• Sarajevo Football Club, (Olympic Stadium). Though football quality is low, it is interesting to follow a match in a stadium which hosted the opening ceremony of 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games peacefully just a few years before war broke out.  edit

Events

Sarajevo is a vibrant city that lives all year long. Sonar [11] compiles the city's regular calendar of events to make it easier to plan your visit.

• Sarajevo Film Festival, [12]. annually during August (but for 2010 it will be held in July to avoid a clash with Ramadan). One of the best film festivals in Europe.  edit

• MESS - International theater festival Sarajevo. annually during October.  edit

• Sarajevo Jazz Festival, [13]. during first week of November.  edit

• Sarajevo Winter International Festival, [14].  edit

The local tourist information (Zelenih beretki 22a, +387 33 220 724) has a free brochure called 'A day in Sarajevo'. It includes a self-guided walking tour.

• Old Town. The cobbled streets, mosques and Oriental style shops at the heart the city are a world away from Europe, and when the call-to-prayer starts, one could be forgiven for thinking that they were actually in the Middle East. You could actually be walking by a Catholic church, Orthodox church and a Synagogue and hear the Islamic call to prayer at the same time.  edit

• Latin Bridge. This bridge was the location of the 28 June 1914 assassination of Archduke of the Austrian Hungarian empire Franz Ferdinand, the event that sparked the beginning of World War I. A plaque commemorates the event. On the Bridge itself was a memorial to the assassin Gavrilo Princip, but this was removed during the 1992-1995 War.  edit

• Views from Sorrounding Hills. Sarajevo's surrounding hills offer fantastic views over the city, but some landmines from the war still exist on some of them. To be safe, stick to paved roads and sidewalks and do not walk into fields, grass, or wooded areas. Also be alert for stray (and possibly rabid) dogs when venturing out of the city. The hills also offer a taste of suburban Bosnian life, including some of the surviving wooden mosques from before the war. If walking up these hills seems too much like hard walk, simply walk up to the old bastion wall and get a view over town from there. Follow the river towards the hills and, where it makes a right hand bend and the main road goes through a tunnel, there's a slip road that goes up, over the tunnel and doubles back towards the bastion. Alternatively, find your way through the war cemetery at the top of the old town.  edit

• cemeteries. With white marble grave stones for those who gave their lives at their 20s during the civil war, these cemeteries are quite visit worthy.  edit

• Markale Market Place, (very close to Bascarcija). Marked the start of NATO intervention and thereby end of the war after a bombing which took the life of some 40 people. Markale was bombed two times, first in Feb 1994 and second in Aug 1995. First is important in terms of casualties and second is important in terms of initiating NATO military intervention.  edit

• Vrelo Bosne. The beginning of the river Bosna where the water is pure and ice cold. Here you can walk in a beautiful park, picnic and spend the whole day without ever getting bored. May 01 festival is held here.  edit

• Vijecnica (City Hall), Obala Kulina Bana.  edit

• Morica Han (Morica Inn), Saraci (Old town). The only preserved Ottoman Inn in Sarajevo. The first floor used to contain 43 rooms for travellers, mostly traders, houses nowadays a carpet shop and a traditional restaurant with engravings of Rubaiyat of Umer Khayam, the famous 12th century Persian poet.  edit

• Sebilj (Fountain), Bascarsilja (Old town).  edit

Museums

Sarajevo's museums are in disrepair, due to disputes over which arm of the government is responsible for funding them. However, they are still worth visiting.

• Bosnian Historical Museum, (In a modern building across the road from the Holiday Inn.). The moving display on the siege of Sarajevo is a must-see - if you are able to cope with the pictures of the maimed citizens after shelling of markets. Wonder at the photos of an ineffective UN providing armored vehicles citizens could wait behind before risking sniper fire to cross the street. And you will be heartbroken by the pictures drawn by children.  edit

• National Museum, (In a classical building across the road from the Holiday Inn.). Closed Mondays.. Statistic displays of the natural and human history of Bosnia and Herzegovina - most interesting is the traditional Turkish style homes of Sarajevo prevalent in the nineteenth century.  edit

