Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina 's dazzling surprise

April 01, 2018

Milijacka River Runs through Sarajevo

"Craggily beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina " Lonely Planet's description of BiH is spot on.

" Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its countryside is home to medieval villages, rivers and lakes, plus the craggy Dinaric Alps. National capital Sarajevo has a well preserved old quarter, Baščaršija, with landmarks like 16th-century Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque. Ottoman-era Latin Bridge is the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which ignited World War I."

The city of Sarajevo, a east meets west xanadu, is encircled by mountains and ironically it was in these same mountains that snipers hid and targeted civilians. "Sniper Alley" (Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: Snajperska aleja / Снајперска алеја) was the informal name primarily for streets Zmaja od Bosne Street (Улица Змаја од Босне; Dragon of Bosnia Street) and Meša Selimović Boulevard, the main boulevard in Sarajevo which during the Bosnian War was lined with snipers' posts.
Today BiH is gradually a lot of tourist arrivals. It is a country in transition and eyeing to join the EU. For tourists, it is an affordable destination to enjoy the wild and pristine nature, the charms of countryside medieval villages, cheap hotels and eats. We stayed at the Courtyard Sarajevo, by Marriot, a perfect modern hotel not far from the Old Town.

Orthodox Church

Bosnian Coffee and Lokum

I walked each day to the old town, amazed at the Ottoman footprints. There were Hammam Turkish baths, lots of souvenir shops with Turkish items, Baklava sweet shops, mosques and palaces. At the same square area, there was an Orthodox church, a catholic cathedral and a Synagogue.

Turkish Souvenirs

I wanted to travel to Mostar and see the famous village and bridge, but the rains cancelled our plans. So I am taking a rain check instead.

The other discovery is that shoes are 1/3 cheaper than anywhere else. Branded shoes like Sketchers, Ara, Gabor, Geox and other international brands. As i only discovered this on the last day, i did not have time to pick up any shoes. But the Baklava sold here is not as good as in Turkey and don't let people on Trip Advisor advise you otherwise.