Sarajevo itinerary in 4 days
Including Mostar
My husband is a history buff and really wanted to go to Sarajevo. He was very interested in the modern history of the city during the 1990s because he remembers hearing about it on the news. Since I've wanted to visit Croatia for a while, we decided to combine the trips. It was a win win for both of us. Sarajevo is a fascinating city - rich in history, culture, ethnicities and religions. It is also very reasonably priced compared to other cities in Europe.
Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a compact city with a very unique Old Town. The Miljacka River flows through the centre and it is encircled by the Dinaric Alps. It is steeped in history including 400 years under the Ottoman Empire, forty years under Austro-Hungarian rule, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which some say sparked the First World War and of course the Bosnian War which included the four-year siege of Sarajavo in the 1990s, which is the longest siege of a capital city in history.
We also visited the town of Mostar, which used to be the capital of Herzegovina. It is situated in mountainous country along the Neretva River and is famous for its bridge which was built by the Turks in 1566 and had a single arch 90 feet (27 meters) wide. It was a masterpiece of Ottoman engineering.
It was fascinating to hear the stories and perpectives of our guides who lived through the war. I think the combination of a trip to Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina is perfect.
Day 1
Day Trip from Dubrovnik to Mostar
We arranged for tour guide, Julija Antunovik, from Dubrovnik Driving Guide, to pick us up from our hotel in Dubrovnik, and transfer us to Mostar. Along the way, she took us to see several sites. Julija was lovely and very knowledgeable. This was the second day that we spent with her and we thoroughly enjoyed the time with her.
The drive from Croatia to Bosnia Herzegovina was very beautiful. The scenery reminded us of the Alps due to mountains, chalets and small villages that we drove by.
After crossing the border into Bosnia Herzegovina, our first stop was at the Kravica Waterfall park, located along the Trebizat River. The waterfalls flow through limestone terrains and create a waterfall 28 meters high and a beautiful natural amphitheater 120 meters wide. Depending on the time of year and water levels, it is possible to swim at the bottom of the falls. There are several hiking trails down to the falls.
Our next stop was at the small settlement of Pocitelj. Its walled medieval town is a protected National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an open-air museum. It was built by the Ottomans. The fort and mosque are located at the top of a hill. We climbed the stone stairs to the main mosque and residential complex. There are beautiful panoramic views of the the river below and the ancient settlement.
We continued on our way to Blagaj which is situated at the spring of the Buna river and is a historical tekke (tekija or Dervish monastery). The Blagaj Tekija was built around 1520, with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument. We walked along the river and then stopped for lunch at the Fajić Buna river restaurant. It is located on the banks of the river. There are several similar restaurants along the river but Julija recommended this one. We had delicious Bosnian food including cevapi, which are little meat kebabs with pita and vegetables. It was delicious.
From there we headed to Mostar, our destination, where we checked into our hotel, Hotel Villa Cardak. This cute, small hotel is more of a "family guest house" located on a small cobble stone street in the heart of Mostar's Old town. The rooms are simple and comfortable. There is a shared kitchen for guests including a fridge and coffee/tea available.
After checking in we wandered around the small streets of Mostar and enjoyed the views and vendors in the bazaar.
Evening
Tonight we ate dinner at Divan Restaurant and Wine Bar. This cute restaurant is situated along the river, with views of the famous Mostar bridge. They have a delicious and varied menu including grilled meats and fish.
Day 2
Morning
This morning we met our guide, Dino (arranged by Julija Antunovik) for a walking tour of Mostar. The town developed in the 15th and 16th centuries as an Ottoman town and then during the Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and 20th centuries. It started off as a small town on a trading route between the Adriatic Coast and central Bosnia. Mostar has long been known for its old Turkish houses and Old Bridge, Stari Most, after which it is named.
During the 1990s conflict, however, most of the historic town and the Old Bridge, were destroyed. The Old Bridge was recently rebuilt and many of the structures in the Old Town have been restored or rebuilt. For many centuries Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in this town peacefully side-by-side.
Today this town, with cobblestoned streets, old stone buildings, colourful bazaar and its beautiful bridge, looks like a photo from the pages of a fairytale.
After our tour we had arranged for a transfer to Sarajevo with Mostar Transfers and Tours (moostaar@gmail.com). The drive takes approximately two hours.
Afternoon
Our driver dropped us at our hotel in Sarajevo, Hotel Old Town. Located in the heart of old Sarajevo, in the pedestrian area of Baščaršija, it offers comfortable and modern rooms. The staff are friendly and very helpful. The location can't be beat and it includes a buffet style breakfast.
