When most individuals consider European journey, they image Parisian cafés or Tuscan villas. But what if we advised you some of the highly effective journey experiences we’ve ever had was in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina?
Why Visit Bosnia and Herzegovina?For highly effective historical past, resilient tradition, reasonably priced journey, and unforgettable experiences in cities like Sarajevo and Mostar.
This nation is probably not on each traveler’s radar, but it surely needs to be. Bosnia & Herzegovina is a spot the place historical past isn’t simply advised, it’s felt. It’s the place war-torn buildings stand beside buzzing cafés, and the place the ache of the previous fuels the delight of the current.
Sarajevo: Europe’s Most Resilient Capital
Welcome to Sarajevo, the guts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a must-see vacation spot for vacationers in search of extra than simply postcard views. This is a spot that teaches you what struggle, peace, and resilience actually seem like.
Sarajevo is a vibrant metropolis and the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo is in contrast to wherever else in Europe. Minarets rise beside cathedrals. Ottoman bazaars sit beside Austro-Hungarian buildings. Bullet holes scar house partitions. And but, Sarajevo pulses with life.
This is a metropolis the place mosques, church buildings, and synagogues share the identical skyline. Where Olympic goals and struggle nightmares occurred inside a decade of one another. And the place survival isn’t only a chapter in its historical past, it’s the theme.
Visiting Sarajevo Today: Where the Past Meets the Present
Sarajevo should carry the trauma of struggle, but it surely’s not caught in it. This compact metropolis is buzzing with life, coloration, and coronary heart. From museums that share private tales of wartime survival to cafés that serve the perfect espresso in Southeast Europe, there’s no different place fairly prefer it. Let’s begin your Sarajevo journey information with the necessities.
Best Things to Do in Sarajevo
1. The Tunnel of Hope
Start your go to on the Tunnel of Hope, a hand-dug lifeline throughout the practically four-year Siege of Sarajevo. Located beneath the Sarajevo Airport, this 800-meter-long tunnel as soon as related the besieged metropolis to free territory. It allowed civilians to transport meals, drugs, gasoline, and even electrical energy.
Walking via the cramped tunnel provides you a chilling sense of how Bosnian Muslims risked all the things simply to survive. It’s some of the necessary stops once you go to Sarajevo. This slender passage, now a part of a museum devoted to survival, allowed humanitarian support, weapons, and other people to move via when all different routes have been lower off. You can e-book excursions to the Tunnel of Hope from Sarajevo right here.
2. Sarajevo Roses
Scattered all through the town middle are red-painted craters known as Sarajevo Roses. Each one marks a spot the place a mortar shell killed civilians. These marks aren’t simply memorials, they’re a part of the sidewalk. You’ll stroll over them whereas shopping for espresso or ready for the tram. It’s one of many some ways Sarajevo wears its scars overtly.
3. War Museums That Tell the Truth
War Childhood Museum: This award-winning museum is likely one of the most transferring in all of Europe. It showcases toys, diaries, and private belongings from kids who grew up throughout the Bosnian War. Every merchandise tells a narrative you received’t overlook.
Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina: This cultural middle holds archives and exhibitions on fashionable historical past, particularly the siege years. You’ll see burned-out automobiles, letters, and makeshift instruments individuals used simply to cook dinner and survive.
Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide: Hard-hitting and important, this museum paperwork atrocities dedicated throughout the Bosnian War, together with the Srebrenica genocide and Srebrenica bloodbath, the place greater than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims have been executed by Bosnian Serb forces.
Jewish Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Housed in a Sixteenth-century synagogue, this museum is a testomony to Sarajevo’s lengthy and layered spiritual range. From Sephardic Jews to Muslim Bosniaks, the town was as soon as generally known as “Little Jerusalem.”
4. Bascarsija and the Old Town
The coronary heart of Sarajevo is its Old Town, the place slender streets wind previous copper retailers, mosques, and cafés that really feel lifted from one other century. In Bascarsija, you’ll discover the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, relationship to the Ottoman interval, nonetheless energetic and open to guests.
Sip Bosnian espresso at Veliki Park, watch pigeons swirl at Sebilj Fountain, and wander the stone-paved streets the place nationwide identification was cast.
5. Latin Bridge & the Spot That Changed the World
One of Sarajevo’s most well-known cultural websites is the Latin Bridge. This is the place Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, igniting World War I. Today, a small however highly effective exhibit beside the bridge walks you thru the occasion that reshaped the twentieth century.
