Top 15 Things To See And Do In Sarajevo

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, offers a unique blend of Eastern and Western influences, as well as a very rich history and natural beauty. It’s fun to explore the charming old town of Baščaršija, where cobblestone streets are lined with shops and vibrant cafes. A visit the iconic Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque offers a glimpse into the city’s Ottoman past, while the Latin Bridge, famous for its role in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, shares an important piece of our world history. This post covers the best things to see and do in Sarajevo.

Top Things To See And Do in Sarajevo

Explore Baščaršija

Old Town Sarajevo’s Historic Core, Baščaršija Old Town, was the heart of Sarajevo during its Ottoman period. You’ll find charming 15th century architecture, cobbled alleyways and Sebilj, a beautiful old, wooden fountain with a green dome. Legend is that you will return to the city again if you drink from it.

Other top sites in Baščaršija include a 15th century covered market, Gazi Husrev Bey’s Bezistan, where you can shop for souvenirs and meet locals. You can also visit Sarajevo’s artisan workshops, where you can see crafts like calligraphy and coppersmithing.

Gazi Hurev Bey’s Mosque, the largest historical Mosque in BIH, and one of the finest in terms of Ottoman Islamic architecture, is also in Baščaršija. This 16th century Mosque is still in use, but open for visits. There’s also a small museum nearby to learn its history.

Other highlights include Sahat Kula, a 17th century clock tower, and a stop in to admire Morića Han, one of Sarajevo’s only remaining caravanserai. This is where caravans stopped and rested during the Ottoman era. It’s one of the more refreshing places in Sarajevo and a great place for a cup of coffee or try cevapi, which is a national dish of minced meat sausages.

Walk The Miljacka River Bank

Walk along the banks of the Miljacka River in the heart of Sarajevo, a tributary of the Bosna River, to see the city’s architecture and many bridges reflected here.

Skenderija Bridge, which was designed by Gustavo Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower), makes a popular selfie stop with its heart-shaped “with love Sarajevo” sign. This bridge also has love locks, so bring one if you want to add to the collection.

Cross The Spot Where East Meets West

This spot, literally marked in the ground, represents the meeting point of cultures in Sarajevo. It divides “Eastern”, Ottoman and Islamic Sarajevo, with Ottoman structures and Baščaršija to the east, and “Western”, Austro-Hungarian and Christian Sarajevo, with Ferhadija Street to the west, lined with Western style buildings from the Austro-Hungarian era. It’s located north of the Latin Bridge.

The Archduke Franz Ferdinand Memorial & Museum

One of the most popular things to do in Sarajevo is to visit the spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were assassinated in 1914.

Shot by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the revolutionary organization, Young Bosnia, this was one of the main catalysts of WWI. Within days, Austria declared war on Serbia, then Germany declared war on Russia, and on and on, until there was a full-blown, world-wide war.

The assassination was done in broad daylight, in front of a Delicatessen by the Latin Bridge, Latinska Ćuprija, also known as Principov Most (now named after Gavrilo Princip). The former Deli is now home to the Museum of Sarajevo, telling the history in more detail. There’s also a small memorial for Franz and Sophie on the north end of the bridge.

How To Get To The Memorial And Museum: This museum and memorial is located at the cross streets of Zelenith-beretki and Obala Kulina bana.

Learn About the Siege of Sarajevo

To learn about the history of modern-day Sarajevo, take a free (tip-based) tour from a local to learn about the Siege of Sarajevo. My tour was led by a young woman who was a 7-year-old during the siege (see sarajevowalkingtours for details). Her personal stories were very poignant and made the past come to life in a way no museum can. I highly recommend this, but don’t be surprised if you leave with a heavy heart.

The siege occurred after a referendum for independence from Yugoslavia passed. The Bosnian Serbs living here resisted and took control of the city by moving mortar weapons to the nearby hilltops. Dropping bombs on the city, they used the position and weapons to control the Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks living here.

For almost 4 years, from 1992-1995, around 200-300 mortar shells a day were dropped, practically destroying the city. As you walk the streets, you can still see its war wounds on the streets and in the buildings.

It’s never pleasant to reflect on human nature’s worst side, but understanding history is so important. Plus there’s a resilience and a passion here that’s really admirable. Like nearby Mostar, Sarajevo is a city you will never forget.

Search For A Sarajevo Rose

A Sarajevo Rose is a concrete scar from mortar bombs filled with red resin, so they look like bloodstains. As the city is rebuilt, they are slowly disappearing, but you can still find them.

Stop At Sniper Alley 

Walking at Aleja Snajpera, or Sniper Alley, which is a busy intersection near a shopping mall, was once considered suicide. With mortar weapons on the nearby hillside, snipers would take aim at everyone and everything. It’s eerie to walk this street today and think of the atrocities and the pain suffered here.