• Sarajevo Tunnel Museum, (Taxi from the center city costs ~17 KM one way. Take the #3 tram to the end of the line from the city center. Then get a taxi to the Tunnel Museum and walk back to the tram station if it's a nice day (takes about half an hour). Alternatively, the tourist office in the city center offers Tunnel tours for €12, with transportation to and from the city center included. After seeing the tunnel, they also take you on a drive through the part of the city that is in the Republika Srpska, which you can't get to via the tram.). open 7 days a week from 9-5.. This museum houses the tunnel which was used to access the airport area during the siege and ferry supplies into the city. The tunnel itself is in the garden of a house so don't be worried if you think you're headed into suburbia! 5 KM.  edit

• Sarajevo City Museum, (in the Old Town). Newly opened, the museum traces Sarajevo's development from pre-historical times through the Roman, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and modern times.  edit

• Svrzina kuca (Svrzo house), Glođina ulica 8 (200m north of the old town). A beautiful old Ottoman house built in the 18th century shows how Svrzo family lived there. 3 KM.  edit

• Sarajevo Art Gallery, (On the third floor of the building south of the Orthodox Cathedral (entrance is down a side street next to the municipal government building, look for the number 8 above the door)). Small but pleasing gallery. Free.  edit

Religious Buildings

• Stara pravoslavna crkva (Old Orthodox Church), Mula Mustafe Baseskije (Old town).  edit

• Careva dzamija (Emperor´s Mosque), Obala Isa bega ishakovica.  edit

• Crkva Sv. Ante (St. Anthony´s Church), Franjevacka. Modern Catholic church with beautiful stained glass windows  edit

The city is very tourist friendly - once you get to the city center. There is a tourist info office in the center of town, take the #1 tram in front of the station and it will take you to town or just walk for about 20 min going right out of the train station and follow the river. Tram #1 will follow the river up until Bascarsija square (in the turkish quarter) where it will make a 180 degree turn and drive back towards the station. The Bascarsija tram stop is located directly after the tram turns away from the river.

By plane

Sarajevo Airport [2] (IATA: SJJ) is located 6.1km southwest of the railway staton, in the suburb of Butmir.

The following airlines operate service to/from Sarajevo Airport:

Adria Airways (Ljubljana), Austrian Airlines (Vienna), B&H Airlines (Belgrade, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Istanbul-Atatürk, Stockholm-Arlanda, Vienna, Zagreb, Zürich), Buraq Air (Tripoli), Croatia Airlines (Zagreb), Germanwings (Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart), Jat Airways (Belgrade), Lufthansa (Munich), Malév Hungarian Airlines (Budapest), Norwegian (Oslo-Rygge, Stockholm-Arlanda), and Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)

Getting to/from the airport can be problematic as there is no direct public transportation, and taxi fares to/from the airport are surprisingly expensive for the short distance. Your best bet is to take a taxi to the tram terminus at Ilidža and then take the tram into the city center (1.6 KM). Alternatively, you can take Bus #36 to Nedžarići (1.6 KM). The bus stop is located on the main road outside the airport parking lot. At Nedžarići, you can change for a tram to the city center (1.6 KM). Bus #36 runs about every 30 minutes. Service hours are 6-23 Mon-Fri, 6-8 and 14-18 Sat and 8-15 Sun.

By train

From/To Hungary A train now leaves Budapest (Keleti pu. station) daily at 9.45, arriving in Sarajevo at 21.09. One-way ticket costs more than the return ticket (~€51) There is a dining car, but it is only operational until the train reaches Pécs. Typically, it departs from platform 13. You will be bothered at least four times for your passport, and around four times for your ticket. The return train departs Sarajevo daily at 7:02AM for Budapest, via Osijek, costing 96 KM. It arrives at Keleti pu. station in Budapest at 18:14. For more information visit Hungarian Timetable [3] or Hungarian State Railways [4].

From/To Serbia Direct trains operate between Sarajevo and Belgrade, leaving Belgrade at 8:15AM and arriving in Sarajevo at 5:30PM. Night trains also operate this route, with a required transfer in Doboj. The night journey takes 9-11 hours. There are no sleeping cars available. You will be bothered at least four times for your passport (since the train crosses through a small piece of Croatia), and at least as many times for your ticket. Do not expect to be able to sleep. Alternatively, you can also take the daytime train towards Budapest, but change Strizivojna-Vrpolje, Croatia to the connecting train to Belgrade. This train also has a dining car.

