{"id":5424,"date":"2013-06-03T06:39:12","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T06:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=5424"},"modified":"2015-05-13T09:52:05","modified_gmt":"2015-05-13T09:52:05","slug":"city-of-young-trees-sarajevo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/city-of-young-trees-sarajevo\/","title":{"rendered":"City of Young Trees – Sarajevo – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

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And it is only now some two weeks later, that I finally get around to writing about my trip to Sarajevo… \u00a0 \u00a0There are no excuses, I just wanted to find the time to do it justice, as it really is one of the most interesting places I have visited of late…<\/p>\n

As we passed the Communist era tower blocks on the way into town from the airport (with still white knuckles after what was perhaps the most violently bumpy flight I have so far experienced – thank you combination of mountains and wild weather!), it was hard to know what to expect of this City, so famous for its turbulent past… \u00a0 \u00a0 The guide books and blogs on modern-day Sarajevo are few and far between, so I put it down to it being one of those places that needs to personally tell you its story. It does…<\/p>\n

A kind of cross between Prague and Istanbul – that’s the conclusion my friend and I\u00a0came to after a few hours spent in this incredible place. \u00a0 \u00a0 “Istanbul” would be the old quarter at the top of the city, \u00a0a place that has existed for centuries with a multitude of faiths living alongside each other. \u00a0 \u00a0It must be one of the few places on earth with mosques, various Christian churches and a synagogue all co-existing within a few hundred metres… \u00a0 \u00a0And it’s from this labyrinth of Ottoman bazaars, small workshops, restaurants and coffee houses that the road widens and it gradually changes into “Prague”, just beyond the place where they say East kisses West (marked by a floor carving in front of the entrance to the largest Bazaar), here larger bohemian buildings filled with modern shops begin to appear. \u00a0This feeling continues onwards down passed the Sacred Heart Cathedral (whose Papal visit back in 1997 encouraged many visitors that it was now safe to return), passed the memorial to the Soldiers of WWII, and beyond to the leafy sanctuary of the \u00a0City Park… \u00a0 Except of course that there aren’t many bullet holes or that much mortar damage to the walls of Prague…<\/p>\n

Our hotel<\/a> was perfectly located a few minutes walk away from the Old Town, with the kindest staff who couldn’t do enough to help, so keen were they that we enjoyed their city. \u00a0 \u00a0 We had a huge two bedroom suite at a bargain price, which came with large sitting room, a kitchenette, and a strange bathroom with a wall perhaps fashioned from a conservatory! \u00a0 Breakfast was served by two motherly ladies who would look at us disapprovingly if they felt we hadn’t consumed enough carbs for the day ahead…<\/p>\n

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As if to welcome us on that first afternoon, the sun came out and we sat in one of the many caf\u00e9s enjoying a well deserved beer (much-needed after that flight!) soaking it all up. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0After a late lunch of traditional\u00a0\u0106evapi\u00a0(minced meat kebabs), stuffed into what I can only describe as chargrilled cloud bread and served with a salad (plus around three chopped onions!), we took to the streets to see what we could find…<\/p>\n

First stop was the ancient Jewish Museum<\/a>, built in 1581 and still a practising synagogue. \u00a0 As the only guests on this occasion, we spent \u00a0a while exploring its fascinating history. \u00a0It’s here that I took my Window in Sarajevo<\/a> photograph for those of you that have asked by the way…<\/p>\n

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Afterwards, and with history appetites not yet sated, it didn’t take long to find the River Miljaka on which the city was founded… Here we found the ominous plaque that marks the spot where world events took a sinister turn, after the murder of Archduke Ferdinand, his wife Sophia and unborn child. \u00a0 \u00a0 Unsurprisingly this is a bit of a magnet on the tourist trail, but it’s worth having a look inside the tiny but informative Museum Sarajevo<\/a> (dedicated to these events) directly next door. \u00a0 \u00a0Do not say “I have just seen something written in German” in a surprised tone in here unless you want to look like a complete idiot. \u00a0I did in fact mean that I was surprised that not all of the artefacts of the era are in German (or rather Austrian)…<\/p>\n

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One of the things about travelling with a friend who’s a bit of a fitness fanatic (to put it mildly) (and who thinks nothing of doing things like arranging to meet with the organiser of the Sarajevo Marathon for a leisurely 12km run before breakfast), is that I perhaps walked up a lot more hills than I would have done otherwise. \u00a0But, as Sarajevo lies in a natural bowl, and is therefore surrounded by hills she could possibly be forgiven for this… \u00a0 But I was grateful for the motivation at least that first afternoon when we walked through\u00a0Ba\u0161\u010dar\u0161ija\u00a0Square, beyond the imposing drinking fountain (whose waters, should you sample them promise a return visit!), and up through a\u00a0tiny cobbled street where a colourful tea shop (with equally colourful host in flowing robes) stands. \u00a0We decided to pass up the opportunity to take tea with an American University Professor trying to impress his young female charges, and instead carried on up and beyond until we reached a point with the most fabulous views over the city, albeit surrounded by a sea of white gravestones – a heartbreaking reminder of the terrible happenings of the early nineties. \u00a0 As you might expect, there are more than a few sobering moments when visiting Sarajevo, and this was one of them.<\/p>\n

From this amazing viewpoint my energetic friend made me walk a few kilometres more to the opposite end of the city as Friday Prayers drew to an end, and the city began to celebrate the start of the weekend by meeting friends in restaurants and coffee shops, and over games of giant chess in the city’s squares.<\/p>\n

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And as dusk gave way to darkness, and the smell of grilled meat pervaded the city, we gave our aching feet a well deserved rest, and rebuilt energy reserves with a couple of beers in the old Market Square, before rounding off the evening as the locals do, with a couple of stark black Bosnian Coffees (once we had watched those around us prepare it first!) accompanied by various local sweetmeats. \u00a0 I for one couldn’t wait for day two…<\/p>\n

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