Sarajevo: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 40 - 65 Hollywood Hotel
 Located close to Sarajevo´s green district of Ilidza and 2 km from Sarajevo International Airport, Hollywood Hotel offers spacious and modern ro… MoreEUR 19 - 59 Hostel Gonzo
 Hostel Gonzo is located halfway between Sarajevo´s centre and the Airport. It offers en suite rooms with free internet access and cable TV. Free… MoreEUR 30 - 75 Europa Motel
 Europa Motel is in the neighbourhood of Nedzarici, only 4 km away from Sarajevo’s centre. It has a restaurant serving charcoal dishes, a café bar w… MoreEUR 118 - 237 Europa Hotel
 This 5-star hotel is centrally situated in Sarajevo, 3 km from the Main Train Station. It offers free Wi-Fi and parking, 24-hour reception and free sw… MoreEUR 55 - 117 Boutique Old Town Hotel
 Set in the heart of Sarajevo’s old town Bascarsija, Boutique Old Town Hotel offers air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, minibars and saf… MoreEUR 72 - 153 City Boutique Hotel
 Benefiting from a prime location close to Sarajevo´s National Theatre, the old town Bascarsija and a lively shopping area, City Boutique Hotel p… MoreEUR 35 - 100 ETN Hotel
 ETN Hotel is set in a renovated historical building in Sarajevo’s Bascarsija area, 500 metres from the City Hall. It offers a café bar and air-cond… MoreEUR 20 - 60 Hostel Kan
 In Sarajevo´s centre, Hotel Kan is 200 metres from the Bus Station and 300 metres from the Zetra Olympic Hall. It offers accommodation with balc… MoreEUR 25 - 45 Hostel Kod Keme
 Hostel Kod Keme is located in a pedestrian street, just a few metres from Sarajevo’s Bascarsija Street. It offers a traditional Bosnian tavern and c… MoreEUR 72 - 125 Hotel Belvedere
 Belvedere Hotel is located in the centre of Sarajevo, near the old town area of Bašcaršija. It offers free Wi-Fi and 2 saunas. Air-conditioned rooms… MoreEUR 52 - 100 Hotel Boutique 36
 Beautifully located in Bascarsija, Sarajevo´s old town, Hotel Boutique 36 offers first-class services and comfortable, relaxing accommodation.
… MoreEUR 28 - 75 Hotel Casa Grande
 Beautifully located on an avenue with plane and chestnut trees leading to the spring of the Bosna River, Hotel Casa Grande in Sarajevo offers great fa… MoreEUR 95 - 110 Hotel Central
 The completely refurbished Hotel Central in Sarajevo provides exquisite facilities for fitness and relaxation as well as a 25-metre long swimming pool… MoreEUR 93 - 132 Hotel Astra
 Hotel Astra is located in Sarajevo´s centre next to the old part Bascarsija, which is famous for its architecture from the Ottoman Empire. The a… MoreEUR 50 - 157 Hotel Art
 Hotel Art is located in Sarajevo near the old town Bascarsija. It is a 15-minute drive from the airport, offering transport as well as free Wi-Fi inte… MoreEUR 25 - 100 Hotel Ahar
 The modern Hotel Ahar in Sarajevo was built in 2009, offering nicely furnished rooms with free wireless internet access.
Located in the peaceful area… MoreEUR 23 - 75 Hotel Alem
 The Alem hotel is situated in the peaceful Vraca quarter in the centre of Sarajevo, at one of the city´s most attractive places, only 300 metres… MoreEUR 50 - 90 Hotel America
 Hotel America is situated in a quiet part of Sarajevo next to a brook in the vicinity of many important embassies, yet still close enough to the buzzi… MoreEUR 93 - 132 Astra Garni Hotel
 Situated just 200 metres from the Presidency Building in central Sarajevo, the elegant Astra Garni Hotel provides modern rooms with free Wi-Fi, a fitn… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sarajevo: Guide
Sarajevo , the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a lively city of 400,000 people, nestled in a valley, mainly within the Bosniak(Muslim)-Croat Federation, but with parts in the Republika Srpska.
