Sarajevo: Where East Meets West—and History Walks Beside You
Our day kicked off early with a simple breakfast before we checked out of the effortlessly hip Mama Shelter in Belgrade and headed to the Nikola Tesla Airport. It’s always a win when an airport is as painless as this—smooth check-in, straightforward navigation, and a short wait before boarding. Just under an hour later, we descended through the clouds into Sarajevo, a city as layered and fascinating as they come.
Sarajevo International was refreshingly efficient—passport control was a breeze, our luggage arrived without a hitch, and soon we were ready to dive into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital. But here’s your first local tip: Sarajevo doesn’t use ride-share apps, so it’s taxis or buses. Normally we’d lean into public transit, but the thought of juggling carry-ons on a crowded city bus in unfamiliar territory made the €20 cab fare an easy call. Always negotiate first—our driver was polite, and the ride to our hotel, Hotel Old Town, was smooth sailing.
Now let me tell you, this hotel may not scream luxury from the outside, but it’s clean, comfortable, and perfectly located. At $135 CAD a night, including breakfast, it’s a serious bargain. The front desk staff were warm and welcoming, offering us a helpful rundown of the neighborhood before we stashed our bags and hit the cobblestone streets.
Just steps from the hotel is Baščaršija, Sarajevo’s heart and soul—a 15th-century Ottoman-era bazaar that still pulses with life. As you wander through its narrow lanes, the air is thick with the smoky perfume of charcoal grills, sizzling ćevapi, and roasting lamb. It’s a carnivore’s paradise. Around every corner, Bosnian coffee is served the traditional way—strong, sludgy, and poured from a džezva into tiny cups, often with a cube of sugar or Turkish delight on the side. Locals and tourists alike perch on colorful stools around low tables, immersed in conversation or simply watching the world drift by.
The square around the Sebilj Fountain—that picturesque wooden kiosk in the center of Baščaršija—is a buzzing crossroads of cultures. It’s a living mosaic of Sarajevo itself, where Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architecture rub shoulders, and where minarets rise beside Orthodox domes and Catholic spires. Sarajevo is a city where East truly meets West. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can hear the Muslim call to prayer echo over a synagogue, a church bell, and a bell tower—all within a few blocks of each other.
Pigeons rule the roost around Sebilj, much to the delight of kids chasing them and parents buying birdseed from street vendors. The nearby Baščaršija Mosque, with its elegant 35-meter-tall minaret, casts a peaceful shadow over the commotion, a reminder that this square has seen centuries of life pass through.
Later in the afternoon, we made our way to the banks of the Miljacka River, to one of the most haunting sites in modern history. Just beside the Latin Bridge lies the spot where, on June 28, 1914, a 19-year-old named Gavrilo Princip stepped out of the shadows and fired the shots that changed the world. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, was the match that lit the fuse of World War I. Today, a small plaque and a set of bronze footprints mark the site—an unassuming spot for a moment that rewrote global history. Knowing that Princip’s gun jammed before he could take his own life, and that he died in prison just four years later from tuberculosis, adds an eerie sense of fatalism to the story.
Back near the hotel, we settled in at a small bar for a cold beer and a little bit of TripAdvisor menu-sleuthing. Craving something low-key, we found ourselves drawn to Sah Mat Burger. Now, this place is humble—just a few fold-down counters in a narrow alley—but the online raves were real. We each grabbed a cheeseburger and fries, and yes, they absolutely lived up to the hype. Crispy, juicy, cheesy perfection. Who needs a table when the food’s that good?
As dusk settled over Sarajevo, we wandered through the Old Town one last time, soaking in the atmosphere, mapping out our morning walk before tomorrow’s free walking tour. The final call to prayer echoed through the stone alleys as we tucked in for the night—tired, full, and already in love with this city of contrasts.
