Balkan Travel Part 20: Highlights Of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

I left Mostar for Sarajevo soon after visiting the famous old bridge, Stari Most. Enroute I stopped at Vrelo Bosne, a vast public park located about 15 km from the city of Sarajevo. 

Vrelo Bosne National Park
Vrelo Bosne lies at the foot of Mount Igman in Ilidža, on the outskirt of Sarajevo. The park is established around a spring which is the source of River Bosna, the third longest river in the country. My visit was brief and I had enough time just to walk along the main avenue right up to where the park restaurant is located. It is a lovely park with beautiful trees and has lakes with crystal clear green water and pretty swans swimming in them. Panorama of the streams, lakes, wooden bridge and autumn foliage against the backdrop of mountains and lush vegetation depict nature at its best and being there was certainly refreshing and stimulating.

Sarajevo 

Visiting the capital city of a nation is deemed quintessential to feel the pulse of the country. I believe Sarajevo offers much but time was not on my side and the only place I visited was the old town area.

By the time I reached Sarajevo, it was dark and I had to content with taking only night views of the city. I managed to catch glimpses of a few prominent landmarks like the Town Hall which is reputed to be among the top ten most beautiful buildings in Sarajevo.

This photo is taken at the corridor of  the Town Hall.

Latin Bridge is a historical bridge built during the Ottoman Empire. This bridge was the place of assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, the event that triggered the beginning of World War I. The bridge was consequently called Princip Bridge.

A short walk and soon we were in the Old Town Bazaar. A maze of lanes, traditional shops, old mosques, historic squares, restaurants and an interesting culture. It was a great experience weaving in and out of lanes in a city that I have long wanted to see.

Posted below are random photos of Sarajevo Old Town Bazaar. 

Sarajevo Old Town Bazaar

Gazi Husrev-Beg Mosque which was built during the 16th century is the largest historical mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the most representative Ottoman structures in the Balkans 

Fountain in front of Gazi Husrev-Beg Mosque

Restoran Careva Ćuprija where I dined in that night. A few traditional dancers were invited to entertain my tour group.

The remnants of Tašlihan, a stone inn (caravanserais) that was erected between 1540 and 1543 by the Ottoman Governor @ Gazi Husrev Bey in Old Town.

Koncept Hotel, Sarajevo

I stayed in Koncept Hotel for the night, checked out the following morning. Enroute to my next destination, I visited one last attraction, Sarajevo War Tunnel

Sarajevo War Tunnel

Sarajevo War Tunnel aka Tunel Spasa is a 960 meter long tunnel that brought hope to a seiged city during the Bosnian War. This tunnel was secretly dug by the Bosnian Army during the seige of Sarajevo by the Serbian Forces.The tunnel linked two neighbourhood, one inside Serbian Seige line and one outside. It is estimated that 20 million tons of food entered the city, and 1 million people passed in and out of it, an incredible and ingenious strategy indeed.

           

The tunnel is about 1.5 meters high and 1 meter wide, and is more comfortable than the ones in Ho Chi Minh.

After this visit, I left Sarajevo.

 Adios Sarajevo!

                                                     

Related Posts: Click To View
Balkan Travel Pt 1: [ Romania] Bucharest Sightseeing
Balkan Travel Pt 2: [Romania] Bucharest Walking Tour
Balkan Travel Pt 3: [Romania] Peles Castle , Dracula's Castle & Romanian Scenery
Balkan Travel Pt 4: Bulgaria Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 5: [Bulgaria] Sofia Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 6: [North Macedonia] Skopje A City Of Mutifarious Statues
Balkan Travel Pt 7: [North Macedonia] Memorable Moments In Skopje
Balkan Travel Pt 8: [North Macedonia] Ohrid Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Pt 9: [Albania] Glimpses Of Albania and Its Capital City Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 10: [Albania] Walking Tour Of Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 11: Montenegro Scenic Drive
Balkan Travel Pt 12: The Charms Of Koto Montenegro
Balkan Travel Pt 13: [Montenegro] The Old Town Of Kotor Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 14: [Croatia] The Charms Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Pt 15: [Croatia] The Old Town Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 16: [Croatia] The Elaphiti Islands Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 17: [Croatia] Plitvice National Park Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 18: [Croatia] Rastoke Villagel

Balkan Travel Part 19: Mostar and Beautiful Scenery of The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Balkan Travel Part 20: Highlights Of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Balkan Travel Part 21: Bihac, Bosnia And Herzegovina
Balkan Travel Part 22: Bled Castle And Lake Bled, Slovenia
Balkan Travel Part 23: Lake Bled And Bled Island, Slovenia

Balkan Travel Part 24: Postojna Cave Park, Slovenia

Balkan Travel Part 25: Getting To Know Ljubljana, Slovenia

Balkan Travel Part 26: [Croaria] Zagreb Walking Tour