Sarajevo, Bosnia-HerzegovinaAug 18, 2010
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Stari Grad - Old Town Baščaršija market center
Stari Grad - Old Town Baščaršija market center
Stari Grad - Old Town Baščaršija market center
| Most things people have heard about Sarajevo have been negative. Mainly from the brutal war in the 1990s where the city was seized and snipers were everywhere shooting anyone who walked the streets, i.e. Sniper's Alley. In 1914 the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife on the Latin bridge prompted World War 1. I admit that I came to see bombed out buildings, bullet ridden streets and people walking around with limbs missing but I was seriously surprised when I got there and saw the city. For starters both the US State Dept and CIA world fact page list Bosnia as a relatively safe destination. Street crime is almost non-existent which the same cannot be said for almost all the cities in Spain, Paris, Amsterdam etc. Recently a few travel sites have listed Sarajevo as one of the top European cities to visit. And for years Sarajevo was thought of as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. They also hosted the '84 winter Olympics. From the pics you can see the city is set in a valley surrounded by lush mountains. The neighborhoods on the mountains look like something you would see in Napa valley. Walking around the Old Town you would think you were in Turkey (centuries of rule by the Ottomans). The downtown has tons of cool outdoor cafes, plazas, restaurants and bars. I even found the Sarajevo Cheers bar! You do see some minor reminders of the war. Memorials here and there like the Romeo and Juliet bridge. Very few bombed out buildings remain but you do see mortar and bullet damage on building facades. Sarajevo, and all of Bosnia for that matter, was not part of my original travel plans but having come here I realized that it was exactly the travel experience I was looking for. The beaches are nice to go to but you don't really see or learn anything. Oh well off to the beach tomorrow! |
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