From Croatia

There are two daily trains between Sarajevo and Zagreb, as follows:

A train leaves Zagreb daily at 08:55, arriving in Sarajevo at 18:05. This train continues onto Ploče, arriving there at 22:15 [5]

The return train to Zagreb, via Zenica, Doboj and Banja Luka, departs Sarajevo at 10:27 (having started in Ploče at 06:00). It arrives in Banja Luka at 15:24 and finally into Zagreb at 19:45. Tickets cost 22 KM one way, 26 KM return. The train does NOT have a dining car on board, though men with trolleys selling food and drink will board the train at various points on the journey. Be advised to bring supplies beforehand!

A night train leaves Zagreb at 21:25 arriving in Sarajevo at 06:39. The return train leaves Sarajevo at 21:27 and arrives in Zagreb at 06:42. While this train occasionally operates with a couchette car, the inconveniently-timed border crossing from Sarajevo to Zagreb (ensuring you won't get a full night's sleep) remains! Travelling on this train has the benefit of comfort (as opposed to the bus journey taking almost the same time), or the cost factor of flying and a night's accommodation in either city. Be careful (as with all overnight rail travel in Europe), that thieves may operate on the train, robbering passports, money and mobile phones.

From Ploče via Mostar

There is another train route from Ploče in Croatia to Sarajevo via Mostar. One of the most beautiful and scenic rail routes in Europe, travelling through lakes and mountains with many tunnels and switchbacks.

Trains depart Ploče daily:

• 06:00, arriving in Sarajevo at 10:00, via Mostar at 07:34
• 17:00, arriving in Sarajevo at 20:59, via Mostar at 18:38

Trains from Sarajevo to the south:

• 07:05, arriving in Ploče at 11:00, via Mostar at 09:24
• 18:18, arriving in Ploče at 22:15, via Mostar at 20:41

Single tickets from Sarajevo to Mostar cost 9.90 KM (return: 14.10 KM). Additional trains operate each day to the town of Konjic (about half way between the two cities). Holders of an ISIC student card can get a 30% discount.

See the Croatian Railways website [6] for more information.

By car

Roads in Bosnia are often only a single lane in either direction, and due to the mountainous topography tend to be very windy and speed limits are lower (mostly 80kph). Beware of trucks and people dangerously overtaking on any road. There are many tunnels, and you must always drive with your lights ON (day or night).

• From Zagreb (Croatia) - taking direction to Slavonski Brod - Derventa - Doboj - Zenica - Sarajevo

• From Adriatic Sea - taking ferry Ancona - Zadar, then by car Zadar - Split - Metkovic - Mostar - Sarajevo.

• From Belgrade (Serbia) - taking direction to Sabac - Zvornik - Vlasenica - Sokolac - Sarajevo.

There is a company which offers connections by mini-van or private cars between Sarajevo and Belgrade, the name of the company is GEA Tours, the company is based in Belgrade and Podgorica. It is compulsory to contact before the departure either by phone or by email. The Belgrade office telephone number is +381 11 2686-635,2686-622,2643-840,2685-043, the address is Kneza Milosa 65-Belgrade, the email is: gea@eunet.rs. A single journey between Sarajevo and Belgrade costs €30 and it takes about 5 hours and a half to 6 hours.

By bus

There are two bus stations in Sarajevo. The main bus station ('autobusna stanica', by the train station) serves Croatia and most other international destinations, as well as destinations within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in the end of number 1 tram line that takes you to the old town (1.60 KM).

There is also another bus station in Eastern (Serb-dominated) Sarajevo on the outskirts of the city serving the Republika Srpska and destinations in both Serbia and Montenegro. To get to this bus station (called 'Lukavica' or 'Istočno (Источно) Sarajevo') it is probably easiest to book/order a taxi (cost from the Turkish Quarter was around 15KM in September 2005). If you prefer public transport, use 103 and 107 bus/trolleybus, or the 31E, exit at the last station, and ask people how to get to Lukavica bus station (buses and trolleybuses to the city centre depart from a terminal around 200m from where the international buses arrive). Be warned that Lukavica is the name of suburb/district, not just the bus station! In this bus station, Cyrillic script is prevalent so you should probably check the spelling of your destination. If you need Bosnian currency there is a Visa/Mastercard cash machine (bankomat) in the nearby Pom shopping centre.