Sarajevo's Old Town area is divided into two parts - East and West. The Eastern part is the Ottoman style area, featuring small, cobblestone streets and alleys with Turkish style shops, mosques and restaurants. It feels like a bazaar. The Western part was built during the Austro-Hungarian rule. The architecture is reminiscent of the elegance of Vienna or Budapest, although not quite as polished.
We met our guide Danijela Mehic. First stop was a ćevapi restaurant down the street from our hotel called Ćevabdžinica Specijal. They served freshly made ćevapi, little meat kebabs, with pita, onion and special sauce. They were delicious. We couldn't seem to get enough of these little Bosnian hamburgers during our trip.
After lunch we started our walking tour. She took us to the major sites in the Old Town area of Sarajevo, explained the history and shared her perspectives. We also stopped for a couple more tasty snacks along the way.
The tour included sites such as the City Hall and Spite House. When the Austro-Hungarians wanted to build the new City Hall, they had to purchase the land from several home owners. One owner didn't want to sell his Ottoman-style house but agreed to have it moved brick by brick to the other side of the river - hence the name!
We also stopped along the river at the assassination spot of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This was one of the key events that led to World War I. This spot is marked with a car and plaque commemorating this historical event.
We continued our tour through the Baščaršija area, which is the Ottoman area of Old Town. We stopped for a snack of traditional burek at ASDž - one spinach with cheese and one meat. It was delicious.
As we walked through the Baščaršija area, we stopped at the beautiful Ghazi Hursev-Beg’s Mosque built in the year 1530. This grand and beautiful mosque represents one of the most magnificent works of architecture in Bosnia. The narrow streets of the old market, with dozens of shops, surround the mosque, so it’s difficult to capture its beauty and grandeur. However, when one enters its spacious courtyard, everything changes. The courtyard is filled with tranquillity, harmonious beauty and grandeur. This is not only the biggest mosque ever built in these parts, but also an architectural masterpiece of the Ottoman period.
There are beautiful columns and mosaics around the exterior of the mosque. Five times each day a voice of the muezzin calls the believers to prayer from the mosque minaret. This call has been repeated daily from the year 1530 till today. Fortunately, we had a wonderful view of the mosque from our room at the hotel.
Danijela showed us the Congregational Orthodox Church and the Sacred Heart Cathedral as well as the Jewish Quarter. It was a very interesting afternoon.
Evening
This evening we had a reservation at Dveri Restaurant. Located in the heart of Bascarsija, the Muslim part of Old Town, this cozy restaurant has delicious homemade food and the menu includes a number of vegetarian items. Highly recommend.
Hotels
Mostar:
♥♥♥
This cute, small hotel is more of a "family guest house" located on a small cobble stone street in the heart of Mostar's Old town. The rooms are simple and comfortable. There is a shared kitchen for guests including a fridge and coffee/tea available.
Sarajevo:
♥♥♥
Located in the heart of old Sarajevo, in the pedestrian area of Baščaršija, Old Town Hotel offers comfortable, modern rooms The staff is very welcoming and helpful. The location can't be beat. Breakfast is buffet style
Noteworthy Restaurants
Mostar:
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Fajić Buna river restaurant. We stopped at this restaurant on our way to Mostar. It is located on the banks of the Buna river in the town of Blagaj. There are several similar restaurants along the river. Our guide chose this one. We had delicious Bosnian food including cevapi, which are little meat kebabs with pita and vegetables. It was delicious.
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Divan Restaurant and Wine Bar. We had dinner at this nice restaurant along the river, with views of the bridge, in Mostar. They have a delicious and varied menu including grilled meats and fish.
Sarajevo:
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Dveri Restaurant. Located in the heart of Bascarsija, the Muslim part of Old Town, this cozy restaurant has delicious food and a warm atmosphere. The food is all home-made and the menu includes a number of vegetarian items. Highly recommend.
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Ćevabdžinica Specijal. This little ćevapi restaurant down the street from our hotel serves freshly made ćevapi - little, grilled meat kebabs, with pita, onion and special sauce. They were delicious. We couldn't seem to get enough of these little Bosnian hamburgers during our trip.
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Dućan Baklava. If you love authentic, sticky, crunchy and sweet, homemade baklava you must go to Dućan's bakery on one of the cobblestone streets in Bascarsija. It is so delicious that we bought a box to bring home.
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Barhana. This Italian restaurant in Old Town is best known for its oven baked lasagnas. They are unique and so delicious. Highly recommend.
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Viennese Cafè - Hotel Europe. If you're craving a traditional Austrian treat while walking around the Austro-Hungarian part of Old Town, step into the Viennese Cafè for a delicious piece of cake and a nice coffee.
