Allo Balkans

Sarajevo is known for its friendly inhabitants, its ćevapi, its baklava and its Turkish delight accompanied with a good Turkish coffee. The capital is also the largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a tourist place where you will be able to discover culture, tradition and religion of the region.

Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and also the largest city of the country and it counts currently more than 300,000 inhabitants. It is located along the banks of the river Miljacka. The city is surrounded by several mountains: Jahorina, Bjelašnica, Trebević and Igman.

Sarajevo is a welcoming and multicultural city. It will satisfy history buffs with its remains of the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian Empires. It suffered from the war in the 90s but had quickly exceeded this painful period.

The city is become famous after the organization of the 1984 Olympics. After San Francisco, it is also the second city in the world to introduce electric trams in transit in 1985.

Sarajevo is a beautiful city that you must absolutely visit. In 2006, the Lonely Planet guide had placed the city at the 43rd position of the best cities in the world.

Symbols of Sarajevo

Miljacka River is the main symbol of the city. Over centuries, many bridges were built across the river. One of the most famous is the Latin Bridge (Latinska Ćuprija), also known as the Princip Bridge and the place where Princip Gavrilo assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne) and his act triggered the First World War in 1914. One of the bridges was even built by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel.

Zetra Olympic Centre is a legendary place that you should not miss.

Sarajevo has many religious buildings including the Cathedral of the Heart of Jesus, the mosque Gazi Husrev-begova and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God.

At the beginning of the Tito Street in the district of Baščaršija, there is the monument of the Eternal Flame (Večna vatra), in memory of the liberation from fascism, which burns for over 50 years (except between 1992 and 1995 because of the war).

You should not miss the source of the Bosna River in Ilidža.

Ćevapi: a culinary speciality

Ćevapi are small grilled rolls of minced meat served in the lepinja : a flat round bread. Some people like to joke about the ćevapi explaining that it is the greatest gift that Bosnia has given to the world.

Ćevapi are a part of the cultural identity of Sarajevo. The district of Baščaršija has the most ćevabdžinica (restaurants that cook especially this culinary speciality). Order a portion accompanied by sour cream, chopped onion or yogurt for less than 3 Euros.

If you visit Sarajevo, it is essential to taste the ćevapi and other specialties like burek (it is a meat pie), zeljanica, baklava, Turkish delight, Turkish coffee…

Cultural festivals in Sarajevo

During summer, the capital of Bosnia organizes many festivals and attracts more than 150,000 tourists. During this period, the streets of Sarajevo are literally flooded by the people who are dancing, singing and having fun.

The Sarajevo Film Festival and the Jazz Festival are the perfect examples of successful cultural events.

Sarajevo during winter

During winter, it is essential to book a chalet in the mountains around Sarajevo, near the ski slopes like the Bjelašnica, Igman or Jahorina ones.

Bjelašnice, including Jahorina, is the second Olympic mountain of Sarajevo and it is also a ski resort. Every Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the resort offers night skiing thanks to the spotlights.

People who have decided to spend the cold winter evenings inside can warm up at the fireside and enjoy thanks to good friends.