absorb” the many impressions takes its time. Here are my recommendations on what to do in Sarajevo:

• 7/11/95 Gallery: This is the first Memorial gallery in Bosnia-Herzegovina aiming to preserve the memory of the victims of the Srebrenica massacre. The gallery has a permanent and a current exhibition. It’s located in the city centre on Trg Fra Grge Martića 2 next to the Sacred Heart Cathedral.
• Bascarsija: Barscarsija is the city’s old marketplace and the cultural and historical centre of the city. It is located on the left bank of the river Miljacka, and is loaded with cafés, shops and people.
• Free walking tour: The free walking tour will show you the most important and significant places of Sarajevo, and tell you the history behind the city. Neno & friends provide a free walking tour daily, but you have to send a registration mail to the company to be able to join the tour and to get the meeting time. Their email is walkingsarajevo@gmail.com
• Sarajevo War Tunnel: The war tunnel was constructed by the Bosnian Army in 1993 during the Bosnian War to make a safe passage from Sarajevo to the Sarajevo airport which was controlled by the UN. Ask your hotel for further information or visit the website http://www.sarajevofunkytours.com.
• The Cathedral of Jesus’ Sacred Heart: The largest cathedral in Bosnia-Herzegovina centrally located on Trg Fra Grge Martića 2. Opening hours are 09-20.
• Gazi Husrev-Beg Mosque: The largest mosque in Bosnia-Herzegovina built in the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire. The mosque is located on Sarači 8 in Bascarsija and is open for visitors. Remember to dress respectfully.
• Climb the hills/mountains: Sarajevo has a beautiful cityscape, and you’ll have an amazing view from the top of one of the many mountains surrounding the city. It’s also a great way to get a break from the lively city.
• Have a traditional Bosnian coffee in one of the many cafés in Bascarsija.
• Smoke shisha: If you enjoy smoking shisha, you’ll love Sarajevo! Take a stroll in Bascarsija, and you’ll find plenty of shisha-bars. The most popular one in Sarajevo is Dibek where you can sit outside in wonderful surroundings and live-music in the evening.
• Meet the locals: Bosnians are friendly and hospitable people, and I was multiple times offered tea while visiting the small local shops; be open and don’t be scared to start a conversation whether it’s in a café during daytime or in one of the many bars in the nightlife.

Shopping:

• Ferhadija: The main shopping street in Sarajevo loaded with modern brands and cafés.
• BBI Centar: A huge shopping mall, one of the largest in the country, offering a wide selection of international brands. The center is located in the heart of Sarajevo on Trg djece Sarajeva 1.
• Sarajevo City Center: One of the largest shopping malls in Bosnia-Herzegovina centrally located on Vrbanja 1. Here you’ll find international brands such as Zara, Levi’s and Massimo Dutti. The center is actually quite beautiful, so even if you’re not into shopping but perhaps architecture or interior design, it’s still worth a visit.
• Small shops in Bascarsija: In Bascarsija you’ll find plenty of small shops selling old vintage items, fake designer bags, jewellery, carpets, pottery, spices etc.
• Bazar: If you’re into fake designer bags and clothes, then visit the small Bazar located in Bascarsija. The selection is more or less the same in all shops and so are the prices, so don’t waste your time searching for the same bag for a much cheaper price.

Eating:

• Bakery: Like many other Eastern European countries, Bosnians like to bake stuff; baked cheese, baked spinach, baked meat etc. If you want to try something really Bosnian, buy a Börek (fried filo dough filled with whatever).
  So go to a bakery and try out the wide selection of puff/filo dough pastries and other baked goodies.
• Fruit Market: The fruit market Pijaca Markale is open daily from 06-17 o’clock and sells fresh quality fruit and vegetables to very affordable prices. It’s a local way to do your green groceries, and has a great location in the city centre on Mula Mustafe Bašeskije bb.
• Bosnian coffee: Bosnian coffee is very similar to Turkish coffee (but it’s forbidden to call their coffee Turkish!). It’s very strong and served in the same traditional way as Turkish coffee. So take a walk in Bascarsija and sit down in one of the many coffee houses for the most authentic experience.
• Teahouse: Have a sit in the most authentic teahouse in Sarajevo Cajdzinica Dzirlo. It’s located in the old part of Sarajevo on Kovaci 6, a cute steep street.

Where to stay in Sarajevo:
Hostel Luxury Inn (Rating: 8/10): If you’re into very social hostels this is definitely not the place to stay – the hostel is simply not meant for people to hang out and “get to know each other”. But this is not necessarily a bad thing if you – like me – sometimes need a break from drunk roommates interrupting you during your sleep. The hostel is very peaceful and quiet, and perfectly located in the city centre next to the big cathedral and in the same building as the 11/07/95 Gallery (!). The staff is wonderful and the place is super clean.
The negative things I have to say about the place is that you cannot cook in the hostel, which is quite annoying. They have a fridge though where you can store your food. Also, they don’t offer breakfast.

Transport to Sarajevo:
Bosnia-Herzegovina is located next to Croatia and Serbia, so I would recommend taking either the train or the bus if you’re departing from any of these countries. Unfortunately, there aren’t any train connections between Sarajevo and the Croatian coastline even though they’re right next to each other, so in that case I recommend taking the bus.
For train connections and timetables check out Deutsche Bahn
For bus connections check out Rome2rio
You can also check out BlaBlaCar to see if someone is offering a car ride in the same direction as you.

Gallery 11/07/95

Gallery 11/07/95

Sarajevo City Centre