Some journeys are undertaken not primarily for pleasure or escapism, but to enrich oneself culturally and humanely. A trip to Sarajevo embodies this exactly (though fun and leisure are by no means lacking, quite the opposite).
The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an incredibly fascinating city, not only for its recent history (which becomes clear only by visiting in person and talking with locals) but also for its older past that shaped its identity (first the Turkish invasion, then Austro-Hungarian rule), for its deeply rooted traditions, for its geographical position that still hides some political and religious tensions today. But it is a remarkably tranquil city, to be understood as a place to visit for a long weekend, thanks to the low-cost flights connecting it to Italy (WizzAir from Rome, Ryanair from Milan-Bergamo).
If you loved Istanbul for its blend of traditions, architecture and a lifestyle straddling East and West, Sarajevo will give you the same feelings. With something extra.
What to See in Sarajevo in 3 Days
Let’s not beat around the bush: the city was destroyed by about 90% between 1992 and 1995 and is now completely rebuilt; therefore, what you see is almost all new, sometimes rebuilt in an identical fashion, other times not, and the war’s effects are intentionally very visible. In three days you can discover the main highlights of Sarajevo and get a sense of the city. The recommendation, however, is to have a guide accompany you, essential for navigating some significant spots and for fully entering the mood (guides have countless anecdotes to tell that you won’t find in any written guide).
Miljacka Riverfront
Sarajevo is surrounded by mountains (which in 1984 hosted the XIV Winter Games) and lies in a basin crossed by the Miljacka River, which divides the old town from the newer area. The entire riverfront, on both sides, is a beautiful stroll to do on foot or by bicycle (bike sharing and scooter rentals are also available here). Along the river stand some of the city’s most beautiful and stately buildings: embassies, Liberty-style buildings, museums.
Vijećnica
One of these is Vijećnica, the symbol of Sarajevo. It is the largest and most representative Austro-Hungarian-era building in the entire city, even though it is not the original. The architect of the time intended to give it a pseudo-Moorish style inspired by Islamic art, particularly the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. At the time of the war, it served as the city library, boasting 1.5 million volumes and more than 155,000 rare books and manuscripts. It was, however, destroyed by a fire during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992 by Serbs and today has been rebuilt exactly as it was. It houses the seat of the City Hall, but also the library museum, and in some rooms some books that survived the great blaze (about 90% of the library’s heritage was lost) and some works of modern art have been gathered, awaiting the creation of the new Ars Aevi contemporary art museum.
Ars Aevi
Ars Aevi is the contemporary art museum hosted provisionally in a wing of the Skenderija complex along the river, built during the war as a cultural resistance. It hosts over 120 works by renowned international artists, including Michelangelo Pistoletto. Its history is remarkable. In the early 1990s, while the city was under siege, Bosnian artist Enver Hadžiomerspahić conceived a daring idea: to create a contemporary art museum in Sarajevo. From 1993 onward, Enver devoted himself to collecting artworks from the world’s greatest contemporary artists. Finally, with support from Italy, the execution phase of the new project began, designed in 1999 by architect Renzo Piano, who was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Architecture in 1994.
Bridges over the Miljacka River
Beyond the project, Piano—along with other Italian partners—funded the construction of one of the 22 bridges spanning the Miljacka near the area where the museum structure is planned to rise. After the Eiffel Bridge, the Latin Bridge, which was the scene of the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir Franz Ferdinand, the Festina Lente Bridge (“Hasten Slowly”), and the Vrbanja Bridge, where the first war casualties occurred in 1992, it is the most photographed bridge in Sarajevo.
Inat Kuća
Right opposite Vijećnica, on the opposite riverbank, stands a small historic building that houses the Inat Kuća tavern serving traditional Bosnian cuisine: during the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian troops this building stood on the opposite bank, but when the owner refused to have it demolished to make way for the new City Hall, it was moved brick by brick to its current location.
