TEAR OUT GUIDE
Best of Sarajevo
BAŠČARŠIJA Centred on what foreigners call Pigeon Square, with its gazebolike Sebilj fountain from 1891, Baščaršija (‘bash-char-shi-ya’) is the heart of old Sarajevo. Named after the Turkish for ‘main market’, the area is lined with stalls, lively (if tourist-centric) coppersmiths’ alleys, grand Ottoman mosques, caravanserai (inn) restaurants and lots of inviting little cafés.
WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PETER DRAGICEVICH. PHOTOGRAPH: NATALIA BABOK/GETTY IMAGES
CUT THIS OUT AND TAKE IT WITH YOU
Thrust into the world’s consciousness in the 20th century by two violent events, Sarajevo is once again a wonderful place to visit – for its intriguing architectural medley, lively street life and irrepressible spirit.
GALERIJA 11/07/95 galerija110795.ba This gallery uses photography, video footage and audio testimonies to create a powerful memorial to the 8,372 victims of the Srebrenica massacre, one of the most infamous events of the Bosnian civil war. Allow well over an hour for a visit. SARAJEVO CABLE CAR zicara.ba Reopened in 2018 after being destroyed during the war, THREE FAITHS Among the city tours and excursions run by InfoBosnia is a threehour ‘Judaism, Christianity and Islam’ walk that helps to show why Sarajevo was once called the ‘European Jerusalem’ (infobosniatours.com).
Take a cable car for sup rem e views
Sarajevo’s cable car once again shuttles people on a nine-minute ride, climbing to a viewpoint 1,164m up on Mt Trebevič. SARAJEVO CITY HALL Obala Kulina bana bb A neo-Moorish striped façade makes the Vijećnica (1896) the city’’s most beautiful building from Austro-Hungarian times. Its colourfully restored interior and stained-glass ceiling are superb. The excellent Sarajevo 1914– 2014 exhibition in the basement begins with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, just after he visited the city hall. AVLIJA avlija.ba Locals and in-the-know expats cosy up at painted wooden benches in this buzzing covered yard, dangling with trailing pot plants, strings of peppers and birdcages. Bosnian specialities are served, along with pasta, risotto and schnitzel. Wash them down with inexpensive local draught beers and wines. CAKUM PAKUM Kaptol 10 A collection of antique suitcases, fringed lamps, gingham curtains and bright tartan tablecloths set the scene at this hip restaurant with only half a dozen small tables. The food is simple but delicious – savoury pancakes, salads, a large range of pasta and a small selection of grills. ŽELJO Kundurdžiluk 19 & 20 Locals are willing to brave the tourist throngs at Željo as it’s quite possibly the best place for ćevapi (spicy beef or pork
cylindrical meatballs) in Sarajevo. There are two branches diagonally across from each other. Both have street seating; neither serves alcohol.
SARAJEVO IN NUMBERS DATE OF BIRTH
1461
ART KUC' A SEVDAHA Halači 5 Sit in the intimate fountain courtyard of an Ottoman-era building sipping Bosnian coffee, rose sherbet or herbal infusions while nibbling local sweets. The experience is accompanied by the lilting wails of sevdah (traditional Bosnian music) – mostly recorded, sometimes live.
fathered by Ottoman governor Isa-bey Isakovic ́ SIZE
188 sq miles
POPULATION
395,000 1,425
ZLATNA RIBICA Kaptol 5 Sedate and outwardly grand, the tiny and eccentric ‘Golden Fish’ is a cosy treasure trove of antiques and kitsch, reflected in big Art Nouveau mirrors. Drinks menus are hidden in old books that dangle by phone cords. Music swerves unpredictably between jazz, Parisian crooners, opera, reggae and the Muppets.
number of days the city was under-siege between 1992 and 1996
1885
year tram service started, one of the earliest in Europe
KAZANDŽIJSKA RADNJA HUSEINOVIC' Take hom e Kazandžiluk 18 original Most local coppersmiths stock metalwork imported or machine-made wares; Ismet Huseinović is one of the few producing handcrafted work. You can find some of his pieces at this shop, though the cute ‘Aladdin’ lamps are Turkish.
ESSENTIALS… The official and very helpful tourist office (sarajevo-tourism.com) is in Baščaršija – beware of commercial imitators
April 2020
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