How To Find Sniper Alley: This site is at Zmaja od Bosne Street and Meša Selimović Boulevard Ulica.

See 1667 Memorial

This memorial was named after the 1,667 children killed here during the war. It contains 1,667 sheets of glass, one for each child, shaped to look like a parent and child together.

The Romeo and Juliet of Bosnia

This is a heart-breaking story of a young star-crossed couple, Admira Ismić, a Bosniak, and Boško Brkić, a Bosnian Serb, killed by sniper fire in May 1993, trying to escape the war. High-school sweethearts before the war ripped Bosnia in two, they thought they had arranged a safe escape from the city, but were double crossed and shot by a sniper.

Reportedly their bodies lay intertwined on Vrbanja bridge (below) for 8 days before it was safe enough to retrieve them. Today they’re buried side by side in Lion Cemetery. If you’re interested in learning more, there is a movie of their story: Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo.

Top Museums & Galleries in Sarajevo

Gallery 11/07/95

This gallery showcases photos of the genocide that occurred in nearby Srebrenica during the Bosnian War. One of the worst genocides in Europe since WWII. Bosnian Serbs were reportedly responsible the deaths of many thousands of Bosnian Muslims, as part of an ethnic cleansing regime.

This exhibit is very moving. So moving, your ticket is good for two days, in case you need to take a break and return.

Museum of Crimes Against Humanity

This museum gets into more graphic detail of the atrocities of the Bosnian War. Admittedly, I did not visit this museum, as I found Gallery 11/07/95 to sufficiently shake me.

Sarajevo Tunnel Museum

The entrance of this tunnel, which is underneath the airport, is now a museum. Built during the blockade of Sarajevo, it facilitated the movement of people and goods during the Siege of Sarajevo.

How To Get To The Sarajevo Tunnel Museum: The easiest way to get to the Sarajevo Tunnel museum is to take a taxi and ask them wait for you. To save on taxi fare, take the tram to nearby Ilidza and taxi from there.

Have Coffee With Tito

So, you really can only have coffee with his memory here as he was frequently here when he rules this area. He may be a controversial figure, but he did a lot to help Sarajevo and was loved by the people. Thus, this cafe honors him.

The atmoshere here embodies the spirit of Yugoslavia, and has a lot of WWII tanks, weapons, and photos.

See The Giant Beef War Rations Statue

This is one of the stranger things to see in Sarajevo. It’s a statue in the form of a giant can of the typical UN war ration the locals depended on during the war. It’s very close to Tito’s cafe, so visit them together.

As you can see, not only are the people here resilient, they also have a sense of humor about their tragic past. The smaller print above translates to “grateful citizens of Sarajevo”.

See The Sunset At Yellow Bastion

To experience some of the natural beauty of Sarajevo, head to the city walls at Yellow Bastion, or Žuta Tabija, in Jekovac to watch the sunset. It’s a beautiful place to reflect on the city after learning its history. One of the best things to see in Sarajevo, it’s about a 15-minute walk, or short drive northeast of Baščaršija Old Town.

At the end of the day duiring Ramadan, Muslims wait for the cannon shot here, signifying the end of the fast.

How To Get To Sarajevo

Fly

The closest international airport is Sarajevo International airport (SJJ), which is about 7.5 miles (12 km) away from the old city center.

Old Town Sarajevo From The Airport

To get to the old town of Sarajevo from the airport, it’s easiest to take a taxi. The driving distance is about 20-minutes and will cost around 18-30€ (as of 2025). Cash is common for taxis, so it’s best to have enough, but some will have the option to send you a payment link, like PayPal for card payment.

Currently, Uber and Lyft are not in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Taxi drivers are required by law to use the meter, but they often do not. Make sure they turn on the meter before you get in the car. If they refuse, select another taxi. There are not a lot of ride hailing apps in Sarajevo, but the most popular is mojTaxi. It connects you to standard taxis near you.

There is also a bus form the airport to Sarajevo, which is less expensive (around 3€ plus luggage), but takes slightly longer. It leaves the airport multiple times a day during the summer months.

Sarajevo From Mostar

The cheapest and fastest way to get to Sarajevo from Mostar is the train, which takes about 1 hour. There is also a bus, which takes about 2.5 hours.

Other Great Spots Nearby

Sarajevo is an off-the-beaten-path destination, but if you like learning about history and the meeting the people that have lived it, it’s a great stop. Plus the old town really is charming and not overly touristic.

Sarajevo is perfect to pair with Mostar to see the old Bridge, Stari Most, and maybe see some of its daring bridge jumpers. Croatia and Montenegro and also relatively close, so Bosnia and Hercegovina make a great stop along with them.

Safe Travels!

Julie