When my boyfriend insisted we go to Bosnia for this year’s holiday, I had my doubts. I mean, what is there to do in Bosnia to fill up a week?? The only thing I knew about the country was its previous affiliation to Yugoslavia and that it most likely is hot af all the time. I only hoped there would be air conditioning and wifi in our hotels but I was not optimistic…

When we arrived to the Sarajevo airport, we hopped in a local cab and agreed on a rate of 30 Bosnian marks to our hotel in the old city. The currency has a fixed exchange with the euro of 2:1 so we believed a 15 euro asking price was fair. Tip: Do not do this. Later on, we realized that with the meter running, the price is around 15 Bosnian marks. Always ask the driver to turn on the meter or you will get charged double.

We planned to stay in Sarajevo for two days to allow my boyfriend the freedom to geek out over all of the alleged history there. Again, I feel like it’s safe to say I put on my “dumb American” hat by not knowing how much history there is in Sarajevo. That or I failed my high school history teacher who is most likely shaking her head while reading this…sorry.

  We booked our two night stay at the Guest House Ciro which can only be found on booking.com. This family run guest house has six rooms, coffee and most important, air conditioning! We instantly made friends with the son who was running the show, Armin. He welcomed us with open arms and GAVE us a couple of beers to unwind from our long flight. Later, he took us to the rooftop terrace for a gorgeous view of the Old Town.

There is a lot to do in Sarajevo, but here are my Top 10:

 1. First stop on our history tour is the Latin Bridge, famous for one little historical moment: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. For those of you who don’t know who he is, allow me to show off my (ahem) new found history knowledge. Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and his assassination sparked the beginning of World War One. In the museum  building behind me, for four Marks you can see original artifacts from that day in 1914. It takes only a few minutes to go through everything and shares a lot of important details, as well as a timeline, of the assassination.

2. Next stop on our tour is this memorial site dedicated to the men, women and children who lost their lives in the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992-1996. It sits up on a mountain side, overlooking the city. It was a very powerful place to visit as it was evident how much care was put into the site.

3.As we walked through the memorial site, it led us up a hill to an old vantage point used by the city as a defense post. From this place was the most beautiful view of Sarajevo in the city! There
is a small cafe at the top where one can enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage and small snack.

4. One of the most important things I learned while in Sarajevo was just how much the Siege affected the city. Just walking the streets we could see evidence of the terror its people endured for those 44 months. We took a walk down “Sniper Alley” and every building was scarred with bullet holes. The city has done an excellent job recovering from that time while keeping the presence of everything prior to the siege.

5. Other significant museums to visit include the Srebrenica Gallery and the Tunnel of Life. The Srebenica photo gallery is a must see if you do not have the time or means to visit Srebrenica. In 1995, 8,000 Muslim Bosnians (mainly men and boys) lost their lives in the massacre that occurred in only two days. It is the worst genocide in recent European history, second only to the Holocaust. The images and videos in this gallery are quite powerful as we listened to testimonies from women who lost everything in those two days.

6. The Tunnel of Life played a key part in the survival of Sarajevo’s citizens during the Siege. A man who lived near the airport agreed to digging a tunnel in order for supplies to make it into the city. Part of this tunnel can be toured to give an idea of the conditions and hazards the military endured to care for the people.

 7. Bosnia coffee is super grainy and strong! Served in these jars with a handle, it is poured into small cups to maximize the flavor in each cup. I made the mistake of stirring the whole pot together which only mixed the grainy bits throughout the entire pot. Tip: Let the coffee settle for a bit before pouring. You’ll get all of the flavor without the bits.

 8. City Hall is the most popular landmark in Sarajevo and comes with quite a story. The Austrian-Hungarian Empire wanted to build their City Hall on this location. However, the site was occupied by another building. The owner of the building would only give up the space if his building was rebuilt across the river in its exact form, brick by brick.Today, that building is known as the House of Spite and is the best restaurant in Sarajevo!

9. The Old Town of Sarajevo is where we stayed and is as charming as can be. It is quite small but has all shops and cafes dedicated to the spirit that is Sarajevo. My personal favorite after dinner treat was a scoop of ice cream for 1 Bosnian mark.

10. Our favorite was owned by a man named, Hussein. His spot was on a side street near our hotel and he was the nicest man. The Bosnian people are so nice in general but Hussein gave us an added dose of warmth as we sat on his terrace drinking Turkish tea. He brought over a travel book about Bosnia (that we ended up buying) that actually helped us plan the rest of our week!

In all, Sarajevo was a brilliant city that is full of culture, history and the most amazing people I have ever encountered. The biggest tip I can give you is this: Bring cash! Most places, including the hotels, only accepted cash.