3-day Sarajevo itinerary: culture, history and nature

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a city where East meets West.

I would say that five days is the norm for staying in Sarajevo, but if a visitor only has three days, they can still experience the culture, enjoy the surrounding nature and learn about its interesting history.

Day 1: Culture

The definition of culture is very complex, but in a few words it represents everything created by a certain group of people. This includes both Material elements, such as food, architecture and art.and Non-material elements, such as way of life and language..

For most visitors who have never been to Sarajevo before, the best way to experience the culture is to simply walk the streets of the city and listen to stories about the city. Sarajevo’s old town is one of the easiest to navigate in Europe. You could watch it in an hour, but why limit yourself to just that? Why not book a walking tour and hear the stories that shaped Sarajevo?

For example, there is the story of how Bosnia begins where logic ends, as illustrated by the fact that Sarajevo The Muslims opened a brewery. (Ottoman Turks) in 1864, and the The Town Hall was built in an Islamic architectural style. by Austro-Hungarians, mostly Catholics. You will be able to learn about the culture of drinking coffee and the concept of ‘ćejf’which is difficult to translate but could be described as ‘the pleasure of doing things slowly and without haste’.

You can also learn about the culture of religious tolerance — Sarajevo has four different religious temples within a radius of 950 meters, the youngest of which is the Ashkenazi Synagoguebuilt in 1902, and the stubbornness of the proud Bosnian man, as illustrated by the story of how the Inat kuća (House of Spite) was moved brick by brick from one side of the river to the other.

Enjoy another aspect of culture: Bosnian cuisine. Attempt Ćevapi (grilled meat sausages made from beef and lamb and served in a special type of bread called somun) or bosnian pastries (salty filo dough filled with minced beef, cheese, potato or spinach). Regarding the cakes, there is a warning. Please don’t say ‘burek with cheese‘; people in Bosnia are allergic to that expression.

Learn about traditional Sarajevo crafts, particularly the art of goldsmithing. Unlike locksmiths, leatherworkers, and bookbinders, coppersmiths were not affected by the Industrial Revolution because they always had customers. Bosnians simply love coffee too much, so there has always been a market for boiler products.

Day 2 – History

By the end of the first day, you will have a general understanding of the history of Sarajevo.

You will understand the context and recapitulate: The Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires; two versions of Yugoslavia; the Nazi occupation; and the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1992.

However, if you want to go deeper, you will need dedicate a whole day to the 20th century.

The 20th century in Sarajevo was marked by three events: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinandthe Sarajevo Winter Olympics and the siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.

The death of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo sparked the start of the First World War. The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was visiting Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 with his wife, Sofia. Due to a series of events, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, killed them both next to the Latin Bridge in Sarajevo. As Europe had already been on the brink of war for years, the great European powers began to declare war on each other. Of the six major European empires, four did not survive the consequences of the war and even the victors were severely weakened. Next to the place where the unfortunate Austrian prince was murdered is a museum dedicated to the Austro-Hungarian period in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878-1918).

About a five-minute walk from the Sarajevo Cathedral (Cathedral of the Sacred Heart), you can visit the museum of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics. There you can learn about the most important period in the history of Sarajevo: February 1984, when Sarajevo was the center of the world.

Very close to the Cathedral there are three museums related to the Bosnian War.

He Museum of Crimes Against Humanityhe Sarajevo Siege Museumand the Srebrenica Gallery They are dedicated to the worst crimes against humanity committed in Europe since the Second World War.

He Tunnel of Hope Museumlocated next to the airport, it is the most visited museum in Sarajevo. Since it is difficult to get to, it is recommended to take a tour called “Fall of Yugoslavia” with Meet Bosnia agency.

Visiting this museum will allow you to hear stories of survival, ingenuity and resilience. You will discover how the only connection Sarajevo had with the rest of the world was a one meter wide tunnel built between March 26 and July 30, 1993.

Day 3 – Nature

Reserve one day for culture, one day for history and one day to experience nature around Sarajevo. Depending on your fitness level, there are three options:

a) Light option: walk to the Cabra bridge.

If you’re looking for an easy walk on relatively flat terrain, this is your route!

Find the Town Hall (it’s impossible to miss, as it’s the largest building in the old town) and follow the Miljacka River upstream. It takes about 45 minutes to get there. Goat Bridgea single arch stone bridge from the Ottoman era.

Centuries ago, it was the first thing travelers saw on the way from Sarajevo to Istanbul.

Approximately halfway between the Town Hall and the Puente de la Cabra, you will pass by Ambassador Alley. Since 2002, ambassadors from foreign countries plant a linden tree next to the mayor of Sarajevo upon arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the alley you can see 238 stone plaques with the names of the ambassadors and their countries of origin.

b) Medium option: walk to Skakavac waterfall

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a water-rich country. Wherever you go, you’re never far from a river, stream, lake or waterfall. The country officially has 202 waterfallsand the highest is located very close to Sarajevo. is called Skakavacwhich in the local language means “grasshopper” and measures 98 meters high. Although Skakavac does not produce as much water as Kravice (in the south) or Štrbački Buk (in the northwest), it is worth a visit, especially after a few days of rain.

The easiest way to visit Skakavac is to go to the Sutjeska bus station (next to the second gym, a five-minute walk from the Presidency building) and take bus number 69 to the village of Nahorevo. From the Nahorevo bus station it is just over six kilometers to the waterfall.

c) Challenging option: Lukomir

Lukomir is not in the Sarajevo canton, but most visitors still come from Sarajevo rather than Konjic, a town southwest of Sarajevo that is closer on the map.

lukomir village It is located at an altitude of almost 1,500 meters and is considered the highest settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The people who live there are shepherds, and some of them still dress 19th century traditional clothing.

The town is abandoned from November to April due to snow and inaccessibility, but it is possible to visit it from April to October.

To get to the village, drive from Sarajevo to the village of Umoljani, which will take about an hour. Then walk about 10 kilometers to reach Lukomir. This means it will take you about five hours to walk round trip, so of the three options for experiencing nature in Sarajevo, this is the most challenging.

Once you arrive in Lukomir, enjoy agave; It is one of the best places in the country to enjoy this dish.