6. City Hall (Vijecnica)
Once the National Library, Sarajevo’s City Hall was destroyed in 1992 by Bosnian Serb forces. Over two million irreplaceable texts have been misplaced. Today, the constructing has been restored and now hosts exhibitions about Sarajevo’s previous and future. It’s the most effective examples of how this metropolis refuses to be outlined by destruction.
7. Free Walking Tours in Sarajevo
One of the perfect methods to get pleasure from Sarajevo is by becoming a member of a free strolling tour. Knowledgeable native guides take you thru derelict buildings, struggle memorials, monuments devoted to resistance, and peaceable parks that have been as soon as battlegrounds.
You’ll stroll previous bullet holes that also scar façades and listen to private tales from survivors. These excursions are sometimes tip-based and price each mark.
8. Sacred Heart Cathedral & the Religious Mosaic
Sarajevo is a uncommon European capital the place mosques, church buildings, and synagogues share area. Don’t miss the Sacred Heart Cathedral, which sits within the Catholic quarter, and the Old Jewish Cemetery, one of many oldest within the Balkans. The metropolis’s interfaith roots have been examined throughout struggle—however many Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Muslims, and Croats nonetheless dwell facet by facet right here.
9. Exploring Sarajevo’s City Center: Where History Meets Daily Life
One of essentially the most compelling components of exploring Sarajevo is that its metropolis middle is as a lot a historic timeline as it’s a fashionable hub. In this compact metropolis, you possibly can stand in a sq. the place emperors as soon as dominated, get pleasure from espresso simply steps from a constructing pocked with bullet holes, and stroll right into a museum that used to be a library.
Everything you need to see is inside strolling distance. It’s what makes visiting Sarajevo so highly effective—you’re not simply seeing a metropolis; you’re residing its historical past.
10. The National Museum: Understanding Bosnia’s Identity
No journey to Sarajevo is full with out a go to to the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, positioned simply exterior the principle vacationer zone. This large cultural complicated holds among the area’s most vital artifacts, together with the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, one of many world’s oldest Jewish manuscripts.
It additionally homes in depth exhibitions on fashionable historical past, the Bosnian military, and the way Bosnian tradition developed via centuries of occupation and resistance. The museum is a cornerstone for anybody wanting to higher perceive the identification and resilience of the Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, Croats, and Jews who name this nation house.
11. Sarajevo Cable Car & the Yellow Fortress: Viewpoints With a Story
For panoramic views of Sarajevo, journey the Sarajevo Cable Car up to Mount Trebevi?. This space was as soon as utilized by snipers throughout the siege. The ruins of the 1984 Winter Olympic bobsled monitor, now coated in graffiti, lie only a brief stroll from the summit.
Another must-see is the Yellow Fortress. Come right here at sundown to get pleasure from the perfect views of the town middle and the encompassing hills. Locals collect right here to break Ramadan fasts, {couples} picnic with cevapi, and the decision to prayer echoes throughout the valley. It’s stunning, humbling, and unforgettable.
12. Sarajevo’s Old Jewish Cemetery: A Silent Witness to History
High above the town, tucked into the encompassing hills, lies the Old Jewish Cemetery, a quiet however highly effective place. Dating again to the Sixteenth century, it is likely one of the largest and most vital Jewish cemeteries in Southeast Europe.
During the Bosnian War, this sacred web site was tragically utilized by snipers due to its strategic elevation. Today, it stays a testomony to the lengthy presence and persecution of the Jewish neighborhood in Sarajevo.
From the Ottoman Empire to Sniper Alley
Sarajevo’s historical past is layered with complexity. Over the centuries, it’s been dominated by the Ottoman Empire, formed by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, and absorbed into Socialist Yugoslavia. It was right here that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, sparking World War I. And many years later, it turned the epicenter of one other world-changing battle, the Bosnian War.
After Herzegovina declared independence in 1992, the town discovered itself beneath siege by Bosnian Serb forces. The Sarajevo siege turned the longest siege of a capital metropolis in fashionable historical past, lasting practically 4 years.
For practically 1,400 days, Sarajevo’s compact metropolis middle was shelled from the encompassing hills. Serbian forces, armed and supported by the Yugoslav People’s Army, focused residential blocks, hospitals, colleges, and markets. The metropolis’s lifeline, the airport runway, was beneath worldwide management, slicing it off from the remainder of the world.
The worldwide neighborhood debated. Civilians have been left to dodge mortar shell explosions, sniper hearth, and starvation. And but, they endured. That’s why exploring Sarajevo at present is about greater than ticking off sights, it’s about strolling via survival.
