SARAJEVO - In Your Pocket
SARAJEVO - In Your Pocket
SARAJEVO - In Your Pocket
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30 What to see<br />
Sarajevo Museum 1878-1918 B-4, Zelenih Beretki<br />
1, tel. (+387) 33 533 288, info@muzejsarajeva.ba,<br />
www.muzejsarajeva.ba. Located on the spot where<br />
Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand<br />
- the heir the Austro-Hungarian throne and namesake<br />
of at least one modestly successful Scottish rock band<br />
- which of course led to a declaration of war on Serbia<br />
and the beginning of World War I. Opened in 2007 after<br />
extensive renovations, the well-designed, visitor-friendly<br />
museum details the years of Austro-Hungarian rule in<br />
Sarajevo and the effects it had on the city, from political<br />
and administrative changes to art and architecture, and<br />
everything in between. Q Open Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat<br />
10:00-15:00, Closed Sun. From 15 Oct - 14 Apr closes at<br />
16:00 on weekdays.<br />
Tunnel Museum Tuneli 1, Ilidža, tel. (+387) 33 62<br />
85 91. It might be small, but it’s definitely sincere - few<br />
museums move visitors to tears but the Tunnel Museum<br />
packs a powerful punch. Dug during the war, the tunnel<br />
linked the besieged city to the free zone beyond the airport,<br />
providing a life and supply line through which passed the<br />
aged and the injured, food and fuel, soldiers and cigarettes.<br />
Today, only about 20 metres of the original 700 metre length<br />
is accessible but even so crouching your way through the dim,<br />
dank passage gives a tiny taste of how a full-on crossing may<br />
have felt. The museum proper is inside one of the two houses<br />
which provided the entry/exit points. <strong>In</strong> addition to wartime<br />
memorabilia, visitors can view video footage of the siege<br />
and the tunnel’s construction and operation. Usually the<br />
video plays to a pin-drop silence interrupted only by intakes<br />
of breath as visitors watch shells shoot across the Sarajevo<br />
sky and slam into apartment blocks, the National Library<br />
ablaze, and soldiers and civilians alike making their way<br />
through this dirt and timber lifesaver. Moving, memorable,<br />
not to be missed.<br />
Parks<br />
Vrelo Bosne Ilidža. A lush green oasis at the source of<br />
the River Bosne, the park may only be 12km southwest<br />
of the city centre in the suburb of Ilidža, but it’s a world<br />
away from the hustle and bustle of Sarajevo. Even without<br />
the urban contrast it’s quite an idyllic place with swans,<br />
waterfalls, Austro-Hungarian palaces and horse-drawn<br />
carriages all competing for attention, and if you’re there on<br />
a Saturday you’re more likely than not to see at least one<br />
wedding party. It’s easily combined with a trip to the Tunnel<br />
Museum, and there are several outdoor cafés selling drinks<br />
and lights snacks. Catholic Cathedral<br />
Sights<br />
Avaz Tower B-1; B-2; C-2, Tesanjska 24b. It’s a case<br />
of ‘I can see my hotel from up here’ when you are standing<br />
on the observation deck of the Avaz Twist Tower. Sarajevo is<br />
quite a sight when viewed from 172 metres up the ‘twister’<br />
as this column of smoky blue glass is known. Situated near<br />
the train station in Marin Dvor, and that’s enough directions<br />
as it’s hard to miss, the lookout floor, with both indoor and<br />
outdoor areas, provides stunning views of the city below and<br />
the mountains fading off in the distance. One floor down is a<br />
cafe-bar where you can drink in a hot or cold beverage with<br />
the view. Open every day from 8:00 until 23:00 the tower<br />
offers a unique twist on seeing Sarajevo and it only costs a<br />
mark to take the fast trip to the top.<br />
Baščaršija B-5; B-4, . Get used to pronouncing the name<br />
Baščaršija (Bosh-CHAR-shee-ya) as this mouthful of letters<br />
is not only the heart and soul of Sarajevo and a striking<br />
reminder of its Ottoman past, but also home to - or at least<br />
the point of reference for - a majority of the city’s hotels,<br />
restaurants, sights and nightspots. While the area was the<br />
centre of trade and commerce during the Ottoman’s lengthy<br />
rule (the name itself means central market in English),<br />
nowadays its rebuilt lanes are packed with a mix of locals,<br />
independent travellers and tour groups virtually around<br />
the clock: eating, shopping, drinking or just soaking up the<br />
atmosphere during an evening stroll.<br />
Catholic Cathedral (Katedrala Srca Isusova)<br />
B-4, Ferhadija bb. The Cathedral of Jesus’ Heart is the<br />
largest church in the country, and an impressive fixture of<br />
Sarajevo’s skyline. Well restored after being heavily damaged<br />
in the war, it was built in 1889 by Josip Vancas, the same<br />
architect who designed the post office. Outside, the steps<br />
provide a popular meeting and resting place. <strong>In</strong>side, with<br />
the pastel blue and cream walls and some beautiful stained<br />
glass, busy Ferhadija seems a hundred miles and a hundred<br />
years away. The sense of peace so often found in places of<br />
worship permeates the cathedral so if you enter make sure<br />
your cell phone is firmly switched to ‘off’.<br />
Eternal Flame B-3, Maršala Tita. At the junction of<br />
Ferhadija and Marsala Titova streets, the Eternal Flame<br />
and cupola behind it commemorates the partisans who<br />
fought in WWII. It’s nice, and in a focal part of town, but it<br />
needs a brush-and-scrub, a bit of doing-up and a couple<br />
of smartly-uniformed police officers on guard duty to<br />
give tough and short shrift to the tedious Roma children<br />
that beg nearby.<br />
Sarajevo <strong>In</strong> <strong>Your</strong> <strong>Pocket</strong> sarajevo.inyourpocket.com