Day 7 Explore Sarajevo
• Destination: Sarajevo
• Included Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodations: Hotel President or similar
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today, we’ll explore Sarajevo on a walking tour with a local guide. Founded by the Ottomans in the 15th century, Sarajevo flourished as a multicultural haven for Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, Turks, Jews, and others for hundreds of years. By the late 17th century, Sarajevo was considered the most important city in the Balkans after Istanbul, and it is said to be the only city in the world where prayer calls can be heard simultaneously from mosques, synagogues, and churches. After hosting the 1984 Winter Olympics, Sarajevo, the once-shining example of ethnic diversity, descended into chaos during the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s. BosnianSerb artillery pounded the city during a three-and-a-half-year siege—the longest in the history of modern warfare—and scars from this violence can still be seen in the city’s buildings today. However, in modern times, the city is recovering from its tumultuous past to reclaim its spirit of religious tolerance.
In Bascarsija, or Old Town, we’ll see examples of the city’s Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences, including a 16th-century mosque complex that is considered one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in the Balkans. Here, we’ll walk through an old alleyway where coppersmiths still ply their trade. We’ll also explore Ferhadija, the Austrian quarter, along with the historic Latin Bridge—site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that set the spark for World War I.
Lunch: On your own in Sarajevo. Perhaps you’ll end your meal with kadayif, a pastry soaked in sweet syrup. Whatever you’re craving, your Trip Experience Leader is sure to provide suggestions.
Afternoon: You’ll have a few hours this afternoon to explore Sarajevo on your own. Perhaps you’ll walk back to Bascarsija to visit an old Ottoman Market that has been considered the heart of Sarajevo since the city’s founding. Through the rich aromas of exotic spices and sizzling meats, you’ll find countless rows of one-story shops selling everything from Turkish coffee pots to relics from the Bosnian War.
Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience Leader can provide restaurant suggestions to fit your preferences.
Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to rest, relax, and reflect on a day’s worth of discoveries in Sarajevo.
• Destination: Sarajevo
• Included Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodations: Hotel President or similar
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today, we’ll explore Sarajevo on a walking tour with a local guide. Founded by the Ottomans in the 15th century, Sarajevo flourished as a multicultural haven for Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, Turks, Jews, and others for hundreds of years. By the late 17th century, Sarajevo was considered the most important city in the Balkans after Istanbul, and it is said to be the only city in the world where prayer calls can be heard simultaneously from mosques, synagogues, and churches. After hosting the 1984 Winter Olympics, Sarajevo, the once-shining example of ethnic diversity, descended into chaos during the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s. BosnianSerb artillery pounded the city during a three-and-a-half-year siege—the longest in the history of modern warfare—and scars from this violence can still be seen in the city’s buildings today. However, in modern times, the city is recovering from its tumultuous past to reclaim its spirit of religious tolerance.
In Bascarsija, or Old Town, we’ll see examples of the city’s Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences, including a 16th-century mosque complex that is considered one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in the Balkans. Here, we’ll walk through an old alleyway where coppersmiths still ply their trade. We’ll also explore Ferhadija, the Austrian quarter, along with the historic Latin Bridge—site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that set the spark for World War I.
Lunch: On your own in Sarajevo. Perhaps you’ll end your meal with kadayif, a pastry soaked in sweet syrup. Whatever you’re craving, your Trip Experience Leader is sure to provide suggestions.
Afternoon: You’ll have a few hours this afternoon to explore Sarajevo on your own. Perhaps you’ll walk back to Bascarsija to visit an old Ottoman Market that has been considered the heart of Sarajevo since the city’s founding. Through the rich aromas of exotic spices and sizzling meats, you’ll find countless rows of one-story shops selling everything from Turkish coffee pots to relics from the Bosnian War.
Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience Leader can provide restaurant suggestions to fit your preferences.
Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to rest, relax, and reflect on a day’s worth of discoveries in Sarajevo.
I have not been sleeping very well. I woke up about 4 am and then had trouble getting back to sleep. Sharon and I finally got up just before 7 am.
After grabbing a quick breakfast in the hotel, Sharon and I joined the group and our local guide in the lobby at 9 am. We did a fantastic walking tour. We walked along the Miljacka River and into the Austro-Hungarian part of the old town. The guide did a great job talking about the history and culture of the city.
We made a long stop at site where Archduke Ferdinand was killed. The event set in motion the chain of events that led to World War I. I read a book about the cascading sequence of events in 2014.
Heading back into the Ottoman Old town, the guide took us into the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque. It is the most prominent mosque in Sarajevo and one of the most important Islamic structures in the Balkans. The mosque was built in the 16th century by Gazi Husrev-beg, a powerful Ottoman governor. Sarajevo was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1463 to 1918. 455 years!
Wandering the old town, we came across several Sarajevo Roses. The roses are a somber and poignant symbol of the city's tragic past. They are red marks left on the pavement where people were killed during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996). During the siege, snipers targeted civilians, leaving countless victims. In memory of these innocent lives lost, the people of Sarajevo began to mark the spots where people fell with red roses. These marks, often filled with red resin, have become a powerful reminder of the horrors of the war.During the walking tour, we stopped and had some Turkish Coffee and Turkish Delight at Caffe Divan.
A selection of pictures from the walking tour includes:
After lunch, we split off from the group. Holly, Van, Sharon and I took the Sarajevo Cable Car to the top of Trebević mountain. We explored the abandoned bobsled and luge runs.
When we got back down on the cable car, the four of us stopped and had a beer at the Sarajevo Brewery.
We finished the day walking in the rain to NANNA KUHINJA for dinner. Dinner was supposed to be on our own, but the trip guide organized a group birthday dinner for one of the people on the tour. She didn't show up! She was sick! It looks like there is a stomach virus working its way through the group.
Walking back to the hotel in the rain, Sharon and I crashed about 10 pm.
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