“I’m not going to Bosnia. I have no desire to go there right now.”
I’m ashamed to admit those were my exact words before I finally visited Sarajevo—a place I knew almost nothing about. At the time I was adamant that I wouldn’t go. Not yet, anyway.
Can you blame me? Growing up in the 1990s, the only images of Bosnia I remember were from grim news reports: frontline stories, grief, and a city name—Sarajevo—that evoked conflict and fear. I understood that those events were in the past, but no travellers or friends had sparked any curiosity in me to see the country for myself.
So when we found ourselves in Budva with a choice of two next stops—Belgrade or Sarajevo—I had to completely reverse my stance and consider a place I’d previously dismissed.
I chose Sarajevo, and it proved to be one of the best decisions of the trip.
From the moment I arrived, Sarajevo felt electric in a way I hadn’t experienced in nearby Croatia or Montenegro. The city buzzed late into the night, and it was refreshing to be in a lively capital again. Nestled in a valley and framed by mountains, Sarajevo’s cobbled old town blends historical charm with a modern, cosmopolitan energy.
Signs of the siege remain visible—bullet marks on buildings outside the main city centre and memorials on surrounding hills—but they sit alongside a palpable optimism. The people I met refuse to be defined solely by past conflict; instead, they celebrate a rich mix of cultures, religions, and traditions that coexist here.
Each evening I would sit on the balcony of our guest house, looking over rust-red rooftops while live concerts played for the annual film festival. I watched dramatic sunsets give way to summer thunderstorms and listened to the call to prayer echo through the streets. The atmosphere was calming and unexpectedly restorative.
Sarajevo quickly became one of my favourite cities on this trip. That makes me even more embarrassed that I had dismissed it at first, but it also taught me an important lesson: preconceptions can keep you from discovering places that are vibrant, welcoming, and full of life.