Understand
Sarajevo is one of the most historically interesting cities in Europe. It is the place where the Eastern Orthodox east, the Ottoman south, Continental Europe and Jewish culture met up. For this reason it has had something of a turbulent past but also has at times been a great example of multi-cultural integration.
Today the city has physically recovered from most of the war damage. Sarajevo is a cosmopolitan European capital that is a delight to visit. The people are very friendly, be they Bosniak, Serb, or Croat. There is very little crime, not nearly as many tourists as on the Dalmatian coast and a wealth of architecture (not to mention history) to see.
Getting there and back
By plane
is connected with major European cities by a number of airlines.
Banja Luka with
Belgrade with
Budapest with
Cologne with
Copenhagen with
Frankfurt with
Istanbul with &
Ljubljana with
Milan Malpensa with
Mostar with &
Munich with
Prague with
Stuttgart with
Vienna Schwechat with
Zagreb with &
Zurich with
By train
Interrailnet (official Interrail website) has a good map of the
From/To Hungary
A train leaves Budapest (Deli pu. station) daily at 17.40, arriving in Sarajevo at 05.30. The return ticket costs 11,600 forint + 750 forint compulsory reservation. Note that this is cheaper than a single ticket. There is no sleeper carriage, but the reclining seats are comfortable. You will be bothered at least four times for your passport, and around four times for your ticket, and once by very nosy and insistent EU customs staff. There is no food or drink available on the train, so come prepared. There also might be an unexpected and confusing change of train in the middle of the night.
The return train departs at 20.32 every evening for Budapest, via Osijek, in Croatia. It arrives at Deli pu. station at 09.40.
From/To Croatia
A train leaves Zagreb daily at 08:57, arriving in Sarajevo at 18:24. The return train to Zagreb, via Zenica, Doboj and Banja Luka, departs at 10.41. It arrives in Banja Luka at 15.34. A return ticket to Banja Luka costs 35KM.
See below for trains to/from Ploče.
From/to Ploče via Mostar
There is another train route from Ploče in Croatia to Sarajevo via Mostar. It's a very beautiful route through lakes and mountains with lots of tunnels and switchbacks.
Trains depart Ploče daily:
Trains from Sarajevo to the south:
Single tickets from Sarajevo to Mostar cost 9.90KM. Holders of an ISIC student card can get a 30% discount.
See website for more information.
There are two bus stations in Sarajevo, the main bus station ('autobusna stanica', by the train station) serving Croatia and destinations within the Bosnian Federation. There is also another bus station in Eastern (Serb-dominated) Sarajevo on the outskirts of the city serving the Republika Srpska and destinations in both Serbia and Montenegro. To get to this bus station (called 'Lukavica' or 'Istochno Sarajevo') it is probably easiest to book/order a taxi (cost from the Turkish Quarter was around 15KM in September 2005). If you are prefer a city transport, use 104 and 107 bus/trolleybus and ask people how to get to Lukavica bus station. Be warned that Lukavica is the name of neighbour but not exact district to bus station in Sarajevo.
From the main bus station, there are several buses a day to/from Mostar. These leave at 6, 7, 7:35, 8, 8:15, 9, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30 and up to 18, and journey time is approximately two and a half hours). Single tickets cost 13.50KM, return tickets are 19KM. There are also buses to Split and Dubrovnik (5-6 hours).
There are several buses a day from the main bus station to Banja Luka. These leave at 5:00, 07:55, 09:15, 14:30, 15:30 and 16:30. Journey time is approximately 5 hours.
The bus ride to Podgorica in Montenegro takes about 7 hours but is an absolutely amazing ride through some wonderful countryside (mostly through Republika Srpska). One of bus goes at 14:00. Cost is 27 KM or 14 Euro, Euro is acceptable (Oct 2006).
Buses to Tuzla leave from the main bus station approximately every hour every day. The journey takes approximately 3 hours, and costs around 11KM (June 2006).
There is a daily bus to Graz and Vienna, leaving from the main bus station at 08:00, reaching Graz at 19:45 and Vienna around 2 hours later. A single youth ticket (under-26) is 77KM, including compulsory reservation. You will have to pay the driver 2KM to transport luggage. There are frequent stops on the way, including for food and toilets.
