Sarajevo: A city of contrast and conflict

World War I started here
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We weren't really sure what to expect of Sarajevo.  Each of us assumed that it would be very much a history of the war from the 1990's, but it was so much more than that.  It was life changing!

The first surprise was that Sarajevo has been largely rebuilt from the destruction of the war.  Most of the international money that has come into the country since the end of the war has been directed to Sarajevo, as the capital, and a lot of restoration and redevelopment work has taken.  There was of course evidence of the war and visible scars throughout the city of the damage that occured, but in comparison to Mostar, it was a lively, cosmopolitan city.

It was life changing!

Sarajevo
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The second surprise was how the war changed the landscape of the city.  I know your thinking of course it changed the landscape, but its different than you would think.  It changed the face of Sarajevo and now in every green space that is visible from the hills, instead of parks you see cemetaries; cemetaries cover Sarajevo and it knocks the breath out of you when you see the masses of men, women and children who lost their lives during that time period.

Our guide was from Sarajevo and he opened up to us about life there as a kid - he was about the same age as us, and hearing him talk about what he experienced day in and day out was heart breaking.  He spoke to us about going to school during the war and being forced to learn in the basement so they were safe from shellings.  He told us about coming home from school and having to out run the snipers.  All of his stories were unimaginable to us and sad, but the most incredible part of his stories was the way he found humour in the small things.  When he told us about running from the snipers, he combined it with a funny little anecdote from his memory, like the way he outran the snipers on his way to a radio station to see his favorite band, or how going to school in a dark basement made it easier to sleep through the lessons.  It was very refreshing to know that in all of that horror some good memories were made - it sort of gives you a new perspective on the workings of memory and the human spirit.

Sarajevo
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Sarajevo has a long and troubled history.  The city is situated in a valley of rolling green hills which naturally makes it a target to aggressive regimes.  It has been occupied by several different regimes and when you go through the city you see monuments from all different battles and wars that were won and lost there.  One such monument marks where Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed; the start to World War 1.  Other more recent memorials are called the Sarajevo Rose, and these are red paint on the sidewalks and streets that were repaired following the war in the '90s.  Sarajevo Roses are painted throughout the city and memorialize locations where 9 or more people were killed in one single attack; we saw several of them.

The National Library - destroyed during the war and still not restored
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The one thing we would urge all travelers to Sarajevo to do is to visit the Tunnel Museum.  The Tunnel Museum is a long way from the center of town, but it is well worth the visit.  During the war, Sarajevo was completely surrounded by the attacking army and NATO brokered a deal to have the airport made a neutral territory.  In order to get out of Sarajevo, the army built a tunnel from this home (which is now the museum) to the other side of the airport, approximately 750 meters away.  The Tunnel Museum (still in the original home the tunnel started in) now stands as a memorial to the life and hardships endured during the war.  When you first go in they play a video of the war - gut wrenching pictures.  The Museum is small and privately run - do not go expecting a full scale museum, but it is well worth the visit and the small amount of cash it cost.

Sarajevo Rose
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Irregardless of its trouble and turbulent past we all really enjoyed Sarajevo.  The old town is beautiful and still shows its Turkish influence...had there been more people it really would have felt like a bustling Middle Eastern market.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sarajevo, and highly recommend it to every and all traveller.