While I love a good solo travel trip, one of the nice things about traveling with company is they sometimes suggest a destination that you would have never previously considered visiting. As I told the flight attendant at Melbourne check in when he asked why on earth I was going to Bosnia for a holiday, I have never been anywhere that i didn’t find something of interest.
Expecting a small city scattered with bullet ridden buildings, I was surprised to find Sarajevo old town a wonderful maze of intriguing stalls and amazing coffee shops. The town itself is just the right size, not too big that you feel like you can’t see everything but not too small that it’s boring. The shopkeepers are all warm and smiling but not a single person touted us or was pushy.
We completed an excellent walking tour of the city, as well as a tour about the war and siege of Sarajevo, which lasted for 1425 days in the early 90s. Despite the heartbreaking history of the town, the people remain humorous and cheerful. The main message that came through is “we forgave but we will never forget”.
One of my favorite things about the city was a tiny bar that we discovered thanks to the wonders of the internet. Only seating about 20 people, this laneway bar seemed to have no apparent theme but somehow it worked. The sole goldfish in a vase in the corner, the menu which is handwritten in tiny quote books, the toilet that had a minuscule black and white tv playing an old movie ,and the lovely waitress that recommended excellent cherry Rakia all came together into one quirky, mismatched experience. I wouldn’t have been surprised if we returned the next night to find the bar had disappeared back in time, like an dream. https://www.facebook.com/zlatnaribica.goldfish/
As tourism picks up over the coming years, I won’t be surprised internet if Sarajevo grows into a key destination in Eastern Europe, so my advise is if you are in the region or planning a trip to Croatia , consider this unexpected gem of a city.
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