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SURPRISING SARAJEVO: PART 2 (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

8/31/2014

14 Comments

 
"Travel in the sense, to guide us toward -
a better balance of wisdom and compassion 
- of seeing the world clearly, 
and yet feeling it truly."
- Pico Iyer
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We travel to slow things down and take things in. We came here very unfamiliar of what the country has to offer and we have no expectations at all. We are happy that we had blank minds when we came here because Sarajevo painted our memories with the most beautiful views. We read some articles but reading is not the same as actually traveling to a place. Especially coming from the bold and hard city of Belgrade, we actually thought that Sarajevo would probably be the same city-like atmosphere. As we approached Sarajevo, we were like "Where's the city?" because all we saw was just curvy road along the mountain and the GPS was saying that we are arriving soon. As we slowly approach an opening, we saw the red-roofed houses and greeted us with spectacular views. We did not expect that Sarajevo was surrounded by mountain ridges and the city is prickled with minarets. 

Sarajevo is a vibrant city that exemplifies East-meets-West ambiance with lingering remnants of war. During the 1990's, Sarajevo was at the brink of destruction, with the infamous longest siege in the history of modern warfare, that shocked the world. Today, you can still see the bullet holes on the buildings. In the heart of the city, several cemeteries are scattered around, a testimony of those terrible years. It is sad to see that most of the people buried here died during the period of the war, from 1992-1995. 

On the other hand, during Austro-Hungarian period, they built European style architectures contrasting with the Ottoman Turk's mosques and bazaars, hence giving each visitor a unique vibe. We are totally surprised by Sarajevo, or better yet, smitten by this intriguing contrasting histories that somehow jive. 
driving the balkans, balkan road trip
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This is the Latin Bridge, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot, an incident that started World War I.
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This was the famous Holiday Inn Hotel wherein reporters stayed during the siege of Sarajevo. 
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This is the Tunnel Museum. Serb forces surrounded the city of Sarajevo during the siege. They needed to supply the city with food and weapons that is why they built this hand dug. Many had perished and died because of this tunnel. 
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Socialist-era buildings.
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The Turkish Quarter or Bascarsija is as charming as you think it is, it has inviting restaurants, trinket and jewellery shops and mosques that will make you feel like you are in Turkey. 
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We are not leaving Bosnia without eating Burek. Burek is a filo-pastry that are cylindrical, filled with minced meat and they often are wound into spirals. Down below is a pita pie with kajmak and cheese. We stumbled upon this very busy place on our first day in Sarajevo. Brock, who loves food, of course, wanted to go back here the next day to taste the food, and so we did. Well, it turned out great for our starving bellies! 
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Overall, Sarajevo is a surprising city and we give it a two thumbs up! Despite what people's connotation about Bosnia, despite the indelible mark of the war, we think the country has moved way passed that. People should not be scared of visiting this country, it is safe, it has history, it has charm, and definitely a country that you have to put in your list of places to visit especially if you are looking for an off-the-beaten path destination in Europe. Sarajevo, has it all. War torn country is definitely a thing of the past. 
Categories: Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balkan Road Trip, Food Adventures
14 Comments
Carol Colborn
6/7/2015 02:16:31 am

Interesting set of photos! Have not been to Sarajevo...thanks for this!

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Jolanta | Casual Travelers link
6/7/2015 07:04:19 am

It's good to know Sarajevo is coming back. Such a great city, such a difficult past. I've never been there, but I hope to visit some day. Thank you for sharing all those beautiful photos!

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Vlad link
6/7/2015 08:00:48 am

Bosnia has been on my wishlist for a while, but I never knew Sarajevo was this beautiful, I always wanted to visit Mostar and Blagaj. Now I'm definitely adding Sarajevo to my list. Gorgeous photos! :)

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Jessica link
6/8/2015 06:14:57 pm

lovely photos! And thanks for sharing so many!

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Natasha link
6/13/2015 01:04:17 am

Thank you beautiful photos and it has been on my list for a while!! Great help.

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The Educational Tourist link
6/13/2015 02:13:54 am

What a beautiful photo essay! Looks like a really interesting place.
Natalie, The Educational Tourist

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Wandering Carol link
6/13/2015 02:20:21 am

It's definitely on my list. Fascinating.

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Jennifer link
6/13/2015 03:18:37 am

I recently met someone from Sarajevo who convinced me I should visit. Lovely place!

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April link
6/13/2015 03:34:44 am

You are pointing out some fascinating places with great historical significance. It was interesting to see the bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot. The gravestone shots were also quite moving.

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Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru link
6/13/2015 03:54:40 am

We are hoping we might get to Sarajevo before we leave Europe. Such an interesting set of photos highlighting the contrasts of the city.

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Travelwith2ofus link
6/13/2015 04:46:15 am

Honestly! I had no idea Sarajevo was so beautiful. The food looks delicious. The place looks so at peace now. Great photos as well.

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noel link
6/13/2015 06:34:30 am

Whao, that Burek looks soooo yummy! Fantastic tour and stories, the pics also really show the whole history and landscape.

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Brenda link
6/13/2015 11:03:57 am

Sarajevo looks so beautiful, you took some great pictures. I'm excited to one day taste burek in that town, looks delicious.

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Vicky and Buddy link
6/13/2015 12:58:04 pm

Sarajevo looks beautiful; I love the look of the tiled roofs. I'm glad to see the city is doing better after so much devastation.

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We are husband + wife, adventurers + visual storytellers, who love to see the world together. Our goal is to see 100 countries in our lifetime and we are halfway there.

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