At the main street in central Sarajevo there is an Eurolines office where is possible to get bus tickets to any other country, also it is possible to get ticket to any other major cities in Bosnia like Mostar although they do not run the services, they only provide the tickets. A ticket to Zagreb costs €30, May 2008 prices and it runs three times a day. Lines tend to be much shorter, and the staff have a much stronger command of English. This can be helpful as if you do not speak Bosnian well, it can be rather hard to get good advice from the bus station. Double-check with the tourist office as they can often confirm the existence of a route or timetable that the staff at the bus station have denied!

From the main bus station, there are several buses a day to/from Mostar which also stop at Konjic and Jablanica along the way. These leave at 6, 7, 7:35, 8, 8:15, 9, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30 and up to 18, and journey time is approximately two and a half hours. Single tickets cost 13.50KM, return tickets are 19KM. There are also buses to Split (5-6 hours) and a daily bus to Dubrovnik which leaves at 7AM and costs 40KM/160KN.

There are several buses a day from the main bus station to Banja Luka. These leave at 5:00, 07:55, 09:15, 14:30, 15:30 and 16:30. Journey time is approximately 5 hours.

The bus ride from Lukavica bus station to Podgorica in Montenegro takes 7 hours but is an absolutely amazing ride through some wonderful countryside on the route Lukavica-Trnovo-Rataj-Foca-Brod-Hum-Goransko-Niksic-Danilovgrad-Podgorica. As of September 2009, buses leave at 8:15, 9:00, 14:00 and 22:30. Cost is 35 KM (July 2008), which is about 18 Euro. Cost is about 40KM (Sept 2009) to Budva. Payment in Euro is accepted.

Buses to Tuzla leave from the main bus station approximately every hour every day. The journey takes approximately 3 hours, and costs around 11 KM (June 2006).

There is a daily bus to Graz and Vienna (Centrotrans/Eurolines), leaving from the main bus station at 8AM, reaching Graz at 7:45PM and Vienna around 2 hours later. A one-way ticket is €44 (note that when I asked for a cheaper student ticket, the seller told me that this includes only Bosnian students). You will have to pay the driver 2 KM to transport luggage. There are frequent stops on the way, including for food and toilets. Do not rely on this "food stops" very much as the drivers stop at the places like local coffee etc. The problem is that it is not any petrol station and you have to have the currency of the country where you are. The longest 30 min. stop is at one village local coffee in Croatia, and if you don't have any Croatian money, you'll be waiting in front of the bus for 30 min. unable to buy anything but coffee or non-alcoholic drinks.

Do not waste your time in Sarajevo if you want to travel with Eurolines and buy your ticket ASAP because the buses to European Union use to be very crowded.

Travel to Kosovo from Sarajevo is possible, but one must book a bus to Novi Pazar in Serbia first, and then travel from there to Pristina.

The journey to Belgrade goes through amazing scenery, takes about 7-9 hours and was 28 KM (bought from the bus driver) in September 2005. The bus departs from Lukavica bus station in Eastern Sarajevo. There are several buses a day. As of April 2007, there is now a daily service from the main bus station, cost 35 KM.

There are many bus lines linking most towns and cities in Bosnia and Hercegovina. See Centrotrans [7] for details (in Bosnian only). Check the transport sections of other destinations for more information. From Germany you can go by Euroliner (Centrotrans is part of it), have a look on Touring.de [8].

On all intercity buses you pay a fee for luggage. This fee of €1 per piece of luggage is paid to the driver upon boarding. Some drivers are rather picky about being paid in exact change in the correct currency (sometimes a local currency, at other instances requesting to be paid in Euros) and sometimes also refuse to be paid in too small coins. So keep some change ready.