A Forgotten War, A Canadian Story
Between 1992 and 2004, over 40,000 Canadian troops served within the Balkans as United Nations peacekeepers. It was Canada’s largest navy deployment for the reason that Korean War. But this wasn’t peacekeeping as we normally think about it. They have been beneath hearth. They confronted struggle crimes firsthand. And they have been largely forgotten again house.
And but, again house, it barely registered. No embedded reporters. No front-page headlines. Just background noise behind O.J. Simpson and Tonya Harding.
But right here in Bosnia & Herzegovina, these Canadians made a distinction. They patrolled ceasefires, protected support convoys, and documented struggle crimes when others turned away. This journey introduced that forgotten story to life, and Sarajevo was the beating coronary heart of it.
In locations just like the Medak Pocket in 1993, they stood between civilians and violence. It marked a uncommon second when Canadian troops straight engaged in fight whereas defending civilians. Their experiences, documenting struggle crimes and mass destruction, contributed to worldwide consciousness and eventual accountability.
Sarajevo and World War II: A City Torn Twice
While most individuals affiliate Sarajevo with the Bosnian War, the town additionally performed a big function throughout World War II. Under Nazi occupation, Sarajevo’s Jewish inhabitants was devastated, and resistance actions fashioned deep throughout the hills and tunnels of the area. The metropolis fell beneath a fascist puppet regime, later liberated by partisans supported by Tito’s communist authorities, laying the groundwork for former Yugoslavia.
Walking via Sarajevo’s Old Town, you’ll nonetheless discover monuments and plaques marking these occasions, particularly close to the Jewish Cemetery and memorials devoted to fallen resistance fighters.
The Bosnian War Ended, But the Story Continues
While the Bosnian War led to 1995 with the Dayton Accords, the aftershocks are nonetheless felt at present. The settlement break up the nation into two predominant entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, the place many Serbs dwell at present.
This division has created a fancy system of governance, typically paralyzing political progress. But on the bottom, in locations like Sarajevo, locals are selecting connection over separation. It’s this human spirit that defines Bosnian tradition at present.
Our Sarajevo Hotel Pick
We stayed at Hotel Boutique 36, simply steps from Sarajevo’s historic middle. With safe parking, snug rooms, and first-class service, it’s the right base for exploring the town.
Day Trip to Mostar: History in Stone
Just a two-hour drive from Sarajevo, the city of Mostar is likely one of the finest locations to go to in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Its well-known Old Bridge (Stari Most) was destroyed throughout the struggle, then rebuilt stone by stone in 2004. Today, it’s a logo of unity, resistance, and rebirth.
The iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), initially constructed within the 1500s, was destroyed throughout the struggle and meticulously rebuilt in 2004. Today, native divers leap from it in a ritual that blends custom and adrenaline.
Wander via Mostar’s Ottoman-era streets, sip espresso by the Neretva River, and climb the minaret at Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque for a panoramic view. The metropolis continues to be divided, Bosniaks on one facet, Croats on the opposite, however tourism has grow to be a quiet bridge between them.
Wander via the bazaar, sip espresso by the river, and don’t miss:
Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque – Climb the minaret for gorgeous metropolis views.
War ruins and cultural museums – Offering context to Mostar’s previous.
Hotel Sinan Han – An ideal place to keep, simply 100 meters from the bridge.
But Mostar continues to be divided—Bosniaks on one facet, Croats on the opposite. Two colleges. Two realities. Yet, one shared skyline and a eager for unity.
Where to Stay in Mostar: We stayed at Hotel Sinan Han—fashionable rooms, rooftop terrace, and simply 100 meters from the bridge.
Visiting Eastern Bosnia: Echoes of War and Peace
While Sarajevo anchors any itinerary, vacationers must also contemplate visiting Eastern Bosnia, the place cities like Srebrenica and Višegrad maintain darker, less-touristy chapters of the previous. These are areas most impacted by struggle crimes and ethnic cleaning throughout the Nineteen Nineties.
The drive from Sarajevo’s metropolis middle to Eastern Bosnia reveals one other facet of the nation, extra rural, extra rugged, however equally wealthy in tales. You’ll acquire a greater appreciation for the complexity of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a nation nonetheless therapeutic.
Bosnia & Herzegovina Travel Tips
Planning your Bosnia & Herzegovina journey? Here’s what to know:
When to Go: Spring and fall are splendid—delicate climate, fewer crowds.
Currency: Bosnian Convertible Mark (BAM). Some locations settle for euros, however BAM is most well-liked.
