Sarajevo

The "Jerusalem of Europe," where mosques, churches and synagogues stand side by side, and the Latin Bridge — spark of World War I — and the siege tunnel bear witness to history.

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, lies in the Miljacka River valley surrounded by the Dinaric Alps, at about 520 m above sea level. Shaped by both Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule, the city blends East and West: to the east is the old town of Baščaršija, with wooden houses, mosques and coppersmiths' workshops; to the west are Viennese-style buildings. Mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches and synagogues stand just a few hundred meters apart, earning it the name "Jerusalem of Europe." The city is also a microcosm of 20th-century history: the 1914 assassination by the Latin Bridge sparked World War I, it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, and from 1992 to 1995 it endured the longest siege in modern history. Sightseeing can be divided into the old town and the Ferhadija pedestrian street (1 day); siege-related sites — the Tunnel of Hope, the War Childhood Museum and Gallery 11/07/95; and a ride up the Trebević cable car to see the abandoned Olympic bobsled track and city views. Day trips include Vrelo Bosne park, Skakavac Waterfall, Mount Bjelašnica and the mountain village of Lukomir, and Tito's bunker in Konjic; in winter, ski at Jahorina. Climate: summers are warm and dry, and May–September is the best time to visit; winters are cold and snowy, with the snowy old town and ski season having their own appeal, though the basin is prone to smog. Getting there: Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) is about 12 km from the center, with an airport bus; tram lines 1 and 3 run through the old and new towns. The train to Mostar takes about 2 hours through beautiful scenery. Allow 2–3 days. Good to know: the currency is the convertible mark (BAM), and small shops mostly take cash; dress modestly when visiting mosques, and women should bring a headscarf; a few wartime landmines remain in the surrounding mountains, so always stay on marked trails when hiking.