A compilation of departure times from the main station can be found here: [9]

Hitch hiking

From Mostar, hitching a ride through the beautiful mountains up the M-17 road to Sarajevo is quite easy. Make sure you have a sign though and a Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language phrasebook would be useful. If you have trouble getting out of Mostar, change the sign to Jablanica where traffic will branch of NW to Banja Luka and then hitch on to Sarajevo from Jablanica. Sarajevo is a long thin city so try to get a lift into the centre. If not, get one at least to the tram tracks that go there from the west of the city limits.

The center of Sarajevo is served by a spinal tram network which makes an anti-clockwise loop around the central district (the first in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, opened in the mid-1870s) and a number of trolley-bus and bus lines which fan out into the suburbs. Tickets should be purchased in advance from kiosks labeled tisak on the street or from the driver, where they cost slightly more (around 1.80KM). Tickets should be validated upon boarding the vehicle and are valid for a one way trip only. Changing tram or bus means validating a new ticket. A day card valid for unlimited travel on all local public transport in zone A is available for about 5KM. Please note that inspectors board public transport very frequently.

The local transit network is operated by GRAS. More information including timetables can be found at the website: [10].

To reach the Tunnel museum in Butmir you can take the tram to the terminus at Ilidža and change there for bus 32 to Butmir. Leave the bus at Butmir, where the bus turns around to go back, near two small graveyards. From there you cross the bridge on your left hand facing the airport into tuneli street. A better option could be to catch a taxi from the tram terminal.

In Sarajevo, street signs are few and far between, and small and on the sides of buildings too far away to see when you're standing on a street corner. Building numbers are more or less consecutive but don't follow the "hundreds" styles of the United States, e.g., 23 Bjestiva street may be blocks from 27 Bjestiva street. An excellent map of Sarajevo is available at bookstores, all of which are located downtown and not open early or late or on holidays. Maps aren't sold in gas stations or other stores. Alternatively, the kiosk next to the Latin Bridge (a.k.a. the Princip Bridge) also sells maps. Lastly, asking Sarajevans for directions is an exercise in futility. People don't know the names of streets a block from the building they've lived in all their lives. However, they won't tell you this, and as a rule will point you in some direction, usually not the right direction. Taxi drivers can't be expected to find anything but the most obvious addresses unless you tell them where to go, in Bosnian. So buy the map before you go to Sarajevo, and when you get there walk around a bit instead of taking taxis. It's a small, beautiful city with many landmarks. Getting lost is next to impossible if you have the map, and maybe a compass.

Be careful taking taxis from the main train or bus station and the airport. The well-known "taxi scam" operates in Sarajevo, where the unsuspecting tourist will be taken to a more expensive hotel than the one he or she has asked to be taken to, and the driver and receptionist will swear that the new arrival is in fact in the right place. Many accommodation options, even the cheapest, will offer a pickup from wherever you arrive, and this is usually free or at a very minimal cost.

Look through a solid collection of historiical literature at the old-school TKD Sahinpasic bookstore on Soukbunar 12.

If you can't afford the carpets and local copperware on sale there’s cool t-shirts for 20Km in the souk area. One such shop is Maloprodaja, Saraci 21.

Next to the Emperor´s Mosque you'll find the small shoemaker's shop "Andar". Besides old fashioned stuff they have some nice shoes, I got one pair of handmade sandals (Roman style) for 45 KM.

Budget

Sarajevo has countless shops selling burek (meat pie, sold in layers by weight or by piece), ćevapi and pizza stores. Pita (burek, sirnica, krompirusa, tikvenica, zeljanica etc) is a filo type pasty pie generally offered in several varieties - meat (meso), cheese (Bosnian cheese called "young cheese" similar to ricotta and never aged) (sirnica), cheese and spinach (zeljanica), pumpkin (tikvinica), and spicy potato (krompirusa). It is usually served and consumed with a traditional yogurt sauce which resembles sour cream. Most Cevapi places do not serve alcohol.

