Though it sounds like a tongue-twister-mouth-full to pronounce, Baščaršija (pronounced Bash-Char-She-Yah), this old Ottoman bazaar is the charming heart and soul of Sarajevo and has been a meeting point for locals since the 15th century. From here, looking at the Islamic domed roofs and down the small stone-paved alleys flanked by doll-size, wooden storefronts and craftsman’s workshops, it’s easy to imagine life as a medieval trader, bunking down with a donkey caravan during the earliest days of Ottoman rule!

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Do not let yourself leave Bosnia and Herzegovina without trying local Bosnian delights! Our advice is to take advantage of the generous exchange rates and try as many cafes/restaurants as you can. Bosnian cuisine is balanced between Western and Eastern influences.

The food is closely related to Turkish, Middle Eastern, and other Mediterranean cuisines with some culinary influences from Central Europe. Top recommendations would definitely be ćevapi, sarma and tufahija together with some Bosnian coffee.

The Yellow Fortress (or Yellow Bastion) is a cannon fortress located 10 minutes walk from Old Town. It served as one of the defense points against the Austro-Hungarian troops in 1878, but nowadays it’s a great place where you can sit and enjoy beautiful sunsets over Sarajevo. During the month of Ramadan, this area is packed with locals waiting for the cannon to go off which marks the end of fasting for that day, followed by some fireworks.

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The Sarajevo War Tunnel is a great reminder of the perseverance of Sarajevo people during the war. The city was cut off from the rest of the world and the tunnel was constructed as a way to get to the other side of the airport, a Bosnian-held territory overseen at the time by the UN. The siege of Sarajevo lasted over three years during which over 2 million people are believed to have passed through the tunnel.

In 1914, Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo. The assassination, which began the First World War, is marked with a stone plaque and is located near the beautiful Latin Bridge.

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