BA
Sarajevo
Ottoman bazaar lanes, Austro-Hungarian avenues and a city that tells its own recent history
Ottoman bazaar lanes, Austro-Hungarian avenues and a city that tells its own recent history
The old Ottoman market quarter is a maze of coppersmiths, cafés and čevapi grills. The wooden Sebilj fountain is its best-known landmark and meeting point.
Photo: Milan Suvajac, CC BY-SA 4.0
Completed in 1531, this is the most important Ottoman mosque in Bosnia. Visitors can enter outside prayer times for a small fee.
Dress modestly; scarves are usually available for women.
Photo: Aleksandra Đuričić, CC BY-SA 4.0
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated near this Ottoman bridge on 28 June 1914, an event that led to the First World War. A small museum on the corner covers the story.
Photo: Tumi-1983, CC0
This striped neo-Moorish building opened in 1896 as the city hall and later housed the national library. It burned in 1992 and reopened in 2014 after restoration.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dug under the airport runway in 1993, this tunnel was the city’s lifeline during the siege. A short section and a family museum are open near the airport.
Most visitors come by taxi or on a guided tour.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rebuilt and reopened in 2018, the cable car climbs to Mount Trebević in minutes. Up top are walking trails and the graffiti-covered 1984 Olympic bobsleigh track.
Hours change by season; check before you go.
Photo: MarinaSimic, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try čevapi in somun bread, burek and other pita pies, begova čorba (a creamy chicken soup) and Bosnian coffee served in a copper džezva.
Baščaršija is full of čevapčinići and pastry shops; prices are low by European standards.
Sarajevo International Airport is about 12km from the centre. Trains run to Mostar (about 2 hours) and buses link Belgrade, Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik.
The centre is walkable, and trams run along the main avenue from the old town to the west of the city.
Bosnia and Herzegovina uses the convertible mark (BAM, KM), pegged to the euro at about BAM 1.96 = €1. Euros are often accepted, at varying rates.
Prices are approximate; check current rates.
Old town, history and mountains.
Walk Baščaršija, visit the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, cross the Latin Bridge and see City Hall.
Visit the Tunnel of Hope and the War Childhood Museum or Gallery 11/07/95.
Ride the cable car, walk to the bobsleigh track and watch sunset from the Yellow Fortress.
Bosnian coffee is a ritual; take your time.
The Sarajevo Film Festival fills hotels; book ahead.
Air pollution can be high in winter.
Mines remain in some rural areas; stay on marked paths in the hills.
Quick answers for planning time in Sarajevo.
It is generally considered safe; take normal city precautions and check your government’s advice.
Near the Latin Bridge, on 28 June 1914.
By train in about 2 hours, or by bus.
A tunnel dug under the airport in 1993 to supply the city during the siege.
May to June and September to October.
Planning a wider trip? Our Bosnia travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.