Sarajevo

From Wikitravel

Sarajevo [1], the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a lively city of 400,000 people, nestled in a valley, mainly within the Bosniak(Muslim)-Croat Federation, but with parts in the Republika Srpska.

[edit] Understand

The bridge in Sarajevo where Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was killed by a Serbian assassin setting off WWI

Sarajevo is one of the most historically interesting cities in Europe. It is the place where the Western & Eastern Roman Empire split; where the people of the Eastern Orthodox east, the Ottoman south and the Roman Catholic west, met, lived and warred. It has been both an example of historical turbulence and the clash of civilizations, as well as a beacon of hope for peace and tolerance through multi-cultural integration.

Today the city has physically recovered from most of the war damage caused by the Yugoslav Wars of the early nineties. Sarajevo is a cosmopolitan European capital with a unique Eastern twist that is a delight to visit. The people are very friendly, be they Bosniak, Serb, or Croat. There is very little crime, not nearly as many tourists as on the Dalmatian coast and a wealth of architecture (not to mention history) to see.

[edit] Get in

The city is very tourist friendly - once you get to the city center. There is a tourist info office in the center of town, take the #1 tram in front of the station and it will take you to town or just walk for about 20 min going right out of the train station and follow the river.

[edit] By plane

Sarajevo Airport (IATA: SJJ) is located in the suburb of Butmir and is relatively close to the city centre.

Getting to/from the airport can be problematic: there is no direct public transportation, and taxi fares to/from the airport are surprisingly expensive for the short distance - your best bet is to take a taxi to the tram terminus at Ilidža and board the tram for the last part of your journey, cost 1.6KM. Alternatively you can take bus 36 to Nedžarići (1.6KM), the bus stop is located somewhere on the main road outside the airport parking lot. At Nedžarići you can change for a tram to the city centre (again 1.8KM). Bus 36 runs about every 30 minutes. Service hours are 6-23 mon-fri, 6-8 and 14-18 sat and 8-15 sun.

• Banja Luka with BH Airlines
• Belgrade with JAT Yugoslav Airlines
• Budapest with MALEV
• Cologne with BH Airlines
• Frankfurt with BH Airlines
• Istanbul with Turkish Airlines& BH Airlines
• Ljubljana with Adria
• London (Gatwick) with British Airways
• Mostar with BH Airlines & Croatia Airlines
• Munich with Lufthansa
• Stuttgart with BH Airlines
• Vienna Schwechat with Austrian Airlines
• Zagreb with Croatia Airlines& BH Airlines
• Zurich with BH Airlines

[edit] By train

Train services across the country are slowly improving once again, though speeds and frequencies are still low. Much of the rail infrastructure was damaged during the recent conflict, and lines have been opened on a priority basis, though not to the high level of service pre-war.

Interrailnet (official Interrail website) has a good map of the European rail network

From/To Hungary

The night train service Budapest Déli-Sarajevo ended on December 15, 2006. A day train now leaves Budapest (Keleti pu. station) daily at 9.30, arriving in Sarajevo at 21.39. One-way tickets cost 52 Euro but the return ticket is actually cheaper at 48.10 Euro (11,600 forint + 750 forint compulsory reservation). There is a dining car. You will be bothered at least four times for your passport, and around four times for your ticket, and once by very nosy and insistent EU customs staff.

The return train departs at 7:14 every morning for Budapest, via Osijek, in Croatia, and costs 96 KM. It arrives at Keleti pu. station at 19:03. For more information visit Hungarian Timetable or Hungarian State Railways (in Hungarian).

From Croatia

There are two trains each day between Sarajevo and Zagreb.

• Daytime

A train leaves Zagreb daily at 08:57, arriving in Sarajevo at 18:05 - this train continues onto Ploče, arriving there at 22:13

The return train to Zagreb, via Zenica, Doboj and Banja Luka, departs at 10:27 (having started in Ploče at 06:20). It arrives in Banja Luka at 15:25 and finally into Zagreb at 19:47.

A ticket should cost 24EUR/170KN. The train does NOT have a dining car on board, though men with trolleys will board the train at various points on the journey. Be advised to bring supplies beforehand!!

• Overnight

There is also a recently-introduced overnight service operating between the two cities for the same price. This train does not have sleeper cars and has an inconveniently-timed border crossing to ensure you won't get a full nights sleep!

