Streets of Sarajevo

A visit to Sarajevo was long overdue.

My wife lived in the city many years ago, so it was only fitting that we would go there someday. She wanted to introduce me to her close friends and show me around a city that played a big part in her life.

However, my introduction to Sarajevo took place long before I was married, and the urge to visit this enigmatic city was always there. I just wasn’t sure how, when, or if it would ever be possible, as there were already many other countries on my bucket list.

When I learned that my wife had lived in Sarajevo, I knew my visit was no longer a matter of “if,” but a question of “when.”

So in June 2025, we undertook a trip that also included Jajce and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Split and Gradac in Croatia. For my wife, it was a matter of rekindling old connections and memories, while for me, it was all about seeing the Balkan world for myself.

We can read about these places and form our opinions, but nothing prepares you for seeing and experiencing the Balkans firsthand. Each of the cities we visited has its own story, and I’ll be sharing my impressions of them later. There is always the world we read about and the world we experience for ourselves—and for every traveler, it is about seeing where those two worlds intersect.

This video does not focus on finding those points of intersection, but rather presents a tiny fragment of what struck me most about the city. I chose to highlight those immediate impressions instead of providing a lengthy analysis.

If I had taken the analytical route, there would be so much to talk about, unravel, and explore. What I can say, however, is that there are layers to the city that reveal themselves one by one—and sometimes, all at once.

When you step out of the airport and drive downtown, for instance, you are immediately struck by the architecture: a comfortable melange of socialist-era functional buildings sitting side by side with Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman-era architecture, along with modern structures built in the era following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The war may have been over for more than thirty years, but it hangs in the air almost like a ghost that refuses to leave the room. There are reminders almost everywhere—posters and graffiti marking the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre and the war in general, alongside red markings on certain streets pointing out where mortar shells once struck.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Tourism seems to be a major revenue generator, visible in parts of the city that evoke the same vibrant energy seen along Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue. Restaurants and cafes are constantly busy, doing great business selling ćevapi and other traditional cuisine.

We met many people who remembered the former Yugoslavia with warm and wistful affection. While the younger generation had no memory of those days, the older generation spoke of Yugoslavia with deep nostalgia. They remember it mostly as a time when ethnic and religious divisions were not flashpoints for conflict, and when everyday life was defined by a semblance of economic security.

There is so much more to talk about, which will likely require another article or two. For now, I can say that this will not be my final visit to Sarajevo; I am sure I’ll return again. Next time, there will undoubtedly be newer insights and a fresh understanding of how this city has remained strong and resilient through all the challenges of the 20th and 21st centuries.

But before that, I must return to jot down my impressions of Jajce, Mostar, Split, and Gradac.