Definitely, if the
travellers we found
there are to be believed
W o r d s
⁄
M a t t h e w L e e P h o t o s
⁄
T i m W h i t e
Clockwise from left
⁄
An alleyway full of
coppersmiths’ stalls in Baščaršija; the sahlep
at Čajdžinica Džirlo; Zlatna Ribica (the Goldfish
bar); the main square in Baščaršija; Sarajevo’s
best burek (a spinach, cheese or meat pie) at
Buregdzinica Sac (2 Mali Bravadziluk)
Should Sarajevo
be your next
city break?
1
n
A
n a teahouse in Baščaršija,
Sarajevo’s beautiful old
town, fervent Bosnia-
philes sip
sahlep
, a milky
cinnamon drink, and
exchange tales of how they discovered this
underrated gem at the heart of Europe.
“It’s my fifth time in Sarajevo,” says a
bearded Turkish backpacker. “It’s like a
quieter, cheaper, less touristy version of
my hometown, Istanbul.” A German couple
travelling through eastern Europe declare
Sarajevo the undisputed highlight of their
trip. Everyone nods in agreement.
The bohemian owners of Čajdžinica
Džirlo (on Kovači), Husein and Diana,
gambled heavily opening in the aftermath
of the conflict that left their city
devastated. It was a teahouse in a coffee
town, a foreign concept in a city lacking
foreigners. Business was slow at first, but
now it’s so popular it’s hard to find a seat.
Every year is busier than the previous one,
they say, and 2013 is set to be the best yet.
For a town that was subjected to
the longest siege of a capital city in
modern history less than two decades
ago, a surge in tourism is a sure sign
of progress. Between 1992 and 1996,
Sarajevo’s residents had to survive with
limited access to water, electricity and
food, and more than 11,500 of them were
killed, usually by sniper fire or shelling. In
some parts of the city, especially in the
commercial district, the walls of buildings
are still punctured with bullet holes. A few
minutes’ walk from the teahouse is the
spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was
assassinated, setting off a chain of events
that resulted in the First World War.
Sarajevo deserves better than to be
forever associated with conflict. It’s a
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