A train leaves Zagreb at 20:49 arriving in Sarajevo at 06:11. The return train leaves Sarajevo at 21:20 and arrives in Zagreb at 06:43.

See below for trains to/from Ploče.

From Ploče via Mostar

There is another train route from Ploče in Croatia to Sarajevo via Mostar. One of the most beautiful and scenic rail routes in Europe, travelling through lakes and mountains with many tunnels and switchbacks.

Trains depart Ploče daily:

• 06:40, arriving in Sarajevo at 10:18, via Mostar at 08:04
• 16:50, arriving in Sarajevo at 20:50, via Mostar at 18:29

Trains from Sarajevo to the south:

• 07:00, arriving in Ploče at 11:00, via Mostar at 09:30
• 18:18, arriving in Ploče at 22:06, via Mostar at 20:40

Single tickets from Sarajevo to Mostar cost 9.90KM (return: 14.10KM). Additional trains operate each day to the town of Konjic (about half way between the two cities). Holders of an ISIC student card can get a 30% discount.

See the Croatian Railways website for more information.

[edit] By car

Roads in Bosnia are often only a single lane in either direction, and due to the mountainous topography tend to be very windy and speed limits are lower (mostly 80kph). Beware of trucks and people dangerously overtaking on any road. There are many tunnels, and you must always drive with your lights ON (day or night).

• From Zagreb (Croatia) - taking direction to Slavonski Brod - Derventa - Doboj - Zenica - Sarajevo

• From Adriatic Sea - taking ferry Ancona - Zadar, then by car Zadar - Split - Metkovic - Mostar - Sarajevo.

• From Belgrade (Serbia) - taking direction to Sabac - Zvornik - Vlasenica - Sokolac - Sarajevo.

There is a company which offers connections by mini-van or private cars between Sarajevo and Belgrade, the name of the company is GEA Tours, the company is based in Belgrade and Podgorica. It is compulsory to contact before the departure either by phone or by email. The Belgrade office telephone number is +3812686-635,2686-622,2643-840,2685-043, the adress is Kneza Milosa 65-Belgrade, the email is: gea@eunet.yu A single journey between Sarajevo and Belgrade costs 30 euros and it takes about 5 hours and a half to 6 hours.

[edit] By bus

There are two bus stations in Sarajevo, the main bus station ('autobusna stanica', by the train station) serving Croatia and most other international destinations, as well as destinations within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is also another bus station in Eastern (Serb-dominated) Sarajevo on the outskirts of the city serving the Republika Srpska and destinations in both Serbia and Montenegro.

To get to this bus station (called 'Lukavica' or 'Istochno Sarajevo') it is probably easiest to book/order a taxi (cost from the Turkish Quarter was around 15KM in September 2005). If you prefer public transport, use 103 and 107 bus/trolleybus, exit at the last station, and ask people how to get to Lukavica bus station (it is within walking distance). Be warned that Lukavica is the name of suburb/district, not just the bus station! In this bus station, Cyrillic script is prevalent so you should probably check the spelling of your destination.

At the main street in central Sarajevo there is an Eurolines office where is possible to get bus tikets to any other country, also it is possible to get ticket to any other major cities in Bosnia like Mostar although they do not run the services, they only provide the tickets. A ticket to Zagreb costs 30 euros, May 2008 prices and it runs three times a day.

It is also worth advising that if you do not speak Bosnian pretty much fluently, it can be rather hard to get good advice from the bus station. Double-check with the tourist office as they can often confirm the existence of a route or timetable that the staff at the bus station have denied!

From the main bus station, there are several buses a day to/from Mostar which also stop at Konjic and Jablanica along the way. These leave at 6, 7, 7:35, 8, 8:15, 9, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30 and up to 18, and journey time is approximately two and a half hours. Single tickets cost 13.50KM, return tickets are 19KM. There are also buses to Split (5-6 hours) and a daily bus to Dubrovnik which leaves at 7am and costs 40KM/160KN.

There are several buses a day from the main bus station to Banja Luka. These leave at 5:00, 07:55, 09:15, 14:30, 15:30 and 16:30. Journey time is approximately 5 hours.

