Sarajevo in One Day: A Tour

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is a lively and dynamic city, but walking through its streets you can’t help but notice the marks of a war that isn’t too distant in the past. The 90s are still felt here through the bullet holes in the walls of houses, in the cemeteries scattered here and there, in the museums. As in the rest of the country, in Sarajevo 4 different religions blend together, along with different cultures, so you find yourself strolling among churches, Orthodox cathedrals, mosques and synagogues, between the tolling of bells and the muezzin’s call to prayer. We visited the city over two half-days, but the itinerary we’re sharing can perfectly be done in a single day. For getting around, since a couple of destinations are on the outskirts of the city and absolutely not reachable on foot, we used our van, but we saw plenty of people making use of the many taxis.

Before starting, if you’re interested in discovering other destinations we consider unmissable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with some useful information for travelling to this country, head to the full article about our van trip.

Sarajevo: what to visit

Tunnel Museum

This museum is located near Sarajevo airport and lets you visit the tunnel that was dug right under the airport (the only area not bombed), in great secrecy and by hand, by brave volunteers working in 4 non-stop 8-hour shifts. The entrance was, and still is today, in the courtyard of a private house, and it served to help residents escape and to bring in food and ammunition. It can be visited independently or with a guide (payment only in local currency). There’s a handy paid car park on site (where they accept and exchange euros), where you can top up on water and stay overnight for a doubled rate. This tunnel, also known as the “tunnel of hope”, was the reason the city managed to stay alive: 700 metres of underground gallery (25 of which can be visited today), used to bring food, water, medicine, diesel and everything needed to keep the population alive into the city. We really recommend visiting it to better understand the tension of those years.

Bobsled track

The old bobsled track used during the 1984 Winter Olympics and later sadly made famous as a position for Serb snipers during the war is located about twenty minutes from Sarajevo’s centre, near the mountains surrounding the city. The place can feel a bit grim, being completely abandoned, but the many mortar and bullet marks have been somewhat masked by graffiti and street art. Reaching the top, you get to a truly superb panoramic viewpoint over the city. This area can be reached by car, taxi, or via the cable car departing from the city centre. There’s a handy car park from which it’s a 10-minute walk to the bobsled track, and another 10 minutes to the panoramic viewpoint. At sunset it’s a truly striking place (be careful, as there’s no lighting along the way).

Baščaršija

This is the Turkish quarter, a maze of cobbled little streets, dotted with pastry shops, restaurants and craft shops. A big bazaar, in short, dominated by the Gazi Husrev-beg Ottoman mosque.

Sebilj Square

Located right next to the old quarter, it’s home to an 18th-century fountain, near which you can admire hundreds of pigeons being fed by tourists and locals every day.

National Library

Almost completely burned down by Serb shelling, it’s said that during the fire numerous students tried in vain, risking their own lives, to save a few precious volumes.

Latin Bridge

This is the famous bridge where the assassination of Franz Ferdinand took place, which triggered the First World War.

The line dividing east from west

Located near Baščaršija, it’s a precise point, marked by an inscription on the ground, where Islamic architecture suddenly ends and the Austrian part suddenly begins. Here, once again, not just architecture but also religions and cultures blend together.

Sarajevo street food

If, like us, you get hungry strolling through the city’s streets, we recommend eating a burek, the typical Balkan filled pastry (usually with meat, spinach and cheese, or potatoes). If you want to enjoy it like a true local, pair it with a small pot of liquid plain yogurt. Enjoy!

Curious to see our impressions of the city in person? You can discover it all in the Vlog dedicated to Sarajevo.