Sarajevo: Old Town & Baščaršija Historical Walking Tour

Sarajevo was established by the Ottoman Empire, whose borders slowly expanded in the 16th century, occupying more and more European territories – starting with the Balkans. The result was unusual – a city inhabited by Slavs who were not Christians, but Muslims. For centuries, the influences of all religions mixed here: Croatian Catholicism with Serbian Orthodoxy, Islam, however, was dominant. To this day, the city’s skyline is dotted with dozens of minarets, and the imam calls to prayer five times a day. It is said that it is here in Sarajevo that the East meets the West.

Although it is not of impressive size, Great History has left its mark in Sarajevo a number of times. Almost as many times as Sarajevo has changed its nationality. It was here in 1914 – back then Sarajevo was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – that Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand which led to the Great World War. Much later in 1984 – when Sarajevo was part of federated Yugoslavia – the Winter Olympics were held here which served as a demonstration of the power and success of the southern Slavic state. Less than 10 years later, already as the capital of an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo found itself in the midst of a fratricidal conflict and Europe’s largest war since the fall of Nazi Germany. For 47 brutal months, besieged by Bosnian Serbs and cut off from the world, the city showed courage and an unbreakable will to fight. It refused to surrender, despite daily bombings, lack of food, water, electricity… Today, many years after the war, it still proudly stands, rebuilt, home to all its inhabitants – Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

During our walk we will visit Baščaršija, the old Ottoman centre of Sarajevo. We’ll see the bazaar, caravanserai (traditional Ottoman resting places for travelling merchants), mosques, tea rooms and Bosnian coffee rooms… Right next to them stand townhouses from the Austro-Hungarian era, Catholic churches and trendy modern cafes. Above all, however, we will get to know the local people, who, despite having suffered more than most of us, are still known for their warmth and great hospitality.