Transport: Renting a automobile is one of the best ways to discover each Sarajevo and Mostar. Roads are good and scenic.
Safety: We all the time felt secure. The persons are welcoming, and hospitality is real.
Costs: Bosnia & Herzegovina is extremely reasonably priced. You can journey effectively right here on a modest funds.
Why You Should Visit Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2025
Bosnia & Herzegovina is likely one of the most unforgettable locations we’ve visited. It’s emotional, academic, and deeply rewarding. Sarajevo, particularly, taught us that magnificence and devastation can coexist and that rebuilding will not be solely doable but in addition highly effective.
This nation was deserted by the West throughout its darkest hours. And nonetheless, individuals rebuilt. That’s why visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina is so highly effective. It’s not nearly historical past. It’s about what comes after.
It’s additionally about understanding our function, particularly as Canadians. Canadian peacekeepers have been right here earlier than NATO and earlier than the U.S. stepped in. Their contributions have been actual, and barely talked about. This isn’t only a vacation spot. It’s a narrative. One that also issues. One you’ll carry lengthy after you allow.
Bosnia & Herzegovina Will Stay With You
Bosnia and Herzegovina isn’t only a vacation spot, it’s a narrative. A warning. A celebration of survival. It calls for your consideration. And should you journey with an open coronary heart, it’ll reward you with unforgettable reminiscences, breathtaking landscapes, and a deeper understanding of what resilience actually seems to be like.
Let this be the journey that adjustments the way in which you see the world. Because Bosnia doesn’t whisper its previous, it speaks it. And should you hear, you’ll always remember it.
Plan Your Trip:
Ready for a journey via Sarajevo and past? Bosnia & Herzegovina journey will change the way in which you see the world.
Discover Sarajevo: A Balanced Guide to Its Culture and History
Introduction to Sarajevo
Sarajevo is a metropolis with a wealthy historical past and tradition, positioned within the coronary heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a novel mix of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and communist influences.
The metropolis has a fancy previous, having been besieged by Bosnian Serb forces throughout the Bosnian War, which had a profound impression on its improvement and identification.
Sarajevo is a must-visit vacation spot for anybody involved in historical past, tradition, and resilience, with many cultural websites, historic museums, and struggle museums to discover.
The metropolis’s compact measurement and walkability make it straightforward to discover on foot, with many sights inside strolling distance, together with the Latin Bridge and the Old Town.
Getting to Sarajevo
The simplest way to get to Sarajevo is by flying into Sarajevo International Airport, which provides worldwide flights to many European cities, together with connections to different cities within the area.
From the airport, you possibly can take a taxi or bus to the town middle, which is roughly 10-Quarter-hour away, relying on visitors.
Alternatively, you should utilize Google Maps to discover the perfect route to your lodging, with many choices out there, together with public transportation and ride-hailing companies.
It’s additionally doable to take a bus or prepare from different cities within the area, together with Mostar and Belgrade, with common connections out there.
Accommodation
Sarajevo has a variety of lodging choices, from budget-friendly hostels to luxurious motels, together with the Hotel Hecco Deluxe, which provides gorgeous views of the town.
The finest space to keep in Sarajevo is the Old Town, which is shut to many sights and has a energetic ambiance, with many eating places, cafes, and retailers to discover.
You may contemplate staying within the surrounding hills, which supply gorgeous views of the town and are inside strolling distance to the town middle, with many choices out there, together with flats and guesthouses.
Booking upfront is advisable, particularly throughout peak season, to guarantee availability and the perfect costs.
Sarajevo’s History
Sarajevo has a fancy and tumultuous historical past, having been a part of the Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and former Yugoslavia, with many cultural and historic websites to discover.
The metropolis was besieged by Bosnian Serb forces throughout the Bosnian War, which lasted from 1992 to 1995 and had a profound impression on its improvement and identification.
The struggle ended with the signing of the Dayton Accords, however the metropolis nonetheless bears the scars of the battle, with many derelict buildings and mortar shell explosions nonetheless seen.
The metropolis’s historical past continues to be seen in its structure, with many buildings from the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian intervals nonetheless standing, together with the Gazi Husrev Beg Mosque and the Yellow Fortress.
Main Attractions
Sarajevo has many predominant sights, together with the Latin Bridge, the place Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, sparking World War I, and the Old Town, which is stuffed with historic buildings and cultural websites.
The metropolis can also be house to many museums, together with the Historical Museum and the War Childhood Museum, which supply a glimpse into the town’s complicated previous and the experiences of its residents throughout the struggle.