The bus ride to Podgorica in Montenegro takes about 7 hours but is an absolutely amazing ride through some wonderful countryside (mostly through Republika Srpska). One of bus goes at 14:00. Cost is 27 KM or 14 Euro, Euro is acceptable.

Buses to Tuzla leave from the main bus station approximately every hour every day. The journey takes approximately 3 hours, and costs around 11KM (June 2006).

There is a daily bus to Graz and Vienna (Centrotrans/Eurolines), leaving from the main bus station at 8am, reaching Graz at 7:45pm and Vienna around 2 hours later. A one-way ticket is 44 euro (note that when i asked for a cheaper student ticket, the seller told me that this includes only bosnian students). You will have to pay the driver 2KM to transport luggage. There are frequent stops on the way, including for food and toilets. Do not rely on this "food stops" very much as the drivers stop at the places like local coffee etc. The problem is that it is not any petrol station and you have to have the currency of the country where you are. The longest 30 min. stop is at one village local coffee in Croatia, and if you don't have any Croatian money, you'll be waiting in front of the bus for 30 min. unable to buy anything but coffee or non-alcoholic drinks. Do not waste your time in Sarajevo if you want to travel with Eurolines and buy your ticket asap because the buses to European Union use to be very crowded.

The journey to Belgrade takes about 7-9 hours and was 28KM (bought from the bus driver) in September 2005. The bus departs from Lukavica bus station in Eastern Sarajevo. There are several buses a day. As of April 2007, there is now a daily service from the main bus station, cost 35KM.

There are many bus lines linking most towns and cities in Bosnia and Hercegovina. See Centrotrans for details (in Bosnian only). Check the transport sections of other destinations for more information. From Germany you can go by Euroliner (Centrotrans is part of it), have a look on Touring.de.

On all intercity buses you pay a fee for luggage. This fee of about 0.5 to 1 euro per piece of luggage is paid to the driver upon boarding. Some drivers are rather picky about being paid in exact change in the correct currency (sometimes a local currency, at other instances requesting to be paid in euros) and sometimes also refuse to be paid in too small coins. So keep some change ready.

A compilation of departure times from the main station can be found here: http://www.sarajevo-tourism.com/bos/autobuskisaobracaji.wbsp

[edit] Get around

'New Sarajevo' at dusk as seen from a hill overlooking the old town

The center of Sarajevo is served by a spinal tram network which makes an anti-clockwise loop around the central district (the first in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, opened in the mid-1870s) and a number of trolley-bus and bus lines which fan out into the suburbs. Tickets should be purchased in advance from kiosks labeled tisak on the street or from the driver, where they cost slightly more (around 1.80KM). Tickets should be validated upon boarding the vehicle and are valid for a one way trip only. Changing tram or bus means validating a new ticket. A day card valid for unlimited travel on all local public transport in zone A is available for about 5KM. Please note that inspectors board public transport very frequently.

The local transit network is operated by GRAS. More information including timetables can be found at the website: http://www.gras.co.ba.

To reach the Tunel museum in Butmir you can take the tram to the terminus at Ilidža and change there for bus 32 to Butmir. Leave the bus at the first stop beyond the Butmir SFOR base. A better option could be to catch a taxi from the tram terminal.

In Sarajevo street signs are few and far between, and small and on the sides of buildings too far away to see when you're standing on a streetcorner. Building numbers are more or less consecutive but don't follow the "hundreds" styles of the United States, e.g., 23 Bjestiva street may be blocks from 27 Bjestiva street. An excellent map of Sarajevo is available at bookstores, all of which are located downtown and not open early or late or on holidays. Maps aren't sold in gas stations or other stores. Lastly, asking Sarajevans for directions is an exercise in futility. People don't know the names of streets a block from the building they've lived in all their lives. However, they won't tell you this, and as a rule will point you in some direction, usually not the right direction. Taxi drivers can't be expected to find anything but the most obvious addresses unless you tell them where to go, in Bosnian. So buy the map before you go to Sarajevo, and when you get there walk around a bit instead of taking taxis. It's a small, beautiful city with many landmarks. Getting lost is next to impossible if you have the map, and maybe a compass.

