Before we talk Sarajevo we need to talk Bosnia itself…
Bosnia and Herzegovina, a mountainous crossroads of cultures long shared by Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, became the site of Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II after declaring independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. The ensuing war featured the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo, widespread ethnic cleansing, concentration camps, systematic sexual violence, and the July 1995 Srebrenica genocide, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed—the largest mass atrocity on the continent since 1945 and one of several acts later prosecuted as genocide and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The 1995 Dayton Agreement ended the fighting and created the country’s complex postwar structure, but the scale of the violence continues to shape Bosnia’s politics, memory, and landscape.
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics as a confident showcase of a still-united Yugoslavia, its new venues and mountain setting projecting an image of modern multiethnic harmony to the world. Just eight years later, the same city became the center of a nearly four-year siege during the Bosnian War, its Olympic sites and neighborhoods caught in the conflict that ended Yugoslavia. Each day we were here we felt that mixture of what the Olympics meant the city and also the atrocities that were soon to follow. I felt embarrassed that I barely remembered these things 😦
Stopping for the night before we arrive. Heavy rain is in the forecast so we will stay at a hotel in Sarajevo. Several ask what camping is like. We’ve found we only stop in campgrounds if we need showers or laundry done. Given we are self contained and can stay week(s) off the grid we often just pull up to a place and ask if we can park outside (the advantage of no pop-out slides, awnings, lawn chairs). We are not camping, we are parking to rest so we drive safely!And here is a fun example of what we typically see with great hospitality!As we arrived in Sarajevo, we were welcomed by Bosnian coffee. Like Turkish coffee. Not too strong but careful of the grounds at the end!And while on local food, this is Cevapi. Their national dish.We took advantage of the mornings sun to go up the ski mountain.Teena all chipper and ready to go!Great views heading up from the mountain that would loom large in Sarajevo’s history.Awesome at the top!A view of their soccer stadium. We met some Greek friends on top who had made Sarajevo’s jerseys for the team. We had planned to go to the game but rain changed our plans.So this is the Olympic Bobsled course. In 1984 it was state of the art. Note the seemingly dead end track on the right. It was built with electronic switching blocks that would shift that whole concrete run at the right in place. So either a long Olympic track or three shorter tracks, beginner, intermediate, professional.This a great video that shows the height of the track.So this represents the mountain and Bobsled’s other purpose. During the 3 year + of the city, Bosnian Serbs converted the track to a snipe and artillery range with the track serving as concrete protection. For three years it’s documented that 300+ rounds were unloaded on the city per day. Highest day almost 4,000 rounds. Over 11,000 people were killed including 1,500 children. Sniper alley was an area where civilians had to try to run down the street as they carried out their lives. The combination of sustained artillery fire from the surrounding heights and continuous sniper activity against people simply trying to move through open streets is one of the most thoroughly recorded features of the siege.Shifting gears. Sarajevo is now a welcoming city for its diverse population and tourists alike.One of our many walks along the river.And finally, we made sure we visited (the outside), of the US Embassy. Our friend Rosie from Bentonville helped open it after the war. This day they were conducting a drill and the guards and snipers on the building were not enjoying Teena and I out front (both dressed in all black coincidently), trying to take pictures! Ok, on to the Bosnian coast….
oops, that’s not my name above is it, this is TONNI and Jim. Let us know your favorite food and drink so far and what was the most unique. It all looks fun.
Leave a Reply