The Old Town
Baščaršija is the historic heart of Sarajevo. In this Ottoman-style district, with alleys, artisan shops, cafés where you smoke shisha (narghile) and sip rosewater or coffee (which has nothing to do with our coffee or Turkish coffee), we find ourselves in the city’s pulsating core, in the ancient bazaar where locals bustle about, making purchases and heading to the great mosque as tourists move through. The main street crossing it is Kazandžiluk, where the principal shops, including design stores, line the way. There is also the narrowest street in the city, Ulica Ćulhan, where barely a person can pass.
Sebilj
Symbol of the district rising in the middle of Baščaršija’s square is the Sebilj, the classic wooden fountain located near a mosque, which in this case has an octagonal shape and is made of wood because it was built by the Austro-Hungarian administration.
Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque
The Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, which visitors can enter (women should remember to bring a scarf for head covering and everyone should wear socks) is named after an important Ottoman governor and the city’s greatest benefactor, who lived around the 15th–16th centuries and transformed the city into a flourishing cultural hub. The mosque was the first in the world to be equipped with electric lighting in 1898. This Ottoman masterpiece represents the symbol of Sarajevo’s rich history, its resilience and cultural diversity, as well as a quiet corner of peace in the historic quarter.
Clock Tower
The Clock Tower is connected to him as well. Standing 30 meters tall, it has the only lunar clock in Europe, according to which midnight coincides with sunset in Sarajevo. Because the length of the day changes almost daily, the clock must be manually adjusted continuously, a task the muvekit performs once a week by climbing the 76 wooden steps.
Gazi Husrev-beg Museum
Behind the mosque, in what used to be the old madrasa, the classic Islamic school dating back to the 16th century, lies the Gazi Husrev-beg Museum, opened in 2015 and dedicated to preserving and highlighting the legacy of Gazi Husrev-beg. The museum’s permanent collection offers a glimpse into the Islamic tradition of Bosniaks, with artifacts tied to various aspects of daily life. The collection comprises over 1,200 objects.
Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures
Along the middle of Ferhadija, a stretch called Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures divides the old town from the modern one and marks the convergence of Sarajevo’s Eastern and Western influences, as well as the transition between Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architectural styles. Beyond this line, the architectural style of buildings changes completely, making it fascinating to see the two sides of the city.
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
And it is just beyond this line, in a large square that rises the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, completed in 1889. On its exterior stands a sculpture dedicated to Pope John Paul II, recalling the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Sarajevo in April 1997, which carried a powerful message of peace and reconciliation to a city still recovering from war. Inside, there are magnificent stained-glass windows.
Galerija 11/07/95
Not to be missed in the district is the small yet deeply moving Galerija 11/07/95, dedicated to the Srebrenica genocide that began on that very date.
War Places
Visiting Sarajevo is inseparable from a tour of places tied to the Bosnian war that raged from 1992 to 1995, but whose consequences are still clearly visible in almost every corner of the city (the famous Rose of Sarajevo markings along sidewalks around town). For this tour it is highly recommended to rely on a specialized guide, because what you cannot see with your eyes is felt with your heart… They will tell you what really happened, discuss the timely theme of Sarajevo safaris, and show you both the most touristy sites and those less known.
Sniper Alley
The first stop is the tragically famous Sniper Alley (Bosnian: Snaiper alea), or the “Viale dei Cecchini,” whose real name is Ulica Zmaja od Bosne (Dragon of Bosnia Street). It is an 8-kilometer avenue cutting through the city, linking the industrial area with the airport, and it was targeted by snipers who perched on the hills or inside the surrounding high-rises (bullet holes are still visible on the façades). Even today investigations continue because the snipers were not only military; civilians from other countries paid to kill anyone passing along this avenue.
Tunnel of Hope
To bypass this avenue and traverse the city, underground tunnels were dug during those years. The most famous and visitable is the Tunnel of Hope (Tunnel of Hope or Salvation) which ran beneath the UN‑established neutral zone around the airport (which was not entirely safe). The site also hosts a screening room showing videos from that time, including how it was built in 1993 and how it was used to ferry arms, but also food, animals, and people. The original tunnel stretched about 800 meters in length and was about 1.60 m high and 80 cm wide. Today it has been slightly raised and widened, illuminated for a short stretch, to allow visitors to walk about 200 meters and grasp what crossing it meant. At the time there were attendants at both ends to regulate the flow and prevent overcrowding in such a narrow underground space. It remains the most visited place in Sarajevo. Admission is payable only in cash, in the local currency, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM).
