Baščaršija

Baščaršija, Sarajevo

The old Osman quarter is the oldest and maybe the most beautiful place in Sarajevo. Here you’ll find narrow houses with all kind of shops, good restaurants and even the chance to smoke a waterpipe (Nagileh). The location was created in the middle of the 15th century as a trading spot. During the Osman reign it fastly became the central location for crafts and trading of different goods.

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Museums in Sarajevo

Galerija 11/07/1995, Sarajevo

The museum landscape in Sarajevo is small. Some institutions like the national museum are shut down because of lack of funding and political reasons. Others like the national history museum have not been repaired and you can still see bullet holes on the deteriorating buildings. In others simple things like lightbulbs are missing. But there are still some places worth to see.

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Markale: The tragedy that ended the war

Markthalle für Sarajevo / Markale

The historic market hall of Sarajevo is situated in the pedestrian zone, the Ferhadija, close to Trg oslobođenja. As it was built in Austro-Hungarian time its name was officially “Markthalle für Sarajevo” (market hall for Sarajevo) – but the citizens converted the name over time from “Markthalle” to “Markale“. Architect August Butsch created a building in Renaissance Revival architectural style which was opened in 1895.

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Getting around in Sarajevo

Tramway in Sarajevo

Most sights in Sarajevo can easily be reached on foot. But if you are tired or want to get a bit afar from the city center, you can use the tramway (busses are also available). The streetcars are often older models imported from other european towns. Riding the tramway is quite easy, because there is only one route through Sarajevo: Beginning in Ilidža, following the main road and the Miljacka and then turning around the city center.

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Hotel Festival

Not far from the city center of Sarajevo, next to the olympic hall and the German embassy, you’ll find Hotel Festival – a boutique hotel with friendly staff and an incredible breakfast. To reach the center, you only have to cross a street and the river Miljacka. The pedestrian area, Ferhadija, is only a five minutes walk away. Hidden on 5th floor is a staircase leading to an inconspicuous door – behind it you’ll find a really nice roof terrace. Airport shuttle available on request.

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Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ)

Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ)

Located 12 km outside of Sarajevo, this airport is historical ground. During the siege of Sarajevo it was held by the United Nations and was the only connection to the outside world. Lots of people tried to escape over the airfield and where shot by Bosnian Serbs. The number of killed persons was announced daily via radio. Later on, a 800 m long tunnel was built under the airport to get supplies into the city – you can visit a small part of it in Butmir, close to the airport.

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