The metropolis’s environment are additionally value exploring, with many pure sights, together with the Trebevi? Mountain and the Veliki Park, which supply gorgeous views and alternatives for mountaineering and outside actions.
The metropolis’s cable automobile can also be a preferred attraction, providing gorgeous views of the town and the encompassing hills.
Exploring the City
The finest manner to discover Sarajevo is on foot, with many sights inside strolling distance, together with the Old Town and the Latin Bridge.
The metropolis has a complete public transportation system, together with buses and trams, which make it straightforward to get round, with many choices out there, together with tickets and passes.
You may take a free strolling tour to study extra in regards to the metropolis’s historical past and tradition, with many guides out there, together with native residents and consultants.
The metropolis’s slender streets and compact measurement make it straightforward to navigate, with many indicators and maps out there to make it easier to discover your manner.
Culture and Heritage
Sarajevo is a metropolis with a wealthy cultural heritage, with many cultural websites and historic museums to discover, together with the National Museum and the Jewish Museum.
The metropolis is house to many various ethnic and non secular teams, together with Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croats, with many cultural occasions and festivals happening all year long.
The metropolis’s cultural occasions, together with concert events and festivals, are an effective way to expertise the native tradition and meet new individuals, with many choices out there, together with conventional music and dance performances.
The metropolis’s cultural middle can also be value visiting, with many exhibitions and performances happening all year long, together with artwork, music, and theater.
Food and Drink
Sarajevo is understood for its scrumptious delicacies, which incorporates conventional dishes equivalent to ?evapi and burek, with many eating places and cafes to select from, together with the Hotel Hecco Deluxe.
The metropolis can also be well-known for its espresso tradition, with many cafes serving high-quality espresso, together with the standard Bosnian espresso, which is a vital a part of the native tradition.
You may strive among the native drinks, equivalent to rakia and beer, that are standard amongst locals and guests alike, with many choices out there, together with conventional pubs and bars.
The metropolis’s meals market can also be value visiting, with many recent produce and native merchandise out there, together with conventional meals and drinks.
Education and Community
Sarajevo has a robust sense of neighborhood, with many cultural occasions and festivals happening all year long, together with conventional music and dance performances.
The metropolis is house to many academic establishments, together with the University of Sarajevo, which is likely one of the oldest and most prestigious universities within the area, with many applications out there, together with language programs and cultural research.
The metropolis’s cultural middle can also be an important useful resource, with many exhibitions and performances happening all year long, together with artwork, music, and theater.
The metropolis’s neighborhood can also be very welcoming, with many locals keen to meet and work together with guests, together with language trade applications and cultural occasions.
Reconstruction and Revitalization
Sarajevo has undergone important reconstruction and revitalization efforts for the reason that finish of the Bosnian War, with many new buildings and infrastructure tasks accomplished, together with the reconstruction of the Old Town and the Latin Bridge.
The metropolis’s historic middle has been restored to its former glory, with many historic buildings and cultural websites preserved, together with the Gazi Husrev Beg Mosque and the Yellow Fortress.
The metropolis’s environment are additionally being developed, with many new parks and inexperienced areas created, together with the Veliki Park and the Trebevi? Mountain.
The metropolis’s reconstruction and revitalization efforts are ongoing, with many new tasks and initiatives being carried out, together with the event of recent cultural and vacationer sights.
Budget-Friendly Options
Sarajevo is a budget-friendly vacation spot, with many reasonably priced lodging choices, together with hostels and guesthouses, with costs ranging from round 20 BAM (€10) per night time.
The metropolis’s meals can also be reasonably priced, with many conventional dishes out there for round 10 BAM (€5), together with ?evapi and burek.
The metropolis’s public transportation system can also be reasonably priced, with many choices out there, together with buses and trams, with tickets ranging from round 1 BAM (€0.50).
The metropolis’s cultural occasions and sights are additionally reasonably priced, with many free or low-cost choices out there, together with guided excursions and exhibitions.
Links to Other Cities
Sarajevo is well-connected to different cities within the area, with many bus and prepare connections out there, together with connections to Mostar and Belgrade.
The metropolis’s airport additionally provides worldwide flights to many European cities, with many choices out there, together with connections to different cities within the area.
The metropolis’s tour operators provide many guided excursions and excursions to different cities and sights within the area, together with visits to the Srebrenica genocide memorial and the War Childhood Museum.
The metropolis’s location makes it an important base for exploring the encompassing area, with many pure sights and cultural websites to go to, together with the Dinaric Alps and the Neretva River.