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 will nonetheless expertise the tradition, benefit from the surrounding nature, and find out about its attention-grabbing historical past.

Day 1: Tradition

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

For many guests who’ve by no means been to Sarajevo earlier than, the easiest way to expertise the tradition is to easily stroll town streets and listen to tales concerning the metropolis. Sarajevo’s previous city is without doubt one of the best in Europe to navigate. You would 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 facility was opened by Muslims (Ottoman Turks) in 1864, and the City Corridor was inbuilt an Islamic architectural fashion by Austro-Hungarians, who had been largely Catholics. You’ll be able to be taught concerning the tradition of consuming espresso and the idea of ‘cheers’which is difficult to translate however may very well be described as ‘the pleasure of doing issues slowly and in an unhurried vogue’.

You may also be taught concerning the tradition of spiritual tolerance — Sarajevo has 4 totally different spiritual temples inside a 950-metre radius, the youngest of which is the Ashkenazi Synagogueinbuilt 1902 — and the stubbornness of the proud Bosnian man, as illustrated by the story of how the Spite of the home (Home of Spite) was moved brick by brick from one aspect of the river to the opposite.

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

Be taught concerning the conventional crafts of Sarajevo, notably the artwork of coppersmithing. Not like locksmiths, fur makers and bookbinders, coppersmiths weren’t affected by the Industrial Revolution as a result of they at all times had clients. The folks of Bosnia merely love espresso an excessive amount of, so there has at all times been a marketplace for coppersmith merchandise.

Day 2 – Historical past

By the top 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 Ferdinandthe Sarajevo Winter Olympics, and the Siege of Sarajevo throughout the Bosnian Struggle.

The demise of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo sparked the start of World Struggle I. The inheritor to the Austro-Hungarian throne was visiting Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, along with his spouse, Sophie. As a consequence of a sequence 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 struggle for years, the good powers of Europe started declaring struggle on each other. Out of the six main European empires, 4 didn’t survive the struggle’s penalties, and even the victors had 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 may go to the Museum of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics. There, you may be taught concerning the best 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 Struggle.

The Museum of Crimes Towards Humanitythe Museum of the Siege of Sarajevoand the Srebrenica Gallery are devoted to the worst crimes towards humanity in Europe since World Struggle II.

The Tunnel of Hope Museumsituated subsequent to the airport, is probably the most visited museum in Sarajevo. Since it’s tough to get there, it is suggested that you simply go on a tour referred to as “Fall of Yugoslavia” with the Meet Bosnia company.

Visiting this museum will will let you hear tales of survival, ingenuity, and resilience. You’ll learn the way 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 at some point for tradition, at some point for historical past, and at some point to expertise the character round Sarajevo. Relying in your stage of health, there are three choices:

a) Gentle choice: stroll to Goat’s bridge

In case you’re in search of a simple stroll over comparatively flat floor, that is the route for you!

Discover the City Corridor – it’s unimaginable to overlook, because it’s the most important constructing within the Outdated City – and comply with the Miljacka River upstream. It takes about 45 minutes to succeed in Goat’s Bridgea 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 choice: 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 waterfallsand the tallest one is situated very near Sarajevo. It’s referred to as Grasshopperwhich suggests “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 simplest method 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 choice: Lukomir

Lukomir is just not in Canton Sarajevo, however most guests nonetheless come from Sarajevo moderately 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 very best settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The individuals who stay there are shepherds, and a few of them nonetheless put on conventional Nineteenth-century clothes.

The village is deserted from November to April resulting from snow and inaccessibility, nevertheless it’s potential to go to from April to October.

To succeed in 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 probably the greatest locations within the nation to get pleasure from this dish.