Drops of Sarajevo

While the train glides slowly towards the Central station, the five hour journey from Banja Luka does not seem that bad at the end, even less so once we can spot the beauty of heavily forested hills of the Mount Trebević surrounding the Bosnian capital, gently settled in the valley of the Miljacka river. The skyline of the modern hotel buildings contrasts the cozy lights of the neighborhoods up in the hills, the train station is large and empty, and the smell of coffee is in harmony with the smoke of the cigarettes.

It's cold in Sarajevo, not surprising for a place that hosted the winter Olympics in 1984, but still not that cold, more a Balkan cold. Fresh outta the station we take the feet transportation to reach our humble lodge in the old town, a good excuse to walk through the Miljacka side and feel the Sara-vibes. Two first observations: one, we encounter the Building American embassy, and it is incredibly huge. Second, there's an unexpected amount of quite massive traffic. We'll later find out that air pollution is a major concern in town and that it has affected the whole area since a few decades.

Ferhadija is the main pedestrian street with a Austro-Hungarian vibe: beautiful facades, commercially friendly, and lots of cafés Vienna style. At a certain point the scenario changes completely and you instead find yourself somewhere in the Ottoman empire; the Baščaršija. Mosques, Baklava, Bosnian Coffee, Borek, copper brings back lovely Turkish memories, and with a big smile we head to our hostel, looking forward to the view with delight.

The call of the Muezzin mosque at sunrise is sensational and makes you travel in time. The Baščaršija has a sleepy face while the people wait for their tram. Pigeons are everywhere and so is the scent of coffee. There air is crispy and people are queuing to sip some water at the Sebilj fountain.

Kovaci street is a lovely ascent that keeps the Ottoman fascinating appeal. It seems that in the past many blacksmiths had their labs here, and some artisans are still active. Ministry of Ćejf is an irresistible little spot to enjoy a true Bosnian coffee, a cozy place and tasty drinks with a little hip touch.

Climbing the steep hill of Kovači you reach the Marty's Memorial Cemetery, where rest the fallen soldiers of the Bosnian Army during the 90's war. The reference to recent human tragedy in Sarajevo is everywhere, a wound still visible and well shown with pride by the Bosnian people, but also something to whom everyone should pay their respects when visiting the city. Alija Izetbegović, the first president of the independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 1992 to 1996, is also buried in Kovači.

Žuta Tabija is the yellow fortress, which served as a defense outpost against the Austro-Hungarian troops in 1878. From the bastions you get one of the most stunning views of town, with its typical red-roofed houses. It's the perfect location for a coffee break or a Borek to-go.

Down back to the river it is impossible to not remain astonished by Vijećnica, the monumental Sarajevo City Hall, symbol of its multicultural identity. Completed in 1894 and with a clear Moorish influence it has during its life time been used for different purposes, from library to parliament. Inside it has a lot of inspirational spots that your followers will certainly appreciate.

Before the war, the Sarajevans enjoyed Mount Trebevic' pine forest as recreational spot: from walks to picnic, it was an easy escape from the city commitments. In 1984 Trebevic and the other peaks surrounding the city served as venues for the winter Olympics: in this specific case a bobsled was built to host the competitions. Still there, nowadays in its abandoned status, it's a surprising and colorful place for Instagrammers and very much unique in its genre. The area is also an interesting street art point with a lot of creative murals around.

During the Balkan conflict, its 1627 meters unfortunately were occupied by the snipers during the siege of Sarajevo. In the recent days the Mount resumed its popular role in the citizen's free time, as the land mines have been removed and the historical cable car has been fully restored. With a 10 minutes ride in one of the gondolas, from the Baščaršija to the peak, it's easy to reach the top and admire another sensational view of the city.

Right after this calories fire we have finally reached cevapci o'clock. What we can undoubtedly call the flagship course all around the former Yugoslavian territories, it makes no exception in Sarajevo, with plenty of amazing and tempting options.

Zeljo is a "Cevabdzinica" that everybody will recommend you: it has three branches in the old town and produces tons of this little minced beef fingers, wisely grilled on a barbecue and served with onions and Somun, a typical flatbread. The restaurant is named after a local glorious football team of FK Željezničar, the railway workers.

Another institution of the Bosnian Cuisine is borek, also a valuable asset of the Ottoman inheritance: perfect at every time of the day, normally it is filled with meat, cheese or spinach and served with a fresh yogurt cream. All around Sarajevo the borek biz is prosperous and plenty of Buregdžinica available at every corner makes it impossible not to try.

Foodwise Sarajevo is a goldmine that would not stop to surprise you; the middle Eastern influence won't certainly stop to a simple pastry field. Slasticarna Egipat is located at the 29 of Ferhadija and has strong Egyptian vibes that won't make you resist to try as much as you can. But it came to my attention that the best baklavas are in Saraybosna and we were not allowed to leave the town before visit it, so here we are.

The circle would definitely not be complete without some bubbles: a fresh Sarajevska, a Zlatna Ribica or a Bosna Kino is the perfect way to slide into the night, following the local trends. Ribica is an institution, with its unique interior it resembles the Vienna vibes, and is the perfect location for a beer. Sarajevksa Brewery is very much inside the city and accessible to visitors. Founded in 1864, it is the probably the oldest industrial factory in Bosnia, a sign of the continuity and pride of an identity that now shines on its own.

Zivjeli!

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