Sarajevo

Sarajevo is one of the most compelling city destinations in the Balkans, shaped by centuries of cultural exchange and a modern history that is both challenging and deeply moving. Compact and easy to explore on foot, the city sits in a narrow valley surrounded by green hills, with much of its story unfolding along just a few main streets. This close-knit layout makes Sarajevo feel immediately approachable, while rewarding visitors who take time to look beyond the surface.

Founded by the Ottomans in the mid-15th century, Sarajevo developed as an important centre of trade, religion and learning, and its historic core still reflects this legacy. Within a short walk you will encounter mosques, synagogues, Orthodox and Catholic churches, standing side by side as a reminder of the city’s long tradition of coexistence. Later Austro-Hungarian rule added grand civic buildings, wide avenues and one of Europe’s earliest tram systems, giving Sarajevo its distinctive blend of East and West.

The city is inseparable from major moments in European history. It was here, in 1914, that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered the First World War. More recently, Sarajevo endured the longest siege of a capital city in modern history during the conflict of the 1990s. Today, these events are explored with sensitivity through museums, exhibitions and guided visits such as the Tunnel of Hope, offering thoughtful insight into how the city survived and rebuilt.

Modern Sarajevo is lively and welcoming, with cafés, markets and cultural institutions bringing daily life into sharp focus. Highlights include the National Museum, the Bosniak Institute, and the historic National Theatre, alongside the atmospheric Baščaršija quarter, where copper workshops, traditional coffee houses and small mosques preserve the feel of the old trading town. Just outside the city, nature provides an appealing contrast, with wooded hills, Olympic legacy sites and waterfalls offering easy excursions.

Despite its complex past, Sarajevo today feels optimistic and open, with a strong sense of identity and warmth that visitors quickly notice. Many travellers speak of the city’s quiet pull — a place that leaves a lasting impression and invites return visits — not through grandeur alone, but through its stories, resilience and unmistakable spirit.

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