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ASDž. This traditional Bosnian restaurant is open for lunch or dinner. They have excellent bureks as well as the Bosnian specialty foods cooked "under the bell." We stopped by for bureks at lunch time and then came back for dinner. Really yummy.
Favourite Museums
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National Museum of Bosnia Herzegovina. This national museum in central Sarajevo houses an interesting collection of artifacts on natural history, archeology and ethnicity. It is also home to the Sarajevo Haggadah, which was made in Spain in around the year 1350 and made its way through Europe, through several pogroms and the Holocaust to land in Sarajavo. Its history is fascinating. While the exhibit for the book, which is preserved in a special room, is somewhat disappointing, I was glad we took the time to see it. The museum also has a nice sculpture garden in the back.
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The Siege of Sarajevo Museum. This small museum authentically portrays the everyday life of Sarajevo’s citizens who were terrorized as part of the shelling and sniping campaign orchestrated by the Bosnian Serb political and military establishment. The content focuses on personal stories of tragedy and day-to-day hardships in the besieged city.
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War Childhood Museum. This very moving museum presents the experiences of children who lived through the war in Bosnia, told through objects, video testimonies, and excerpts from oral histories. This museum can be very difficult for some people as it is extremely sad.
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The Tunnel of Hope. The Sarajevo Tunnel, also known as the Tunnel of Hope, was constructed between March and June of 1993 during the Siege of Sarajevo in the midst of the Bosnian War. It was used to move goods in and out of Sarajevo and it was also a way for some citizens to escape the Siege. Through an exhibit of photos and videos, you learn about the construction of the tunnel and how important it was. There is also an opportunity to go inside a small section of the tunnel.
Guides and Tours
Mostar:
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Dubrovnik Driving Guide. I highly recommend Julija Antunovik from Dubrovnik Driving Guide. We spent two days with her. She was very knowledgeable about the history of Croatia, she was fun to be with and she was an excellent driver. On this leg of the trip, Julija drove us from Dubrovnik to Mostar with interesting stops along the way.
Sarajevo:
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Danijela Mehic. We did a a three-hour walking tour with Danijela Mehic. She took us to the major sites in the Old Town area of Sarajevo, explained the history and shared her perspectives. We also stopped for tasty snacks along the way. To contact her by email: danijelamehic69@gmail.com
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Sarajevo By Locals. We spent two half days with Samra Kondo. On our first half day we did a food and culture tour. Samra shared her personal history during the war in the 1990s, showed us some hidden gems and introduced us to some tasty treats. On our second day we visited the War Tunnels and the War Childhood Museum. I highly recommend Samro - she is engaging, interesting and very friendly.
Itinerary Add-ons
This itinerary can be combined with:
Day 3
Morning
This morning after breakfast we headed out for a walk. We stopped at the The Siege of Sarajevo Museum. This small museum authentically portrays the everyday life of Sarajevo’s citizens who were terrorized as part of the shelling and sniping campaign orchestrated by the Bosnian Serb political and military establishment. The content focuses on personal stories of tragedy and day-to-day hardships in the besieged city. It is really well done.
We then continued to make our way to the National Museum of Bosnia Herzegovina. This national museum in central Sarajevo houses an interesting collection of artifacts on natural history, archeology and ethnicity. It is also home to the Sarajevo Haggadah, which was made in Spain around the year 1350 and made its way through Europe, several pogroms and the Holocaust to land in Sarajavo. Its history is fascinating.
The Haggadah is only available for viewing a couple of days per week and only for one hour. While the exhibit for the book, which is preserved in a special room, is somewhat disappointing, I was glad we took the time to see it. The museum also has a nice sculpture garden in the back.
The museum is located quite a bit west of the Old Town so we slowly wandered along both sides of the river to get there. We crossed some interesting and modern bridges, walked by the School of Fine Arts which has some modern sculptures on display on the south bank of the river Miljacka. We also walked by the Ashkenazi synagogue, Sarajevo's primary and largest synagogue which is also located on the south bank of the river. The synagogue was constructed in 1902 and remains the only functioning synagogue in Sarajevo today. It also houses the Jewish community centre.
Afternoon
After our visit to the museum we arranged for guide, Samra Kondo of Sarajevo By Locals to meet us at the museum and do a food and culture tour of the city. Samra shared her personal history during the war in the 1990s, showed us some hidden gems and introduced us to some tasty treats.
We started by stopping for a burek at a small local take-out restaurant. Samra gave us samples of different fillings and asked us to choose our favourites. It was hard to decide since they were all so delicious.