The journey to Belgrade takes about 7-9 hours and was 28KM (bought from the bus driver) in September 2005. The bus departs from Lukavica bus station in Eastern Sarajevo. There are several buses a day.
There are many bus lines linking most towns and cities in Bosnia and Hercegovina. See for details (in Bosnian only). Check the transport sections of other destinations for more information. From Germany you can go by Euroliner (Centrotrans is part of it), have a look on .
The center of Sarajevo is served by two tram lines and a number of bus lines. Tickets should be purchased in advance from kiosks on the street or from the driver, where they cost slightly more (around 1.80KM). Tickets should be validated upon boarding the vehicle and are valid for a one way trip only. Changing tram or bus means validating a new ticket. Please note that inspectors board public transport very frequently.
At the heart of Sarajevo is the city's Turkish Quarter. The cobbled streets, mosques and Oriental style shops are a world away from Europe, and when the call-to-prayer music starts, one could be forgiven for thinking that they were actually in the Middle East.
The Sarajevo Film Festival is held annually, during August. http://www.sff.ba/
The Sarajevo Tunnel Museum shows the tunnel which was used to ferry supplies into the besieged city during the conflict and is next to the airport. Taxi from the centre costs around 17KM one way. Entrance to the museum is 5KM. It is open 7 days a week from 9 to 5. Get the number three (3) tram to the end of the line from the city centre. Then get a taxi to the tunnel museum and walk back to the tram station if it's a nice day (takes about half an hour). The tunnel itself is in the garden of a house so don't be worried if you think you're headed into suburbia!
There is now a walking guide to Bosnia's 2000m peaks. It is called Forgotten Beauty and is available from the 'Buy Book' book shop in the centre of Sarajevo (In English and Bosnian).
Go to famous Olympic Stadium and follow a match of Sarajevo Football Club.Though football quality is very poor it is interesting to follow a match in a stadium which hosted the opening ceremony of 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games peacefully just a few years before civil war broke out.
Visit one of the many cemeteries located within city limits.With white marble grave stones for those who gave their lives at their 20s during civil war these cemeteiries are quite visit worthy.
See Markale market place, very close to Bascarcija, which marked the start of NATO intervention and thereby end of the civil war after a Serbian bombing which took the life of some 40, including Croats and Serbs as well.Markale was bombed two times, first in Feb 1994 and second in Aug 1995.First is important in terms of casualties and second is important in terms of initiating NATO military intervention.
- 16-26.08.2006
- Held during first week of Novemeber since 1997
- The first festival was held in 1984 during the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. Since then, it is being held regularily each year and brings into the city various artists from around the world. Interesting thing about the festival is that it has not stopped even during the war.
Sarajevo has countless shops selling burek (meat pie, sold in layers by weight), cevapi and pizza stores. Pita is a filo pasty pie coming in several varieties - cheese (sirnica), cheese and spinach (zeljanica), pumpkin (tikvinica), and spicy potato (krompirusa). It is normally eaten with yoghurt sauce.
Park Princeva, Iza Hrida br. 7 (+387 61 222 708). Slightly more expensive than Inat Kuca, also serving Bosnian food. Located on one of the hills of the city, you have a beautiful view, especially around sunset, when you can hear the prayers from the mosques around the valley.
Capucino, Grbavica, Sarajevo, Excellent Restaurant serving old traditional Bosnian and Italian food. You can try delicious bosnian meals and the best pasta and pizza in the region. Capucino Restaurant is near river Miljacka in green area.
The Hacienda, Bazardzani 3, Sarajevo, Mexican food, cocktails and late licience
Karuzo, Mehmeda Spahe bb, Sarajevo, While it doesn't serve traditional Bosnian food, this restaurant features a vegetarian/fish based menu, with a mostly Italian influence (although Sushi is also available). The pasta dishes are also highly recommended. Its a very intimate restaurant seating only 18 at a time, the chef takes your order prepares the food and serves it himself.