Top sights

• Baščaršija – The old Ottoman bazaar of the 15th century, with the wooden Sebilj fountain in Pigeon Square, Coppersmiths' Street, and restaurants serving…
• Latin Bridge & Museum Sarajevo 1878–1918 – The site where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, sparking World War I. A small museum at the bridge's end recreates the as…
• Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque – One of the most important Ottoman mosques in the Balkans, completed in 1531. Its courtyard ablution fountain and minaret are landmarks of t…
• Tunnel of Hope (Sarajevo War Tunnel) – A lifeline tunnel dug beneath the airport runway during the siege. It is now a private museum where you can walk through a preserved 25-met…
• Ferhadija Street & Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures – The main pedestrian street running from the Ottoman old town to the Austro-Hungarian new town, where a marker on the pavement shows where E…
• Sacred Heart Cathedral – An 1889 neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral whose twin towers are a symbol of Sarajevo. The 'Sarajevo Roses' can be found on the square in front.
• Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos – A Serbian Orthodox cathedral completed in 1872 in a blend of Baroque and Byzantine styles, with an elaborate iconostasis inside.
• Old Orthodox Church – A 16th-century Orthodox church hidden behind walls. Its half-buried, plain exterior contrasts with a rich icon museum.
• Morića Han – The Balkans' last surviving Ottoman-era caravanserai, where you can sip Bosnian coffee and smoke a hookah in a courtyard framed by timber g…
• Emperor's Mosque – Sarajevo's first mosque, dedicated to Suleiman the Magnificent. The quiet courtyard cemetery across the river is worth a visit.
• Jewish Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina – A museum housed in the 1581 Sephardic Old Synagogue, telling the 500-year story of the Jews who fled Spain and settled in Sarajevo.
• Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica) – A lavish neo-Moorish City Hall, set on fire by shelling in 1992 and reopened in 2014. Its colorful domed atrium is stunning.
• Yellow Fortress – An 18th-century fort on the northeastern hillside of the Old Town, overlooking the city's red roofs and minarets. Sarajevo's most classic s…
• White Fortress – A medieval fortress ruin on high ground east of the Old Town. Higher and quieter than the Yellow Fortress, it offers views over the Old Tow…
• Trebević Cable Car – Opened in 1959, destroyed during the war, and rebuilt in 2018. The cable car takes about 10 minutes to climb from the Old Town to Mount Tre…
• Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track – The concrete bobsleigh track built for the 1984 Winter Olympics. Abandoned after the war and covered in graffiti, it is Sarajevo's most str…
• War Childhood Museum – Tells the story of childhood during war through toys, diaries and belongings donated by people who lived through it. Won a European museum…
• Gallery 11/07/95 – A video memorial to the Srebrenica genocide, with photographs, documentaries and a list of victims. Harrowing, but essential.
• National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Founded in 1888, one of the oldest museums in the Balkans, whose treasure is the 14th-century Sarajevo Haggadah manuscript.
• Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina – A Yugoslav modernist building housing the 'Besieged Sarajevo' exhibition, which recreates daily life during the siege with homemade stoves…
• Svrzo's House – An 18th-century timber house of an Ottoman Muslim family, with its men's and women's courtyards and rooms preserved intact.
• Avaz Twist Tower – Sarajevo's tallest building. Its 35th-floor observation deck offers 360-degree views over the whole city and the surrounding mountains, at…
• Vrelo Bosne – The source of the Bosna River at the foot of Mount Igman, with clear springs, small wooden bridges, swans and tree-lined avenues. A top cho…
• Skakavac Waterfall – A waterfall of nearly 100 meters in a nature reserve north of Sarajevo, ideal for a half-day forest hike.
• Jahorina – The women's alpine skiing venue of the 1984 Winter Olympics, and the best-value ski resort in the Balkans, about an hour from the city.
• Bjelašnica – The men's alpine skiing venue of the 1984 Winter Olympics. A winter ski resort and, in summer, the starting point for hikes to highland vil…
• Lukomir – Bosnia's highest and most remote inhabited traditional village, with stone houses and wooden shingle roofs perched above the Rakitnica Cany…
• Tito's Bunker (ARK D-0), Konjic – A Cold War nuclear bunker secretly built in Yugoslavia, now a venue for the underground contemporary art Tunnel Biennale. Visits by reserva…

Where to eat

• Ćevabdžinica Željo – A famous Baščaršija grill opened in 1968, widely regarded as the benchmark for Sarajevo's ćevapi.
• Inat Kuća – Dine on traditional Bosnian cuisine while enjoying river views of the Old Town in a historic house across from the City…
• Buregdžinica Bosna – A popular pie shop on Bravadžiluk Street in the Old Town, serving cheap and flavorful freshly baked burek and various p…
• Aščinica Hadžibajrić – One of Sarajevo's oldest traditional cafeterias, popular with locals for its counter-selected traditional stews.
• Dveri – A rustic, cottage-style family restaurant tucked away in an alley of Baščaršija, consistently ranking high on local rev…
• Kibe Mahala – A hillside restaurant opened in 1988, famous for its spit-roasted lamb and panoramic views overlooking the entire city.

Itineraries

• Sarajevo & Mostar Scenic Rail Journey – Connect the two historic cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina via the Neretva Canyon train—a car-free route for first-time…
• Bosnia and Herzegovina Grand Self-Drive Loop – A self-drive loop from Sarajevo heading west to Jajce, north to Banja Luka, and south to Mostar
• Bosnia Highlands Villages & Sutjeska Hiking – From the highland village of Lukomir to Sutjeska National Park, then rafting along the Neretva River to Mostar
• Zagreb to Dubrovnik via Bosnia and Herzegovina – An in-depth, one-way self-drive route from inland Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Adriatic Coast
• Dubrovnik to Sarajevo Three-Country – Travel through Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to see red-roofed old towns, fjord-like bays, and Ottoma…
• Four-Country Balkan Loop: Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia & Montenegro – Travel from Belgrade through Sarajevo and Mostar to the coast, then cross Durmitor back to Serbia.