We continued our walk and stopped in front of the Sarajevo National Theatre which was founded in 1941 and houses the national ballet. Film festivals are also held in this theatre. From there we walked through the Pijaca Markale food market housed in a neoclassical building with stalls supplying local produce, meats & dairy products.
During our walk, Samra pointed out the famous Sarajevo Roses which are a type of memorial located on sidewalks and roads in around 200 locations throughout the city. These "roses" were made from mortar and shell explosions during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. The scars were later filled with red resin. Each location indicates that at least three people were killed there during the siege. We stopped at the most famous of these roses located outside the market and bakery where 22 people were killed by a mortar in 1992 while waiting in line for bread. Following that event, a local cellist commemorated them by playing his cello at 4 pm every day for twenty-two days on the site of the killings. There are flowers and wreaths laid there everyday as part of the memorial.
Samra then walked us through the small cobblestone streets of the bazaar in the Old Town. Each street was named after the types of trades who had shops there. The most famous is the Coppersmith Street. We went into one of the oldest shops where one of the artisans was making souvenirs from copper. We watched how he created beautiful items by hand.
It was time for a sweet snack so Samra took us to the hidden gem, Dućan Baklava. If you love authentic, sticky, crunchy and sweet, homemade baklava you must go to Dućan's bakery. Samra knew the owner who let us try several types of baklava. It is so delicious that we bought a box to bring home.
From there, Samra took us to the old Jewish Quarter. The history of the Jews in Sarajevo can be traced back over 400 years. During the Ottoman period the Jews were welcomed and lived in freedom. In 1577 the city erected a substantial Jewish quarter with its own synagogue near the main market of Sarajevo. At that time, Sarajevo became known as "Little Jerusalem" due to the peaceful co-existance of all religions in the city. By the end of the 18th century the overall Jewish population numbered around 10,000. However, after hundreds of years of peace and prosperity this came to an end with the Holocaust. There is still an active community in Sarajevo today, but it’s very small. In 1965, the Old Synagogue, was converted into a city-run Jewish museum. Originally built in 1581, the Old Synagogue was one of 15 that functioned in the city before the Holocaust. It was very interesting to hear the stories and we visited the synagogue.
Our last stop on the tour was at the Morića Han (roadside inn) originally built in 1551. When operational, this Ottoman style inn could accommodate approximately 300 guests and 70 horses. Today it houses a cafè where you can have a Turkish coffee in its interesting Moorish courtyard, some offices on the second floor and there's also a Persian rug market inside.
Evening
After a well-deserved rest, we headed out to Barhana. This Italian restaurant in Old Town is best known for its oven baked lasagnas. They are unique and so delicious. The food definitely hit the spot.
Day 4
Morning
This morning Samra, our guide, picked us up by car. Our destination was the The Tunnel of Hope. The Sarajevo Tunnel, also known as the Tunnel of Hope, was constructed between March and June of 1993 during the Siege of Sarajevo in the midst of the Bosnian War. It was used to move goods in and out of Sarajevo and it was also a way for some citizens to escape the Siege. Through an exhibit of photos and videos, you learn about the construction of the tunnel and how important it was. There is also an opportunity to go inside a small section of the tunnel.
On the way back from the Tunnel we drove by areas where the devastation was still very obvious. One of these streets is referred to as Sniper Alley due to all the damage and bullet holes that the buildings sustained.
Once we got back to Old Town, we walked through the centre of Baščaršija Square and stopped to look at the Sebilj, an Ottoman-style wooden fountain in built in 1753. According to local legend, visitors who drink water from this fountain will return to Sarajevo someday.
Our tour with Samra ended at the War Childhood Museum. This very moving museum presents the experiences of children who lived through the war in Bosnia, told through objects, video testimonies, and excerpts from oral histories. This museum can be very difficult for some people as it is extremely sad.
Afternoon
After this mornings heavy duty tour we grabbed a cevapi for lunch and then headed for a nice hike up to the Yellow Fortress. The fortress is a canon fortress at the top of a hill. It was completed in 1739 and was used as a defence point against the Austro-Hungarian troops in 1878. It is now a popular spot for panoramic views of the city.
From there we needed a pick-me-up snack so we walked to the Austro-Hungarian part of Old Town and had a coffee and delicious cake at the Viennese Cafè - Hotel Europe. Very yummy.
Evening
For dinner we headed back to ASDž. This casual and traditional Bosnian restaurant has specialty foods cooked "under the bell." It was a perfect way to end our trip to Sarajevo. The following day we headed home.