[edit][add listing] See

• Old Town - The cobbled streets, mosques and Oriental style shops at the heart the city are a world away from Europe, and when the call-to-prayer starts, one could be forgiven for thinking that they were actually in the Middle East. The most interesting thing (you call it the most amazing thing as well) is that you could actually be walking by a Catholic church, Orthodox church and a Synagogue and hear the Islamic call to prayer at the same time.

• Latin Bridge - This bridge bears a plaque commemorating the assassination of Archduke of the Austrian Hungarian empire Franz Ferdinand, the event that sparked the beginning of World War I. On the Bridge itself was a memorial to the assassin Gavrilo Princip, but this was removed during the 1992-1995 War. Bosnia was at the end of World War Two the biggest haven for Balkan and European Jews who found a perfect environment to build their society back.

• Bosnian Historical Museum- The moving display on the siege of Sarajevo is a must-see - if you are able to cope with the pictures of the maimed citizens after shelling of markets. Wonder at the photos of an ineffective UN providing armored vehicles citizens could wait behind before risking sniper fire to cross the street. And you will be heartbroken by the pictures drawn by children.

• National Museum - Statistic displays of the natural and human history of Bosnia and Herzegovina - most interesting is the traditional Turkish style homes of Sarajevo prevalent in the nineteenth century.

• Sarajevo Tunnel Museum - This museum shows the tunnel which was used to ferry supplies into the besieged city during the conflict and is next to the airport. Taxi from the center city costs around 17KM one way. Entrance to the museum is 5KM. It is open 7 days a week from 9 to 5. Get the number three (3) tram to the end of the line from the city center. Then get a taxi to the Tunnel Museum and walk back to the tram station if it's a nice day (takes about half an hour). The tunnel itself is in the garden of a house so don't be worried if you think you're headed into suburbia!

[edit][add listing] Do

A minaret and the hills of Sarajevo.

• For history buffs - A must see is the "Spanish/Latin Bridge" on the river in dowtown Sarajvo. This bridge is where on 28 June 1914 Arch-Duke Fraz Ferdinand of Austria (and his wife Sophie) were assasinated. Historians widely hail this event as the catalyst that began World War I.

• Sarajevo's surrounding hills offer fantastic views over the city, but some landmines from the war still exist on some of them. To be safe, stick to paved roads and sidewalks and do not walk into fields, grass, or wooded areas. Also be alert for stray (and possibly rabid) dogs when venturing out of the city. The hills also offer a taste of suburban Bosnian life, including some of the surviving wooden mosques from before the war.

There is now a walking guide to Bosnia's 2000m peaks. It is called Forgotten Beauty and is available from the 'Buy Book' book shop in the center of Sarajevo (In English and Bosnian).

• Go to famous Olympic Stadium and follow a match of Sarajevo Football Club. Though football quality is low it is interesting to follow a match in a stadium which hosted the opening ceremony of 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games peacefully just a few years before civil war broke out.

• Visit one of the many cemeteries located within city limits. With white marble grave stones for those who gave their lives at their 20s during civil war these cemeteiries are quite visit worthy.

• See Markale market place, very close to Bascarcija, which marked the start of NATO intervention and thereby end of the civil war after a Serbian bombing which took the life of some 40, including Croats and Serbs as well. Markale was bombed two times, first in Feb 1994 and second in Aug 1995. First is important in terms of casualties and second is important in terms of initiating NATO military intervention.

• Vrelo Bosne. The beginning of the river Bosna where the water is pure and ice cold. Here you can walk in a beautiful park, picnic and spend the whole day without ever getting bored.

[edit] Events

• Sarajevo Film Festival, [2]. Held annually during August, the festival has a reputation of being one of the best in Europe (if you compared the funds used).

• Sarajevo Jazz Festival, [3] - Held during first week of November since 1997

• Sarajevo Winter International Festival, [4]. The first festival was held in 1984 during the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. Since then, it has been held regularly each year and brings into the city various artists from around the world. The interesting thing about the festival is that it has never stopped even during the war.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Budget

Sarajevo has countless shops selling burek (meat pie, sold in layers by weight or by piece), cevapi and pizza stores. Pita (burek, sirnica, krompirusa, tikvenica, zeljanica etc)is a phyllo type pasty pie generally offered in several varieties - cheese (Bosnian cheese called "young cheese" similar to ricotta and never aged) (sirnica), cheese and spinach (zeljanica), pumpkin (tikvinica), and spicy potato (krompirusa). It is usually served and consumed with a traditional yogurt sauce which resembles sour cream.

