| Splendid
Sarajevo |
| Europe's
Best Kept Secret |
| by Maryam Manteghi |
| February
2005
You don’t have
to be an adventurer to appreciate the unique beauties of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While the name evokes memories of a war-torn past, today’s BiH is the country
all the ex-humanitarian workers come back to visit again and again. Bosnia’s
natural beauties and wonders are unparalleled. A country of rugged hills,
mountains, rivers and lakes, eco-tourism has become all the rage here with
opportunities for river rafting, mountain climbing, skiing and paragliding
in an untouched, pristine natural wonderland. For more information about
eco-tourism in Bosnia, check http://www.greenvisions.ba/gv/
an eco-tourism NGO founded by an American who fell in love with, and escaped
to Bosnia 13 years ago. |
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Bosnia’s capital,
Sarajevo, does not disappoint. A city nestled in a valley, surrounded by
hills and mountains; it’s the cool tourists’ new hot spot. The first thing
that hits you when you arrive in Sarajevo is the feeling. An intangible,
yet very real feeling that you definitely want to come back here or that
you definitely don’t want to leave.
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Sarajevo was
built by the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century and re-visited by
Austro-Hungarian architects in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Following that, 50 years of “happy” socialism created a city that is a
mix and mesh of different and sometimes contradictory styles and buildings. |
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| Hailed
as the Jerusalem of Europe, Sarajevo houses Catholic churches, Muslim
mosques, a synagogue and Orthodox churches all within walking distance
of each other.
No other European
city can boast such a thing and really, as you walk down the main street
Ferhadija, and pass the beautiful Serb Orthodox church, the majestic Cathedral
and the old Turkish-style Begova Mosque, all within five minutes, you realize
that Sarajevo is Europe’s best kept secret.
Sarajevo was
home to a synagogue before any other city in Western Europe and, most incredibly,
in a city that survived three and a half years of ethnic war, all of these
structures remain unscathed. The main walking street is Ferhadija and it
begins at the Eternal Flame, a fire that is kept burning at all times commemorating
the then Yugoslavia’s triumph over fascism after WWII. |
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| As you begin
walking, the buildings are a mix of communist and Austro-Hungarian style.
A bit further down, you hit Slatko Cose, or Sweet Corner full of pastry
shops and cafes that sell traditional Bosnian pastries and Turkish coffee
drunk with the traditional Turkish delight. Suddenly you are in a different
world. This is Sarajevo’s old town and where the city is at the height
of it’s’ charm. The road turns to cobblestones and the architecture
changes completely into classic Turkish style. You pass the grand Begova
mosque with its beautiful courtyard and hundred year-old trees. Do not
pass up this opportunity to visit. Women need to cover their heads but
the guards are extremely nice and a kerchief symbolically covering some
hair will do. If you don’t have your own, the tourist office inside the
courtyard will give you one.
Don’t forget
to eat the traditional Bosnian dishes of cevapi and burek. Cevapi consists
of small beef kebabs on some very tasty grilled bread. Burek is filo pastry
filled with meat, cheese and potato. Bosnian cuisine is very good and available
mainly in the old town.
I’m a café
girl at heart and Sarajevo is a café lover’s city par excellence.
Cafes abound here and, in summertime, the place to be is in one of the
city’s many sidewalk cafes. |
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| Stopping for
coffee is the national past-time and the best way to make friends and meet
people. Sarajevans are warm and friendly people and are proud and happy
to tell you about their country and show you around. Don’t miss Park Princeva
Restaurant that sits atop the city offering a breathtaking view of Sarajevo
as well as some traditional musical entertainment. Don’t forget that the
1984 Winter Olympics were held in Sarajevo and if you are a skier, I highly
recommend the skiing facilities at any of the resorts, (Bjelasnice,
Jahorina and Igman) situated just outside of the city.
Skiing and
winter sports are a huge attraction here and quite cheap in comparison
with other winter tourism locations, www.sarajevo-tourism.com
will tell you all you need to know to plan your trip. Cultural life in
Sarajevo is hopping all year round and a veritable treasure chest of talent. |
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| In summer,
the world-class Sarajevo Film Festival www.sff.ba
hosts stars from all over the world. Ten years ago, right after the war,
there was one movie theatre with 100 people to mark the opening night of
the festival. Today, the film festival boasts a venue of multiple theatres,
media from all over the world and an ever-increasing crowd of international
festival goers. Bascarcija noce (Bascarsija nights) www.bascarsijskenoci.ba
is another festival of dance and music held in summer in the old town.
It includes international orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic as well
as the Sarajevo Philharmonic and Folk music and dance groups. In winter,
there is the Sarajevo Jazz Festival www.jazzfest.ba
and the Sarajevo Winter Festival www.sarajevskazima.ba
Getting
Around: www.sarajevo-tourism.com
has all the information regarding busses, trains and planes in English.
Sarajevo is
just your first stop in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there’s lots more places
to see and visit. My next article will be about Mostar, the Mediterranean
jewel of the Balkans and one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.
Stay tuned for more Bosnian Delights! |
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Article
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