Travel Talk

Sightseeing in Sarajevo, Bosnia

July 26, 2014May 26, 2019 by SHABL

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Good day,

I just had the pleasure of spending two nights in the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia. What a city is all I can say and if you make the move to climb up to Yellow Fortress, your eyes will be in for a treat which won’t fade from memory anytime soon. I’m a here and now type gent so no need to go deep into details of the past but I did visit the History Museum and it was eye opening and heavy to say the least. I’d best describe Sarajevo as a tree that got hit over in a hurricane which grew into something different and beautiful. The vibe was cool, people friendly and everywhere I looked seem to be another photo.

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My time in Sarajevo was brief but ultimately if you’re going to see the world, that’s how it’s done. You go places, you see the sights and enjoy a night or so before getting back on a train, bus or plane and moving on. I got the opportunity to see the Latin Bridge which is also recommended from a historical point of view as it’s where World War I started; that very bridge. A slightly eery feeling to say the least and it’s right in the center of town. Enough of that though, let’s talk about the delicious homemade zeljanica that I eat with some new friends at Bolero cafe or the cevapcici I had the pleasure of enjoying at Zeljo 2, shall we?

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The zeljanica is this pastry stuffed with cheese and a spinach like substance, it’s incredible. It was homemade and I could have eaten enough to incapacitate myself until the next feeding. The cevapcici is a national dish and supposedly Zeljo and Zeljo 2 across the street have the best in Sarajevo. We just stumbled upon it following the golden rule of “go eat somewhere with lots of locals who seem to be enjoying themselves”. While there another patron informed us of our glorious find. It probably wasn’t the healthiest meal out there but it was amazing, so much so that myself and a friend eat it both nights. If you do go, highly recommend you try it before you leave, it’s that dish everyone will suggest and for good reason. It’s basically these sausages in a pita of sorts with a local cheese and lots of onion.

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Since the stay wasn’t so long, most of the time was just spent strolling the streets, feeling the vibe and snapping shots with a smartphone. Should you find yourself in Sarajevo, just head for Baš?aršija which is the historical marketplace and cultural center of the city. From there, everything else will just happen. The streets were busy and lined with cafes filled with an eclectic mix of people. It was a real old meets new as the vibrant scene made you almost miss the signs of what had happened in the past. It’s not obvious what went down but it’s still quite apparent.

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No idea if I’ll ever go back to Sarajevo but I’m very glad I did. Soon I’ll be writing a post about getting to Sarajevo from Belgrade as it’s not so simple which put a real monkey wrench in my plan to get to Mostar, oh well. Also, as I mentioned earlier, do make the trek up to Yellow Fortress and enjoy the view. I’m sure there are plenty of other spots which offer great views as well but this one definitely delivers. Finally, just look up and around when there as it’s this cool city that really sprawls onto the surrounding mountains.

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