• Ago Fast Food Pizzeria, Mula Mustafe Baseskije 17.

[edit] Mid-range

• Bambus, 71000 Sarajevo, #32, Ferhadija bb, 557-190. An amazing jewel of a restaurant in the downtown shopping district. You actually have to go down a small staircase and push a button to be buzzed in to the restaurant but once you are there you will be happy you took the time to find it. It is very classy, quiet, clean, English menu and the waiters speak English. Very good food at good prices. The food is cooked with pride and for the prices charged, it really is a good deal.
• Capucino, Grbavica. Delicious Bosnian meals and the best pasta and pizza in the region. Capucino Restaurant is near river Miljacka in green area.
• Inat Kuca, Veliki Alifakovac 1, Bascarsija. An old Turkish house by the river converted to a lovely restaurant selling hearty stew-like meals.
• The Hacienda, Bazardzani 3, [5]. Mexican food, cocktails. Stays open late. Large portions at an average of 8-12KM for a main course, with very fresh ingredients and a pleasant atmosphere.
• Karuzo, Mehmeda Spahe bb. While it doesn't serve traditional Bosnian food, this restaurant features a vegetarian/fish based menu, with a mostly Italian influence (although sushi is also available). The pasta dishes are also highly recommended. Its a very intimate restaurant seating only 18 at a time, the chef takes your order prepares the food and serves it himself. Do be aware that you probably do need to have a good deal of time to spare - it can take a couple of hours before you leave.
• Mrkva and Zeljo (which has 4 different locations) are the favorite places for the locals to go and get the most Bosnian of meal: Cevapi which are breakfast looking sausage meat patties made with a mixture of ground beef and a special mixture of spices usually kept as the house secret. The patties are grilled to perfection and served in a warm pita-like bread called somun or lepina usually baked in brick ovens. Cevapi are usually accompanied by diced sweet onion and sour cream, although the possibilities are endless.
• Park Princeva, Iza Hrida br. 7, +387 61 222 708. Slightly more expensive than Inat Kuca, also serving Bosnian food. Located on one of the hills of the city, you have a beautiful view, especially around sunset, when you can hear the prayers from the mosques around the valley.
• Sarajevo Brewery - A large bar and restaurant near the Latin Bridge. Serves 'western' food, accompanied by a variety of beers brewed on the premises.

[edit] Splurge

• Moja Mala Kuhinja is a small and quaint pilot project restaurant owned by Bosnian celebrity Chef Muamer Kurtagic who has hosted an array of cooking shows on national and privately owned TV stations. The idea is that the whole cooking process is open for public and his customers can enjoy the artistry of cooking the food while being educated at the same time. His menu changes daily according to the availability of the freshest and best tasting organic ingredients. Most dishes served by Chef Muamer are inspired by some of the best restaurant in Germany where he worked and honed his skills for a number of years. The restaurant can only serve 15 guest or so at a time.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Baghdad Cafe, Bazardzani 4 (across from Hacienda in Bascarsija), Tel: 033/ 121-121, [6]. Danceclub/hookah bar in one of the most crowded areas of the Old Town for nightlife.
• Central Cafe, Štrosmajerova 1 in the Bascarsija, Tel: 033/ 200-442 [7] - Cocktail bar with great music. Get there early or call to reserve a table. The place is very busy until midnight when people leave to hit the various nightclubs around town. The street is a whole promenade with many other cafes around.
• Tre Bicchieri Wine Store & Tasting Bar, Kranjceviceva 8, tel. + 387-33-222654, [8]. Long list of Italian wines. Very cozy and comfortable place. Good music & relaxing atmosphere.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

There are numerous houses around town offering accommodation in rooms for as little as 3KM per night (around 1,5 euro), although they can be hard to find. Best bet is to go to one of the accommodation bureaus near the old town and find somewhere for a night (at their prices, with their 500% markup), then arrange with the landlord/lady to stay on for their own rate.

One of the options is local hostel named SARTOUR. Their web page is: www.sartour-hostel-sarajevo.ba . They work in price range from 10 to 15 euros per person per bed per night for accommodation and can also recommend alternative accommodations.

