Things to Do in Sarajevo; Backpacking in Bosnia
On my trip through every country in Europe, Sarajevo was a real surprise. It was developed, bustling, busy and fun. I’d never have expected it to be like this. The Kravica Waterfalls were a real highlight of Bosnia, and Mostar in the south was beautiful, and it carried that deep Bosnian feel (not least due to the bullet holes in all the buildings) but Sarajevo had a whole different feel, Sarajevo is booming. A major European city, it most certainly is.
The capital isn’t huge by any stretch, and you’re free to wander around the city on foot, and although they mightn’t be a plethora of things to see here, just chilling in the endless cafes, or rinsing a few beers in a some of the many happening nightspots means that 2 or 3 days can pass in a heartbeat.
Table of Contents
Sarajevo Old Town (& Baščaršija – the old town market)
Sarajevo’s Old Town is THE highlight of a trip to the city. It hasn’t changed much since the 15th century. Think courtyards, mosques, cobbled paths and more kebabs than you can shake a stick at, Old Sarajevo is where it’s at. And the blend of cultures, where Islam and Christianity began to mix is fascinating. Check out the copper stores and rug sellers for sure. Make sure you eat the Cevapi at one of the local haunts (sausage-like meet wedged in a pitta with cheese, delicious). Oh and don’t miss that Bosnian Coffee!
The Sarajevo Tunnel Museum
This is a good 30 minutes outside the city, but it’s a great reminder about the chaos that went on in the former Yugoslavia just 20 years ago. The tunnel was hand-dug when the city was under siege for about 3 years, without it it would have fallen, the museum really gives you a feel for what happened.
You can take a tour of the tunnels, with a guide to explain the war, for about $20.
The Yellow Bastion / Sarajevo Fortress
Standard practice for me when I come to a new city, get to a high point and have a good look at where I am. The Yellow bastion does that for you. The Vratnik citadel isn’t in the best condition, but it’s the views you come for so don’t complain! There’s only one way up, and it’s on foot.
The Start Point of World War I
This is the actual spot where WWI started when the Bosnian revolutionary Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, on 28th June 1914. Grim.
Sarajevo’s Olympic Mountains The Bosnian Bobsled!
Pre-war, Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics. You can visit the Olympic mountains. Beautiful views and a nice hike. But the dilapidated, unused Olympic facilities hold a very ‘Chernobyl’ theme. A fascinating day-out. You can book that tour for about $45 here.
Day Trip to Mostar and the Kravica waterfalls
Bosnia’s most beautiful town Mostar is easily visited as a day trip from Sarajevo. Even better still, you can pop in for a dip at the Kravica waterfalls. One of the best waterfalls in Europe!
TOP-TIP: A day-trip from Sarajevo to Mostar and the Kravica Waterfalls
Sarajevo Cable Car
The Sarajevo cable car was actually built way back in 1959, but it had a lot of issues, and then was finally destroyed in the war in the 90s. It reopened in 2018. It’s open from 10am to 9pm daily and costs 20KM return for foreigners.
Final thoughts on things to do in Sarajevo
Best time to visit Sarajevo
It follows European seasons, so you can visit all year around. But winter can reach freezing point, so wrap up warm. Late Spring to early fall is the best time.
Is it safe to visit Sarajevo (& Bosnia in general)?
Thankfully, the war-torn days are behind them. Much like visiting Belfast in Northern Ireland, the troubles are in the past. And the future is bright. It’s very safe.
How long should you spend in Sarajevo?
You can see all the main sights in 1 day if you needed to. But it’s a beautiful, atmospheric city. I’d stay for 3 nights if you have the time.
Remember, never travel without travel insurance! And never overpay for travel insurance!
I use HeyMondo. You get INSTANT quotes. Super cheap, they actually pay out, AND they cover almost everywhere, where most insurance companies don't (even places like Central African Republic etc!). You can sign-up here. PS You even get 5% off if you use MY LINK! You can even sign up if you're already overseas and traveling, pretty cool.
Also, if you want to start a blog...I CAN HELP YOU!
Also, if you want to start a blog, and start to change your life, I'd love to help you! Email me on johnny@onestep4ward.com. In the meantime, check out my super easy blog post on how to start a travel blog in under 30 minutes, here! And if you just want to get cracking, use BlueHost at a discount, through me.
Also, (if you're like me, and awful with tech-stuff) email me and my team can get a blog up and running for you, designed and everything, for $699 - email johnny@onestep4ward.com to get started.
Do you work remotely? Are you a digital nomad/blogger etc? You need to be insured too.
I use SafetyWing for my digital nomad insurance. It covers me while I live overseas. It's just $10 a week, and it's amazing! No upfront fees, you just pay week by week, and you can sign up just for a week if you want, then switch it off and on whenever. You can read my review here, and you can sign-up here!
As you know, blogging changed my life. I left Ireland broke, with no plan, with just a one-way ticket to Thailand
and no money. Since then, I started a blog, then a digital media company, I've made
more than $1,500,000 USD, bought 4 properties and visited (almost) every country in the world. And I did it all from my laptop as I
travel the world and live my dream. I talk about how I did it, and how you can do it too, in my COMPLETELY FREE
Ebook, all 20,000
words or so. Just finish the process by putting in your email below and I'll mail it right out to you immediately. No spam ever too, I promise!
