Bosnia and Herzegovina · Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo

Hotels in Sarajevo
  • Elevation:539 m
  • Timezone:Central European Time (CET, UTC+1 / CEST UTC+2 summer)

Overview

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, sits in a narrow valley along the Miljacka River, ringed by mountains on all sides. Minarets, church spires, a cathedral and a synagogue share its skyline, which is why it has long been called the Jerusalem of Europe.

Travel

Sarajevo is Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital and the country's natural base: a city in a narrow valley, small enough at its historic core to cross on foot, with mountains rising directly behind the rooftops. Its character comes from the way different eras sit side by side rather than in separate districts, so a single walk crosses several centuries. From here the Olympic slopes are about forty minutes away and Mostar and Herzegovina about two hours south, and Sarajevo International Airport makes the city the usual start or end of a route through the country, with the train through the Neretva canyon as the scenic way south.

Baščaršija, the Ottoman bazaar quarter founded in the fifteenth century, is Sarajevo's heart: a maze of cobbled lanes lined with coppersmiths, jewellers, carpet shops and grills. The Sebilj, a wooden fountain kiosk on the square at its centre, is the quarter's landmark and a popular meeting point. The Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, built in the first half of the sixteenth century, stands at the centre of a complex that also includes a madrasa, a covered bazaar, an ablution fountain and the tomb of its founder, and nearby Brusa Bezistan, a sixteenth-century covered market, houses a museum. Two or three hours of wandering covers the main sights, but the pleasure is in the details: the call to prayer echoing off stone walls, the smell of roasting coffee, the tap of copper hammers.

Frequently asked questions

Because mosques, an Orthodox church, a Catholic cathedral and a synagogue stand within walking distance of one another around the old bazaar quarter, Baščaršija — a rare concentration of faith traditions in one European city centre.

Diplomatic missions in Sarajevo

7 embassies based in this city, grouped by region.

Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.