By Reem Jadah
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Just beyond the well-traveled lands of the Mediterranean rests the city of Sarajevo. It is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With its Ottoman exoticism and European elegance, Sarajevo is a wonderful travel destination.
On 14 August 2015, my family and I traveled to Sarajevo after spending a week in Istanbul.
We arrived in Sarajevo at 2 p.m. and were greeted by my aunt, who had recently bought a house there. We checked into the Hotel Europe, which is located in downtown Sarajevo and looks down the old Ottoman quarter.
Upon arriving, I noticed a couple of interesting things. First, there were lots of racked buildings with bullet holes splattered on them. I was told later that they were scars from the Sarajevo siege in 1992 when the Yugoslav Army surrounded the city.
I then noticed the rusty old trains that somehow still work, the endless catchy graffiti and the posters for the Sarajevo Film Festival.
I was very excited about the film festival, especially after being a part of the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival a few months ago. I went to the red carpet opening along with my cousin and sisters.
It was a one-of-a-kind experience and a fun night despite people screaming in my ears and going crazy about celebrities I have never heard of. We managed to get tickets to four open-air films, but we only attended one because it was too crowded. We ended up sitting on the floor for that one. This was not the best circumstance.
Before traveling I looked up restaurants that serve gluten-free dishes and found two: Mala Kuhinja and Apetit. Neither restaurant had a menu; instead, the waiters would rather ask the guests what they wanted to eat and serve it to them.
I loved Apetit. It is a very small place with an open home-style kitchen, only seven tables, one chef and one waiter. The food was outstanding and full of flavors. They made me gluten-free seafood risotto for the main course and donuts for desert.
Moreover, after spending few days in the city, I noticed two more things: First, the locals are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. People would stop me in the streets and ask where I’m from and if I’m having a good time there.
Second, I noticed the cheap prices. Everything is low cost – the food, the clothes, the jewelry and many other products and services. An example of that is a gluten-free cereal that I often buy for Dh37 in the UAE costs only 5KM (Bosnian Convertible Marka), or Dh10, in Sarajevo.
We visited four of the top tourist destinations in the city: the Bascarsija, which is an old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city; Sebilj, a famous kiosk-shaped public wooden-and-stone fountain; Vrelo Bosne, the spring of the River Bosnia and one of the country’s top natural landmarks; and finally, the Eternal Flame that marks the first anniversary of the liberation of Sarajevo from the four-year-long occupation by Nazi Germany and the Independent state of Croatia.
The Bascarsija is the soul of Sarajevo and my personal favorite. It was a five-minute walk from our hotel. The place is filled with small antique shops and Turkish cafes on both sides.
The place is often crowded with tourists, but is quiet in the morning. It’s nice to sit in a local café and have a Bosnian coffee with Nutella baklava while you read a book and watch the locals go on with their daily routines.
Every day I would wake up to a beautiful view that you never get bored of, and we experienced nearly perfect weather with a hint of winter. I would spend my morning walking through the Bascarsija, admiring the history and culture of the city while I took photos and videos.
We often spent the afternoon at my aunt’s house, which is located on Poljine hills and looks over a breathtaking landscape. After lunch, we would leave to explore the city, but mostly end up in another shopping mall and buy things we did not need just because they were cheaper.
Yes, I will return to Sarajevo. There are many places that I did not get to explore and many museums I did not get to the chance to see because they were closed. My fellow family members, on the other hand, think they have seen enough. I will just have to persuade them to return.
This story was originally published on Sept. 22, 2015. It was re-uploaded on Dec. 25, 2020.