Jewish Cemetery
Among the places favored by snipers was the Jewish cemetery perched on the city’s hills, a site that truly gives you chills and from where you can indeed see the entire city below (accessible by car).
Holiday Inn Hotel
Another war landmark is the Holiday Inn Hotel near the National Museum and Sniper Alley. This modern building with a distinctive yellow facade was designed by the renowned Bosnian architect Ivan Straus and was built for the 1984 Olympics. It hosted athletes, dignitaries, politicians and celebrities, but became a symbol of the war as journalists from international media staying here reported the events, and it remains a hotel today. During the siege, BBC correspondent Martin Bell described the Holiday Inn as “ground zero”; only in spring and summer of 1992 was the structure hit more than a hundred times. After the Dayton peace accords were signed in December 1995, the hotel hosted much of the international presence that arrived in Sarajevo at the start of post-war reconstruction.
War Museums
For those who want to go deeper, there are three museums worth visiting: the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, the War Childhood Museum, and the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first two are in the Baščaršija neighborhood, a four-minute walk apart, while the third is near the Holiday Hotel. They are profoundly moving and engaging (especially the one dedicated to children) and portray some stark scenes that make you truly grasp what the siege of Sarajevo might have been like. The National Museum was founded in 1888 during Austro-Hungarian occupation and is the country’s oldest museum. The four internal pavilions are connected by terraces and it houses the botanical garden.
Museum of Veterans
Lastly, there is a place known to only a few guides, a private museum accessible only by appointment: the Museum of Veterans. Born as a meeting place for Bosnia’s war veterans, it has become a 300-square-meter museum that collects about 300 pieces of memorabilia from Bosnian fighters and as many photographs, but above all their stories. Here you can meet former soldiers who share with visitors about the war and the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is also one of the tunnel’s numerous entrances that can be retraced, offering a more tangible feel than the public museum.
Leisure Spots
Roaming around Sarajevo you don’t sense the wartime atmosphere in the air anymore, at least on the surface. The vibe is relaxed, and daily life is evident in people calmly riding the tram that runs along Sniper Alley, walking or cycling, and frequenting cafés, restaurants, eateries and nightlife venues.
To immerse yourself in the Sarajevo mood, don’t miss places that echo Europe of the 1990s. Among the most renowned spots is Café Tito near the History Museum. Surrounded by red and green walls, there’s an exhibition of all kinds of war memorabilia, from Kalashnikovs hanging on the walls to helmets used as lamps from the ceiling. A small museum where you’ll also find a bronze bust of Yugoslav leader Tito and framed photos of him. In the outdoor area you can sit on a mortar crate while savoring a mug of Nektar beer.
Another somewhat vintage spot popular with locals is Kino Bosna, the place to be if you’re in town on Monday evenings. It used to be a cinema, but now hosts live Bosnian music and other events. For live performances there are also the Balkan Express, where you feel as if you’ve entered a 1960s apartment, with wallpaper on the walls, wood paneling and framed pictures; the Bosnian Cultural Center, where concerts are held; and finally Cafe RajvoSA, a wonderfully rustic local.
If you’re looking for traditional eateries, there are several in the center and tourist zones, but the locals of Sarajevo prefer taverns tucked between private houses on the hills, perhaps near the Yellow Fortress, offering a wonderful view over the city.
A trip to Sarajevo should be on the itineraries of Italian school trips (as indeed those to Auschwitz and Nuremberg were for different reasons). Families, Gen Z, and Millennials who grew up during the Bosnian war era but have little idea of what happened in that country while they were busy dressing like Paninari should go as well. Yet there is another, more practical reason to visit Sarajevo: it has been named Europe’s most budget-friendly city of 2026.