There are numerous houses around town offering accommodation in rooms for as little as 3KM per night (around 1,5 euro), although they can be hard to find. Best bet is to go to one of the accommodation bureaus near the old town and find somewhere for a night (at their prices, with their 500% markup), then arrange with the landlord/lady to stay on for their own rate.
One of the options is local hostel named SARTOUR. Their web page is: www.sartour-hostel-sarajevo.ba . They work in price range from 10 to 15 euros per person per bed per night for accommodation and can also recommend alternative accommodations.
When you tire of being bundled in cars by various agencies to look at various far-flung and grotty rooms, nip one door down from Sartour's office on Mula Mustafe Bašeskije. Down a passage is an internet cafe with a big sign saying ROOMS - virtually the only one which does actually have rooms right there. They're cheap (30 euros for a twin room) and cosy and clean enough, you get a little terrace and the staff are very friendly. Can be a bit noisy from the cafe and aircon though, but the location, virtually opposite the central square and right near the tram stop, is perfect.
One useful apartment is Skend, located about 15 minutes walk from the centre, but with comfortable, large rooms and breakfast available. Around 30KM. Tel: +387 61537775, or, for English, +387 912523834
The first address for an overview of budget accommodation of any kind is still 'Sarajevo Accommodation' run by Mersad Bronja, better known as 'Miki'. He arranges overnight stays in privat rooms as well as hostels, pensions and hotels in Sarajevo and its surroundings. Contact http://www.sarajevo-accommodation.com for further information.
One of the best value hotels (many approach UK prices) is Motel Sokak, Mula Mustafe Bašeskije 24 Tel:+387 (0)33 570 355 / +387 (0)33 446 344 e-mail: contact@sokak-motel.com. It's small clean, quiet, friendly and comfortable, in an old building but modern inside. Top marks for location, just down the road from the old town central square and the tram stop. Double is 68 euros for the room.
There are still many minefields and unexploded ordinances in the Sarajevo and its surrounding suburbs. Never go into damaged buildings and always stick to paved surfaces. Areas that are not cleared are marked by yellow tape or signs, but still not all minefields are identified.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikitravel article "Sarajevo". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license.
06:40, arriving in Sarajevo at 10:18, via Mostar at 08:04
16:20, arriving in Sarajevo at 20:10, via Mostar at 17:56
06:25, arriving in Ploče at 10:22, via Mostar at 08:50
18:18, arriving in Ploče at 22:06, via Mostar at 20:40By car
By bus
Be warned that in this bus station Cyrillic script is prevalent so you should probably check the spelling of your destination.Get around
See
Do
Walk along the roads up one of Sarajevo's surrounding hills for fantastic views over the city, but be very careful becuase mines from the war are still around in some places, especially on the hills.
Though it is not situated within Sarajevo city limits but in a somehow remote place, some 150 kms from Sarajevo, visiting Srebrenica which has witnessed one of the world's deadliest massacres in July 1995 is quite important for those who are interested in recent history. Buses for Srebrenica depart both from main bus station at 07.10 (take a taxi or tram 1) and Eastern Sarajevo station at 08:40 (take trolleybus 103). Both busses take four hours to Srebrenica.
Please note the memorial (mezar) for the massacre is not in Srebrenica but in a nearby village called Potocari. Tell to driver and his asistant to let you off at Potocari. After seeing the memorial you can take a taxi (cost 3 KM) to go to Srebrenica which still looks like a dead city. Returns to Sarajevo are at 14:30 for Eastern Sarajevo and 16:30 for main bus station.Events
Eat
Budget
Mid-range
Inat Kuca, Veliki Alifakovac 1, Bascarsija. An old Turkish house by the river converted to a lovely restaurant selling hearty stew-like meals.Drink
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range
Pansion Cobanija charges 100KM (€50) per person per night, for a room with a private bathroom and satellite television. The rooms are clean and well-kept, and a continental breakfast is provided.
Hotel Michele This small paradise has a pool in the penthouse apartment and also features private parking with direct elevator acces to the room floors and wireless high speed internet.Splurge
Stay safe
Get out