Sarajevo
Baščaršija & Old Town
Unsplash / Unsplash
Ottoman bazaar core — Sebilj fountain, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, ćevapi alleys, copper hammered live.
The 15th-century Ottoman heart of Sarajevo — pedestrianised cobblestones, dozens of ćevabdžinice grilling 5cm sausages over coals, the Sebilj wooden fountain at the centre, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and bezistan covered market within 300m. Step west onto Ferhadija and the city flips to Austro-Hungarian within a single block. Best base for first-time visitors; touristy by day, surprisingly residential by night.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑Walk to every major Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian sight in 10 minutes
- ↑Ćevapi at Petica Ferhatović or Zeljo within the square itself
- ↑Tram and trolleybus stops at Latinska Ćuprija (Latin Bridge)
What you sacrifice
- ↓Saturated with tour groups 11am-5pm Jun-Sep
- ↓Some boutique pansions surcharge 30% for the address
Best for
Avoid if
Other Sarajevo neighbourhoods
Where Istanbul becomes Vienna — pedestrianised Franz Josef-era boulevard with the famous Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures line.
Frontline neighbourhood of the 1992-95 siege — socialist apartment blocks, raw local life, no tourists.
Spa suburb at the Bosna source — Vrelo Bosne springs, horse-drawn carriages, Austro-Hungarian thermal hotels.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
Best time to visit Sarajevo →