When you tire of being bundled in cars by various agencies to look at various far-flung and grotty rooms, nip one door down from Sartour's office on Mula Mustafe Bašeskije. Down a passage is an internet cafe with a big sign saying ROOMS - virtually the only one which does actually have rooms right there. They're cheap (30 euros for a twin room) and cosy and clean enough, you get a little terrace and the staff are very friendly. Can be a bit noisy from the cafe and aircon though, but the location, virtually opposite the central square and right near the tram stop, is perfect.

One useful apartment is Skend, located about 15 minutes walk from the center, but with comfortable, large rooms and breakfast available. Around 30KM. Tel: +387 61537775, or, for English, +387 912523834

Another good, cheap option is Hostel Posillipo, which is almost directly opposite the fountain ("Pigeon Square"), on Besarina Elkma. You pay around 30KM a night for comfortable, well-placed accommodation. This writer found the staff there to be very friendly and informative on everything from good restaurants to tales of the nineties conflict.

The first address for an overview of budget accommodation of any kind is still 'Sarajevo Accommodation' run by Mersad Bronja, better known as 'Miki'. He arranges overnight stays in privat rooms as well as hostels, pensions and hotels in Sarajevo and its surroundings. Contact http://www.sarajevo-accommodation.com for further information.

Another option, 200 meters from the Old Town in the neighborhood of Bistrik is a very nice, sophisticated and modern place for excellent prices. It is called MD Apartmani and is family-run. More info can be found at [9]

Another good option is the Hostel Ljubičica, situated in the Old town, just next to the tram station (you will often spot backpackers in front). They offer hostel and private accommodations starting at 6€ and onwards. If you are visiting for the first time, you can make arrangements online or by phone, and also arrange with them to be picked up at the train station, or the two bus stations in the city. The website is http://www.hostelljubicica.net/.

[edit] Mid-range

• One of the best value hotels (many approach UK prices) is Motel Sokak, Mula Mustafe Bašeskije 24 Tel:+387 (0)33 570 355 / +387 (0)33 446 344 e-mail: contact@sokak-motel.com. It's small clean, quiet, friendly and comfortable, in an old building but modern inside. Top marks for location, just down the road from the old town central square and the tram stop. Double is 68 euros for the room.
• Pansion Cobanija charges 100KM (€50) per person per night, for a room with a private bathroom and satellite television. The rooms are clean and well-kept, and a continental breakfast is provided.
• Hotel Michele [10] This small paradise is probably the best "family" hotel in the city. The staff is wonderfully nice, breakfast and laundry included and also features private parking with direct elevator access to the room floors and wireless high speed internet.

[edit] Splurge

• Holiday Inn, opm@holiday-inn.ba, [11]. While it is part of InterContinental Hotels Group, it is quite unlike Holiday Inns found in the US. A great, classy and beautiful hotel that is a 5 minute walk the train and bus station, and about 10 minutes' walk from the town center. It has clean, safe, nice private rooms with private bathroom and shower, well-maintained. Friendly staff speaks English. They take credit cards and thier prices are very good, at 118 euros per night for two people (low season). The restaurant on the third floor is great.

[edit] Stay safe

The building of former Republic's Executive Council (Government of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina) in the center of Sarajevo. Its' exterior is completely rebuilt now while new tenants (Ministries of the B&H Council of Ministers - current Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina) are expected to move in early Spring 2007.

There are still many minefields and unexploded ordinances in the Sarajevo area and its surrounding suburbs. Never go into damaged buildings ( which are really rare to see) and always stick to paved surfaces avoiding grassy hills that surround the city . Areas that are not cleared are marked by yellow tape or signs, but still not all minefields have not been identified due to the lack of resources and the lack of International help. Paved roads are always safe. Crime against foreigners is very rare and the city is safe to visit (as with any country in former Yugoslavia, be careful not to get into sensitive discussions about politics with people you do not know) but even those can be very educational when you come across a person whose willing to discuss it. Be aware of pick pockets who usually operate on public transportation vehicles.

A final point on health and safety is that the air in Sarajevo can be noticeably thick with pollution, so that asthmatics or those with other chest problems may find themselves short of breath a lot of the time, particularly of a night. Please do ensure you have ample medication, just in case.

[edit] Get out