Sarajevo

Understand

thumb|400px|The Latin Bridge, close to where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, triggering World War I Sarajevo has 420,000 citizens in its urban area (2013). Sarajevo metropolitan area has a population of 555,000 and includes some neighbourhoods of "East Sarajevo" that are a part of Republika Srpska.

The city is commonly nicknamed "Jerusalem of Europe" or "Jerusalem of the Balkans" due to its long history of religious and cultural diversity, where mosques, synagogues, Catholic, and Orthodox churches have lived together for centuries.

Get around

Sarajevo is a medium-sized, beautiful city with many landmarks. Getting lost is always possible, but much less so if you have a map; however, getting lost in Bascarsija's winding streets can be part of the fun, and may reveal some interesting surprises.

Very good free maps can be obtained from the tourist information office, shopping centres and hotels. Some bookshops may also sell printed maps of the city. Map apps on a smartphone are particularly useful.

Asking Sarajevans for directions is an exercise in futility. People might not know the names of streets a block from the building they've lived in all their lives. Taxi drivers can't be expected to find anything other than the most obvious addresses unless you tell them where to go, in Bosnian; showing the driver on your map may be necessary.

Avoid driving in the Old Town. The steep and narrow streets, with a one way system, means you are likely to get lost and possibly damage your car. Also, it is next to impossible to find a parking spot.

For destinations farther from the center, such as Ilidža or Vogošća, trams and trolleybuses(tram line 3 and trolley line 105 respectively) provide good connections.

See

With the exception of the Tunnel Museum and the Bosna spring, all landmarks are in or within walking distance of Old Town. Several walking tours are available, a free/tip based walking tour starts every day at 10:30 at the crossing of Gazi Husrev begova street and Mula Mustafa Baseskija street (address: Velika Avlija 14) and covers most of the Baščaršija (takes two hours).

The municipality of Sarajevo provides an app called "Guide2Sarajevo" (Android, ios). It contains a map with sights and restaurants as well as several themed routes to walk in the city (ranging from 2 to 6 hours) on which you use your phone as audio guide (works even without mobile internet, because the files are downloaded on installation). It's remarkably well made.

Buy

thumb|Fruits, vegetables and walnuts for sale at Markale market

Most shopping centres and upscale restaurants accept credit cards. Small cafés, clubs and souvenir shops mostly require cash, but might jib at notes larger than 20 KM.

There are many banks along Maršala Tita at the north boundary of Old Town, usually open M–F 08:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-13:00. Money can also be exchanged at any post office or at currency exchange booths, which stay open till 21:00: as always take care to check both the exchange rate and level of commission.

In addition to the konvertibilna marka, restaurants may accept euros at €1 = 2 KM. The odd rate is because the marka had been pegged 1:1 against the Deutsche Mark, which was replaced with the euro at that rate.

Eat

thumb|House of Spite, by the Miljacka river thumb|The Sarajevo Brewery

It is said in Bosnia that some people eat to be able to drink, others eat to be able to live and work, but true Bosnians work and live to eat. A lot of attention is devoted to the preparation and consumption of food in Sarajevo. Gastronomy in the city was developed under Eastern and Western influences, and Bosnian cuisine focuses on local produce like meat, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. For information on typical Bosnian foods, see Bosnia#Eat.

Drink

Sarajevo has a vibrant night life with plenty of small thematic bars. Clubs are usually opened until early morning. Although many venues are open all week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the most frequented. There are numerous cafés in the city, centred primarily around the old town. Look out for the traditional Bosnian-style coffee!

Sleep

thumb|upright|Pansion close to the historic centre

You need to register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. Your hotel or hostel should do this on check-in, but if you wild-camp or stay at a private residence, you need to organise this yourself. Failure to register doesn't normally bother the authorities but could result in a fine or deportation.

Connect

There are four mobile operators in Sarajevo: BH Telecom (060, 061, 062), m:tel (065, 066, 067), HT Eronet (063) and Haloo (064). Since Bosnia and Herzegovina is not part of the EU or EEA, the international roaming charges are not capped as those have been since 2017, and can be much higher. However Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of a Balkan roaming zone with Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia, capped at €0.20 per MB from July 2017. But that only applies if you have a local SIM card, from any of the operators, which can be purchased in one of the many kiosks around the city. BH Telecom, m:tel and HT Eronet have offers aimed towards tourists, starting from 20 KM for 5 GB.

The local area code is +387 33 (Kanton Sarajevo) and the local postal code is 71000.

Central Post Office BH Pošta is a sight in itself, see "Administrative buildings" listing earlier. It's at Obala Kulina bana 8 next to the National Theatre. There's another big post office next to the railway station, open M-F 07:30-18:00 and Sat 08:00-16:00.

Stay safe

thumb|[[War zone safety#Land mines and unexploded ordnance|Mines are still hidden in the forests around Sarajevo]]

There are still many minefields and unexploded ordnances in the broader Sarajevo area (although not in any urban area). Never go into damaged buildings (which are really rarely seen) and always stick to paved surfaces avoiding grassy hills that surround the city. As of 2020, Trebević has been completely demined. Areas that are not cleared are marked by yellow tape or signs, but still not all minefields have been identified due to the lack of resources and the lack of international help. Paved roads are always safe.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has double the traffic fatality rate in Europe as a whole, and in the early 2020s there have been a few high-profile accidents with pedestrians. Be alert whether driving or crossing the street.

Most of the city is safe to visit, with crime against foreigners being very rare, but avoid areas such as Alipašino Polje, Švrakino and the surrounding areas of the Novi Grad municipality, as those are mainly dangerous zones with high crime rates, shootings, violence and poverty. Go there only with locals, and not during the night. It is unlikely you will go there anyway; said neighbourhoods are far from the city centre and any of the sights in outlying areas.

There are a number of pickpockets working in the city and very few police officers on patrol; police are rarely seen. Although said pickpockets are typically easy to spot, it is …

Stay healthy

Water from fountains and taps in Sarajevo is safe to drink, but it may have an unpleasant chlorine odour. The mains supply may be turned off overnight. The main risk to your health, land mines aside, is the strong sunlight. Usual precautions: hat, long-sleeved shirt, seek the shade and apply sun screen. Pharmacies (Apotheka) are dotted around the city. Two handy for Old Town are Al-Hana on Ulika Patka, and Apoteka Baščaršija at Obala Kulina bana 40 by the riverside. Poliklinika Dr Al-Tawil inside the Importanne Centar shopping mall (see the Buy section). Modern facilities and relatively short waiting time. Some blood tests within half an hour.