Baščaršija
The old Ottoman-era bazaar at the heart of the city, with narrow lanes of metalworkers' shops, small grill restaurants and cafes that serve Bosnian coffee in copper pots.
Sarajevo
Mosques and churches stand beside Austro-Hungarian streets and Ottoman bazaars in the capital, which has a rich coffee culture and recent history.
Attractive locations
Latin Bridge
Stone bridge over the Miljacka River in the old town. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot nearby in 1914, and a nearby plaque and museum recall the event.
Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque
Large 16th-century Ottoman mosque in the old town, with a quiet courtyard and fountain. It is one of the most important historic mosques in the Balkans. Modest dress is expected.
Sarajevo Tunnel Museum
Short surviving section of the tunnel dug under the airport during the 1992-95 siege, with photographs, film and objects that show how supplies and people were moved in and out.
War Childhood Museum
Small museum that tells the story of the siege through everyday objects and memories given by people who were children at the time. Quiet, personal and moving.
Trebević
Mountain just above the city, reached by a cable car from the old town. It has forest walks, wide views over the valley and the remains of the 1984 Olympic bobsled track.
Vijećnica (City Hall)
A grand Moorish-style building on the Miljacka river, built in the late nineteenth century as the city hall and later the national library. Badly damaged in the war, it was rebuilt and its decorated interior can be visited.
Airports
Sarajevo International Airport SJJ
It is about 7 km in a straight line from Sarajevo.
Tuzla International Airport TZL
It is about 72 km in a straight line from Sarajevo.
Mostar International Airport OMO
It is about 78 km in a straight line from Sarajevo.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Bosnia and Herzegovina page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan-1.7 °C77 mm
- Feb-0.7 °C74 mm
- Mar3.1 °C74 mm
- Apr7.9 °C68 mm
- May12.4 °C81 mm
- Jun16.5 °C82 mm
- Jul19.1 °C54 mm
- Aug19.5 °C55 mm
- Sep14.1 °C78 mm
- Oct9.6 °C76 mm
- Nov4.8 °C91 mm
- Dec-0.4 °C89 mm
Driest months: Apr, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Jun, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 40% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Sarajevo Film Festival
Among the Balkans' film festivals, this is the leading one.
Who can help
Emergency
112. Police 122. Fire 123. Ambulance 124.
local government
Police emergency number 122
Helps with: The State Investigation and Protection Agency's contact page says that if you are in immediate danger you should call the local police on 122, the unique emergency number of the police services.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina in immediate danger, including visitors.
Phone: 122
Email: sipa@sipa.gov.ba
ngo
Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Helps with: The country's national Red Cross society. It describes health education, social support, family tracing, and disaster and emergency response, and runs blood donation drives. Contact its Sarajevo headquarters.
Who qualifies: People in Bosnia and Herzegovina who need its health, social, family tracing or emergency services.
Phone: +387 33 263 935
Email: info@rcsbh.org
Address: Kranjcevica 2, 71000 Sarajevo
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bosnia and Herzegovina
Helps with: The UN migration agency, working in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1992 on orderly migration, fighting human trafficking and helping the government run migration programmes. Its office is in Sarajevo.
Who qualifies: Migrants and authorities working on migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +387 33 955 200
Address: Fra Andjela Zvizdovica 1, UNITIC Business Center, Tower A, Sarajevo