• Ago Fast Food Pizzeria, Mula Mustafe Baseskije 17.  edit

Mid-range

• Bambus, #32, Ferhadija bb 557-190. An amazing jewel of a restaurant in the downtown shopping district. You actually have to go down a small staircase and push a button to be buzzed in to the restaurant but once you are there you will be happy you took the time to find it. It is very classy, quiet, clean, English menu and the waiters speak English. Very good food at good prices. The food is cooked with pride and for the prices charged, it really is a good deal.  edit

• Bosanska Kuca, Bravadziluk 3, Bascarsija. Seats inside and out in the heart of the old town with a wide range of traditional Bosnian food at reasonable prices. You can sit outside against the warm wall of the oven if it's chilly. Their . Muckalica, a veal broth, is delicious and good value at €5.  edit

• Capucino, Grbavica (near river Miljacka in green area.). Delicious Bosnian meals and the best pasta and pizza in the region.  edit

• Hacienda, Bazardzani 3, [15]. Stays open late.. Mexican food, cocktails. Large portions with very fresh ingredients and a pleasant atmosphere. 8-12KM for a main course.  edit

• Inat Kuca, Veliki Alifakovac 1, Bascarsija. An old Turkish house by the river converted to a lovely restaurant selling hearty stew-like meals.  edit

• Karuzo, Mehmeda Spahe bb. While it doesn't serve traditional Bosnian food, this restaurant features a vegetarian/fish based menu, with a mostly Italian influence (although sushi is also available). The pasta dishes are also highly recommended. Its a very intimate restaurant seating only 18 at a time, the chef takes your order prepares the food and serves it himself. Do be aware that you probably do need to have a good deal of time to spare - it can take a couple of hours before you leave.  edit

• Mrkva. Traditional Bosnian food, a local favorite.  edit

• Ottoman Kebap House. Turkish restaurant on a side street in the old town. The inner courtyard lets you eat outside while being away from the noise of the street. The staff are really friendly, and will cook the food to your desired level of spiciness. Entrees: 7-12KM; Sargile: 8-10KM, depending on the flavor..  edit

• Park Princeva, Iza Hrida br. 7, ☎ +387 61 222 708. Slightly more expensive than Inat Kuca, also serving Bosnian food. Located on one of the hills of the city, you have a beautiful view, especially around sunset, when you can hear the prayers from the mosques around the valley.  edit

• Sarajevo Brewery. A large bar and restaurant near the Latin Bridge. Serves 'western' food, accompanied by a variety of beers brewed on the premises.  edit

• Vegehana, Kemal-begova 4 (on a sidestreet of the Alipašina, not far from the train station.), ☎ +387 61 592 123, [16]. from 11:00 till 19:00 (Mo-Sa).. restaurant which also serves as a yoga exercise area. Before 18:00: 10KM; after 18:00: 6 KM..  edit

• Zeljo, 4 different locations. Traditional Bosnian food, a local favorite.</  edit

Splurge

• Moja Mala Kuhinja. a small and quaint pilot project restaurant owned by Bosnian celebrity Chef Muamer Kurtagic who has hosted an array of cooking shows on national and privately owned TV stations. The idea is that the whole cooking process is open for public and his customers can enjoy the artistry of cooking the food while being educated at the same time. His menu changes daily according to the availability of the freshest and best tasting organic ingredients. Most dishes served by Chef Muamer are inspired by some of the best restaurant in Germany where he worked and honed his skills for a number of years. The restaurant can only serve 15 guests or so at a time.  edit

Cafes

• Connectum/Klub Knjige, Veliki Curciluk 27, ☎ 033 574 700, 033 574 701. Part of a bookstore.  edit

• Opera Bar/Café, B Sarajeva 25 (opposite the city's Opera house), [17]. fast WiFi connection, but the waitstaff are often unfriendly and inattentive. It attracts the acting and musical community among the regulars, though this isn't an exclusive kind of place. A bit smoky. Espresso: 2 KM.  edit

Bars

• Central Cafe, Štrosmajerova 1, Bascarsija, [18]. Cocktail bar with great music. Get there early or call to reserve a table. The place is very busy until midnight when people leave to hit the various nightclubs around town. The street is a whole promenade with many other cafes around.  edit

• Tre Bicchieri Wine Store & Tasting Bar, Cobanija 3, ☎ + 387-33-222654, [19]. Long list of Italian wines. Very cozy and comfortable place. Good music & relaxing atmosphere.  edit

Clubs

• Baghdad Cafe, Bazardzani 4 (across from Hacienda in Bascarsija), [20]. Danceclub/hookah bar in one of the most crowded areas of the Old Town for nightlife.  edit