🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina · Places to discover
What to see in Sarajevo ?
22 places curated by Hozy - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
MAP · OVERVIEW
Sarajevo is a city where four centuries of Ottoman Empire sit alongside Austro-Hungarian architecture and the still-visible traces of the 1990s siege. This urban palimpsest unfolds on foot, moving from the Baščaršija, the old Ottoman bazaar, to Ferhadija Street where the facades shift register within metres. The city doesn't court you: it exists, dense and contradictory, and that's precisely what compels.
Spring (April-May) and early autumn offer pleasant weather without summer's crowds. Two to three days suffice to grasp the essentials by walking-the city is compact. The historic tram connects the main quarters for virtually nothing. Skip the 'war tours' organised from hotels: they reduce complex history to spectacle. Instead, take time to enter the Tunnel of Hope under your own steam.
Landmarks & heritage (9)
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SABaščaršija
Landmark
The Ottoman heart of Sarajevo, a 15th-century bazaar where artisans still work copper by hand. Wander through the covered streets between the čaršija workshops and the Sebilj fountain – the authentic soul of the city.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SASarajevo Synagogue (Il Kal Grande)
Landmark
The largest synagogue in the Balkans, built in 1902 in a Moorish-neo-Roman style, testament to the long Sephardic presence in Sarajevo. Now a Jewish museum, it houses the famous Sarajevo Haggadah.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAGazi Husrev-beg Mosque
Landmark
The largest Ottoman mosque in the Balkans, built in 1531, a masterpiece of classical Ottoman architecture. Its minaret and interior courtyard with ablution fountain exude remarkable serenity.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALatin Bridge
Landmark
This small Ottoman stone bridge is one of the most historically charged places in the world: this is where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, triggering the First World War. Modest but profoundly moving.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAKovači Cemetery
Landmark
War cemetery in terraces on the heights of Baščaršija, with thousands of identical white stelae, a place of contemplation of melancholic beauty. President Alija Izetbegović's tomb is located here.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SASacred Heart Cathedral
Landmark
The largest Catholic cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina, built in 1889 in an elegant neo-Gothic style. Its sober and luminous interior contrasts with the bustle of the pedestrian street nearby.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SATunnel of War
Landmark
This 800-metre tunnel dug beneath the airport runway was the only link between besieged Sarajevo and the free world between 1993 and 1995. The family museum that runs it is one of the most poignant testimonies to the siege.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SABijela Tabija Fortress (White Tower)
Landmark
The ruins of this Ottoman fortress perched on Jekovac hill offer a 360° panorama over the entire Sarajevo valley. A 20-minute walk from Baščaršija, away from the crowds.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAOld Orthodox Church (Stara pravoslavna crkva)
Landmark
One of the oldest Orthodox churches in the Balkans, dating from the 16th century, tucked discreetly in the old bazaar. Its iconographic treasures and medieval cemetery make it a little-known gem.Nature & parks (3)
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAGrbavica Neighbourhood
Nature
This residential neighbourhood across the Miljacka, occupied during the siege, still bears visible traces of bullet holes on its façades. Walking here with a local resident allows you to understand the geography of the conflict better than any museum.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SATrebević Hill and Cable Car
Nature
The mountain overlooking Sarajevo, accessible by a renovated cable car since 2018, offering spectacular views over the Sarajevo basin. The 1984 Olympic bobsleigh run is still visible, now covered in graffiti and reclaimed by nature.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SA1984 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh Track (Trebević)
Nature
A spectacular remnant of the 1984 Winter Olympics, this concrete track winds through Trebević forest, entirely covered in giant graffiti. A post-apocalyptic site of strange beauty.Viewpoints (4)
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAHum Hill and its Cross
Viewpoint
The highest hill dominating Sarajevo from the west, crowned with a monumental cross visible from across the city. The climb offers unique perspectives over the urban sprawl of the Sarajevo basin.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAFestina Lente Bridge
Viewpoint
This contemporary pedestrian bridge with a spiral design spans the Miljacka with elegance. A symbol of Sarajevo's renaissance, it is particularly photogenic at dusk from the riverbanks.Miljacka Waterfront Promenade
Viewpoint
The boulevard running along the Miljacka river between the Latin Bridge and the Vijećnica is the open-air living room of Sarajevans. Riverside cafés, joggers and students mingle in a relaxed and authentic atmosphere.Žuta Tabija Hill
Viewpoint
Less frequented than Bijela Tabija, this Ottoman fortress offers one of the finest views over the old town at sunset. The path through the residential quarter is itself a discovery.Activities (6)
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAMuseum of the History of Sarajevo (1878–1918)
Activity
Housed in the former home where the family of Franz Ferdinand's assassin lived, this small museum traces the city's history under Austro-Hungarian occupation with a fascinating collection of everyday objects.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAMarkale Market
Activity
This indoor open-air market remains the food heart of Sarajevo, tragically remembered for the massacres of 1994 and 1995. Today, stalls of vegetables, cheese and dried meat stand as testimony to the city's resilience.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAGallery 11/07/95
Activity
A photographic gallery dedicated to the Srebrenica genocide, austere and devastating, shaped by the visual testimonies of Tarik Samarah. One of the most significant memorial experiences in the Balkans.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAKazandžiluk Copper Workshop
Activity
The coppersmiths' lane in Baščaršija, where artisans still hammer copper by hand to craft džezve (coffee pots), trays and bowls. Witness the work and leave with a džezva forged on site.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SANational Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zemaljski muzej)
Activity
The country's oldest museum, founded in 1888, houses the legendary Sarajevo Haggadah and a collection of stećci (medieval Bogomil gravestones). Its indoor botanical garden is a well-kept secret among Sarajevans.
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAVijećnica (Sarajevo City Hall)
Activity
This Austro-Hungarian Neo-Moorish masterpiece from 1896, deliberately set alight in 1992 destroying 2 million books, has been magnificently restored. Its colourful interiors and reconstructed library are breathtaking.