Bus rides are always interesting and the one from Belgrade to Sarajevo is no different. Our first pit stop takes us to a roadside cafe where two men stroll by with a massive roasted pig. Inside, you can pick out your own fresh fish from the tank and have them cooked for lunch. This roadside stop is a little different than your typical QuickTrip.
We hop back on our retro bus and enjoy the beautiful views of the country side. Reaching the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the agent gives my passport a long hard look and even has to put on his glasses for further inspection. Spoiler Alert: We get in.
Our chariot from Belgrade to Sarajevo.
Getting that pig ready for the lunch rush.
Bosnian countryside through the glass of a sweaty bus window.
The Sarajevo bus station is on the outskirts of the city, so we hop in a cab. Our cabbie takes us to the ATM because new country = new currency. Dropping us off at our place I hand him some cash but he doesn’t have the right amount of change. I tend to think this is a cab driver trick just to get a better tip, but not for this guy. He motions for me to hop back in the cab and we roll down the street to a main intersection. He jumps out and asked another cab driver if they have change. No deal. He then runs into a small shop, gets change, and takes me back to our place. What a nice guy!
We sit down for our first dinner and learn the restaurant does not serve alcohol. We knew there was a large Muslim population in Sarajevo, but this was still a bit of a surprise for a restaurant on the main street in Old Town.
Walking to dinner on our first night, we immediately see a sign of the Bosnian War, a Rose of Sarajevo. These are bomb craters that have been filled with red resin. This normally signifies that someone perished as a result of the bomb. Looking up, it’s not hard to find buildings that have been riddled with bullets. We learn quite a bit about the Bosnian War or, the Siege of Sarajevo. In 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence but this was not accepted by the federal Serb controlled government of Yugoslavia and ultimately led to conflict. Nearly 5,500 civilians were killed during the almost four year siege of the city.
Building close to “sniper alley.” You can tell by the name this area was a regular target for snipers who were hidden in the hills surrounding the city.
Rose of Sarajevo.
On our walking tour, our guide talks of how the city was surrounded with a force of 13,000 men. Bullets and artillery rained down from the hills for almost four years. Everyone was a target. We walk by the brewery, Sarajevska Pivara. This brewery is strategically placed over natural springs and in 1994 it was one of the only sources of water in the city during the siege. Creeks had dried up, the river became polluted and other sources of water had been sabotaged. Civilians would make the dangerous trek to the brewery carrying whatever would hold water. Hundreds of lives were lost around this area as the brewery became a main target for snipers. However, the brewery never stopped supplying water to civilians.
The Sarajevska Pivara brewery.
While eating dinner at a restaurant, someone lights off some fireworks. We spoke with many people who say fireworks bring back those bad memories of the early 90s.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Franz (heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 is said to be the start of World War I) is another main talking point on the walking tour. I have heard a few different versions of how his assassination took place. Our guide Neno tells it like this: Franz was in an open air vehicle driving down the street to City Hall. Six men were lined up on this street with plans to assassinate the Archduke. Ferdinand’s motorcade passes the first two assassins and they fail to act. As the car passes a third assassin, he throws his timed bomb, but it bounces off the car and explodes under the trailing vehicle. Ferdinand speeds toward town hall fleeing danger, and the other assassins again fail to act.
Latin Bridge and the intersection where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.
Gavrilo Princip was one of the assassins that did nothing as Ferdinand drove by and he was very upset with himself. He decided to grab a sandwich and a cup of coffee at a cafe next to the Latin Bridge and regroup. At the same time. Ferdinand changed his plans and decided to visit the injured who were at the local hospital, instead of attending a lunch at the National Museum. The motorcade left and the driver, unaware of the new plans, headed toward the National Museum. He turned at the Latin Bridge and was quickly informed this was the wrong way.
As the driver was turning around, a crowd gathered outside and this caught Princip’s attention. He walked out of the cafe, saw Ferdinand, took his revolver from his pocket, and shot both Franz and his wife Sophie. And that is our history lesson for the day.
Before the 1984 Olympics, this structure was completed to show the world that not all communist architecture is grey and boring.
When a new City Hall was being planned in the late 1800’s this house stood in the way. The owner wouldn’t sell and the city kept offering more and more money. The owner finally agreed, but said the city would have to move his Ottoman-era house, brick by brick, and rebuild it on the other side of the river. They actually did it and this is now known as the Spite House and is a Bosnian symbol of stubbornness.
Begova Corba. Chicken and vegetables in a creamy stew served with bread and a side of sour cream. Worth every Bosnian mark.
Taking the gondola up Trebević mountain, we imagine Sarajevo life during the 1984 Winter Olympics. We glide past the bobsled track for an amazing view of the city. The track now sports graffiti from top to bottom and you can walk up and down the full 1300 meters. You may have to jump off the track when the occasional mountain biker comes hurling down. Don’t worry though, they will yell and give you approximately 3.2 seconds to run for cover.
Getting her cool runnings on.
Trebević mountain also has the remnants of an old astronomical observatory battered and bruised by years of bullets and grenades.
Robert DeNiro?
Yellow Fortress is an spectacular spot for a Sarajevo sunset. I meet up with some of the people from our walking tour and post up on a table behind them. An older gentleman comes to my side and strikes up a conversation about George Clooney and a 90s TV Series called Sunset Beat. This reference was lost on me, but when I turn toward him, I realize I am talking to Robert DeNiro’s long lost Bosnian twin. Seriously, he looked exactly like him.
He introduces himself as Jasmin and we spend about 30 minutes talking about Sarajevo, history, and the world in the general. He talks of Trebević mountain and how long ago they would bring sacrifices (animals and crops) to please the gods. He brings up politics and how government can be difficult with such a diverse population like they have in Sarajevo. To me, Jasmin is happy. Not only because he lives in a city he loves, but also because new people, like me, are coming to Sarajevo to enjoy that city as well.
Sarajevo Sunset.
Our last full day in Sarajevo calls for rain, wind, and chilly temperatures. I don’t mind at all because this is perfect weather to sit by our big window, relax, and work on the blog. I wake up, head to the bathroom and turn the faucet on. Nothing comes out. I try the shower, and then the kitchen faucet, and get the same result. We don’t have water. Crap.
We contact our Airbnb host and they inform us that the city has shut off the water to the building because of construction. The water MIGHT come back on after 8:00 pm. Perfect. We weigh our options. We could hang out at some cafes around the city or we could try and get another apartment for the night. We opt for finding a new place and contact a host that is just next door. We specifically ask if their place has water and he assures us the water is on in his building. Mini-crisis averted.
Kristin and I pack our bags and say goodbye to our first Sarajevo apartment (which was one of the nicest we had stayed in thus far). We walk down the street in the rain to our next place. Huddling under an awning the host shows up asking if I got his message telling me the water is off in his place as well. I check my phone and see he messaged me about 30 seconds before we showed up with the great news. Asking if we would still want his place, we decline.
Looking for a place to stay for the night.
Waiting at Cafe # 3 of the day before we can check into our new place. With WATER!
We are now standing in the rain again, feeling semi-defeated. Water drops down everywhere except in the apartments we are trying to book. We decide it’s time to head to a cafe and regroup. It’s situations like this where I am glad we travel light. We show up to a cafe, plop down, and order lunch. We each contact a couple of AirBNB hosts and it seems like nobody has water in the Old Town area of the city. We cafe hop a bit, and finally get some luck after contacting our fifth AirBNB host. We have a place to stay for the night.
It’s early evening by this time and we are just happy that we can now shower before our 6:00 am walk to the bus station. Next, we’re headed to the beautiful coast of Montenegro.
