3-Day Sarajevo Itinerary: Tradition, Historical past, Nature

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a metropolis the place East meets West.

I might say that 5 days is the norm for staying in Sarajevo, but when a customer has solely three days, they’ll nonetheless expertise the tradition, benefit from the surrounding nature, and study its attention-grabbing historical past.

Day 1: Tradition

The definition of tradition could be very advanced, however in a nutshell, it represents every little thing created by a sure group of individuals. This consists of each materials components, reminiscent of meals, structure and artwork, and non-material components, reminiscent of lifestyle and language.

For many guests who’ve by no means been to Sarajevo earlier than, one of the best ways to expertise the tradition is to easily stroll the town streets and listen to tales in regards to the metropolis. Sarajevo’s outdated city is likely one of the best in Europe to navigate. You can see it in an hour, however why restrict your self to only that? Why not guide a strolling tour and hear the tales that formed Sarajevo?

For instance, there’s the story of how Bosnia begins the place logic ends, as illustrated by the truth that the Sarajevo beer manufacturing unit was opened by Muslims (Ottoman Turks) in 1864, and the City Corridor was inbuilt an Islamic architectural fashion by Austro-Hungarians, who have been principally Catholics. You’ll be able to be taught in regards to the tradition of consuming espresso and the idea of ‘ćejf’, which is difficult to translate however could possibly be described as ‘the pleasure of doing issues slowly and in an unhurried style’.

You too can be taught in regards to the tradition of spiritual tolerance — Sarajevo has 4 completely different non secular temples inside a 950-metre radius, the youngest of which is the Ashkenazi Synagogue, inbuilt 1902 — and the stubbornness of the proud Bosnian man, as illustrated by the story of how the Inat kuća (Home of Spite) was moved brick by brick from one facet of the river to the opposite.

Take pleasure in one other facet of the tradition: Bosnian delicacies. Strive Ćevapi (barbecued meat sausages made from beef and lamb and served in a particular kind of bread known as somun) or Bosnian pies (savoury phyllo dough full of minced beef, cheese, potato or spinach). Relating to the pies, there’s one warning. Please don’t say ‘burek with cheese‘; individuals in Bosnia are allergic to that expression.

Be taught in regards to the conventional crafts of Sarajevo, significantly the artwork of coppersmithing. In contrast to locksmiths, fur makers and bookbinders, coppersmiths weren’t affected by the Industrial Revolution as a result of they all the time had clients. The individuals of Bosnia merely love espresso an excessive amount of, so there has all the time been a marketplace for coppersmith merchandise.

Day 2 – Historical past

By the tip of day one, you’ll have a normal understanding of Sarajevo’s historical past.

You’ll perceive the context and recap: The Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires; two variations of Yugoslavia; the Nazi occupation; and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s independence since 1992.

Nevertheless, if you wish to delve deeper, you’ll have to dedicate a whole day to the twentieth century.

The twentieth century in Sarajevo was marked by three occasions: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, and the Siege of Sarajevo throughout the Bosnian Warfare.

The demise of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo sparked the start of World Warfare I. The inheritor to the Austro-Hungarian throne was visiting Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, along with his spouse, Sophie. On account of a collection of occasions, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, killed them each subsequent to the Latin Bridge in Sarajevo. Since Europe had already been on the verge of battle for years, the nice powers of Europe started declaring battle on each other. Out of the six main European empires, 4 didn’t survive the battle’s penalties, and even the victors have been severely weakened. Subsequent to the place the place the unlucky Austrian prince was killed, there’s a museum devoted to the Austro-Hungarian interval in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878–1918).

A few five-minute stroll from the Sarajevo Cathedral (Cathedral of the Sacred Coronary heart), you’ll be able to go to the Museum of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics. There, you’ll be able to be taught in regards to the biggest interval in Sarajevo’s historical past: February 1984, when Sarajevo was the middle of the world.

Very near the Cathedral are three museums associated to the Bosnian Warfare.

The Museum of Crimes Towards Humanity, the Museum of the Siege of Sarajevo, and the Srebrenica Gallery are devoted to the worst crimes in opposition to humanity in Europe since World Warfare II.

The Tunnel of Hope Museum, situated subsequent to the airport, is probably the most visited museum in Sarajevo. Since it’s troublesome to get there, it is strongly recommended that you just go on a tour known as “Fall of Yugoslavia” with the Meet Bosnia company.

Visiting this museum will mean you can hear tales of survival, ingenuity, and resilience. You’ll find out how the one connection Sarajevo had with the remainder of the world was a one-meter-wide tunnel constructed between March 26 and July 30, 1993.

Day 3 – Nature

Put aside sooner or later for tradition, sooner or later for historical past, and sooner or later to expertise the character round Sarajevo. Relying in your degree of health, there are three choices:

a) Gentle possibility: stroll to Goat’s bridge

In the event you’re searching for a straightforward stroll over comparatively flat floor, that is the route for you!

Discover the City Corridor – it’s unimaginable to overlook, because it’s the biggest constructing within the Previous City – and observe the Miljacka River upstream. It takes about 45 minutes to succeed in Goat’s Bridge, a single-arch stone bridge from the Ottoman interval.

Centuries in the past, it was the very first thing vacationers would see on the best way from Sarajevo to Istanbul.

About midway between City Corridor and Goat’s Bridge, you’ll go by means of Ambassador’s Alley. Since 2002, ambassadors of overseas international locations have planted a linden tree alongside the mayor of Sarajevo upon arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You’ll be able to see 238 stone plates within the alley with the names of the ambassadors and their international locations of origin.

b) Medium possibility: hike to Skakavac waterfall

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a rustic wealthy in water. Wherever you go, you’re by no means removed from a river, stream, lake, or waterfall. The nation formally has 202 waterfalls, and the tallest one is situated very near Sarajevo. It’s known as Skakavac, which implies “grasshopper” within the native language, and it’s 98 meters tall. Though Skakavac doesn’t produce as a lot water as Kravice (within the south) or Štrbački Buk (within the northwest), it’s nonetheless price visiting, particularly after just a few wet days.

The best approach to go to Skakavac is to go to the Sutjeska bus station (subsequent to the second gymnasium, a five-minute stroll from the Presidency constructing) and take the quantity 69 bus to the village of Nahorevo. From the Nahorevo bus station, it’s simply over six kilometers to the waterfall.

c) Difficult possibility: Lukomir

Lukomir shouldn’t be in Canton Sarajevo, however most guests nonetheless come from Sarajevo slightly than Konjic, a city southwest of Sarajevo that’s nearer on the map.

Lukomir village is situated at an altitude of virtually 1,500 meters, and it’s thought-about the best settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The individuals who dwell there are shepherds, and a few of them nonetheless put on conventional Nineteenth-century clothes.

The village is deserted from November to April as a consequence of snow and inaccessibility, however it’s potential to go to from April to October.

To achieve the village, drive from Sarajevo to the village of Umoljani, which takes about one hour. Then, stroll about 10 kilometers to succeed in Lukomir. This implies it is going to take you about 5 hours to stroll there and again, so of the three choices for experiencing nature round Sarajevo, this one is probably the most difficult.

When you attain Lukomir, deal with your self to pita; it’s among the best locations within the nation to take pleasure in this dish.