UltimateCity Guide Sarajevo
Our favourites
The wooden Sebilj fountain in Baščaršija

30 of the best · Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Best Things to See in Sarajevo

An Ottoman bazaar, a Habsburg boulevard, four faiths in ten minutes’ walk and the corner where 1914 began.

Our 30 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026

Insiders' picks

Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Sarajevo.

  1. The heart of old Sarajevo

    Baščaršija

    Baščaršija·Old bazaar

    The Ottoman bazaar quarter, a maze of low shops, coppersmiths, grills, mosques and cafés around the Sebilj fountain.

    Explore View on map

  2. The pseudo-Moorish jewel

    Vijećnica (City Hall)

    Old Town·Landmark & library·€

    The striped pseudo-Moorish City Hall of 1896, burned in 1992 and beautifully restored in 2014.

    Obala Kulina bana bbExplore View on map

  3. Sunset over the city

    Yellow Fortress

    Vratnik·Fortress & viewpoint

    An 18th-century bastion above the old town, the best place to watch the sun set over Sarajevo.

    Explore View on map

The full list: Sights, A–Z

Show 26 of 30 places on a map
Neighbourhood

The back story 4

The story of Sarajevo.

  1. The back story

    28 June 1914: the back story

    Latin Bridge·In depth: history

    How a wrong turn by a motorcade on the Appel Quay led to the shot that started the First World War.

    Explore View on map

  2. The back story

    Remembering the siege: the back story

    Sarajevo·In depth: remembrance

    From 1992 to 1996 Sarajevo was under siege. The Tunnel of Hope, the Sarajevo Roses and the War Childhood Museum remember those years with dignity.

    Explore View on map

  3. The back story

    Sarajevo: the back story

    Sarajevo·In depth: history

    An Ottoman bazaar town, a Habsburg showcase, the street corner where 1914 began, the Winter Olympics of 1984: Sarajevo packs centuries of history into one valley.

    Explore View on map

  4. The back story

    The 1984 Winter Olympics: the back story

    Sarajevo·In depth: history

    Vučko the wolf, Torvill and Dean, Jure Franko’s silver: how Sarajevo hosted the world in February 1984, and where to find the traces today.

    Explore View on map

Landmarks 6

The city’s symbols.

  1. The main promenade

    Ferhadija

    Ferhadija·Pedestrian street

    The main pedestrian street, from the bazaar past the cathedral to the Eternal Flame.

    Explore View on map

  2. Bosnia’s great mosque

    Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

    Baščaršija·Mosque·€

    The 16th-century mosque of Gazi Husrev-beg, the most important Ottoman building in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Sarači 18Explore View on map

  3. Where 1914 began

    Latin Bridge & Museum Sarajevo 1878–1918

    Old Town·Bridge & museum·€

    The Ottoman stone bridge and the corner where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, with a small museum.

    Zelenih beretki 1Explore View on map

  4. East meets West

    Meeting of Cultures line

    Ferhadija·Landmark

    A line in the pavement of Ferhadija where Ottoman Baščaršija meets the Austro-Hungarian city.

    Explore View on map

  5. The city’s symbol

    Sebilj

    Baščaršija·Fountain

    The wooden kiosk fountain on the main square of Baščaršija, the symbol of Sarajevo.

    Explore View on map

  6. The pseudo-Moorish jewel

    Vijećnica (City Hall)

    Old Town·Landmark & library·€

    The striped pseudo-Moorish City Hall of 1896, burned in 1992 and beautifully restored in 2014.

    Obala Kulina bana bbExplore View on map

The Ottoman bazaar 6

Baščaršija and its inns.

  1. The heart of old Sarajevo

    Baščaršija

    Baščaršija·Old bazaar

    The Ottoman bazaar quarter, a maze of low shops, coppersmiths, grills, mosques and cafés around the Sebilj fountain.

    Explore View on map

  2. Silk market and city museum

    Brusa Bezistan (Museum of Sarajevo)

    Baščaršija·Museum·€

    A domed 16th-century silk market, now a branch of the Museum of Sarajevo with a model of the Ottoman town.

    Explore View on map

  3. The covered bazaar

    Gazi Husrev-beg Bezistan

    Baščaršija·Covered bazaar

    The long stone covered bazaar built for Gazi Husrev-beg in the 16th century, still full of shops.

    Explore View on map

  4. A 16th-century school

    Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa (Kuršumli)

    Baščaršija·Madrasa·€

    The madrasa founded by Gazi Husrev-beg in 1537 opposite his mosque, with a small exhibition.

    Explore View on map

  5. The last caravanserai

    Morića Han

    Baščaršija·Caravanserai

    The only surviving caravanserai of old Sarajevo, an inn for merchants built in the 16th century.

    Sarači 77Explore View on map

  6. The lunar clock

    Sahat kula (Clock Tower)

    Baščaršija·Clock tower

    The Ottoman clock tower beside the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, one of the few still keeping lunar time.

    Explore View on map

Four faiths 5

Mosques, churches and synagogues.

  1. Sarajevo’s working synagogue

    Ashkenazi Synagogue

    Centre·Synagogue

    The Moorish-revival synagogue of 1902 on the south bank of the Miljacka, still in use.

    Hamdije Kreševljakovića 59Explore View on map

  2. The oldest mosque

    Emperor’s Mosque

    Bistrik·Mosque

    The mosque dedicated to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, across the river from Baščaršija, the first built in Sarajevo.

    Explore View on map

  3. Hidden behind walls

    Old Orthodox Church

    Baščaršija·Church & museum·€

    The old church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hidden behind high walls near Baščaršija, with a museum of icons.

    Explore View on map

  4. The great Orthodox church

    Orthodox Cathedral

    Centre·Cathedral

    The Orthodox Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos, completed in 1872, near the Eternal Flame.

    Explore View on map

  5. The neo-Gothic cathedral

    Sacred Heart Cathedral

    Ferhadija·Cathedral

    The Catholic cathedral of 1889, with twin towers that appear on the city’s flag.

    Explore View on map

Views & the Olympic mountain 6

Fortresses, towers and Trebević.

  1. The highest view

    Avaz Twist Tower

    Marijin Dvor·Tower & viewpoint·€

    One of the tallest buildings in the Balkans, with an observation deck at about 170 metres.

    Tešanjska 24aExplore View on map

  2. Graffiti in the forest

    Olympic bobsleigh track

    Trebević·Olympic ruin

    The bobsleigh and luge track of the 1984 Olympics, winding through the forest of Trebević and covered with graffiti.

    Explore View on map

  3. Torvill and Dean’s Boléro

    Olympic Hall Zetra

    Koševo·Olympic venue

    The 1984 Olympic skating hall, rebuilt after the war and named after Juan Antonio Samaranch.

    Explore View on map

  4. Up to the Olympic mountain

    Trebević Cable Car

    Bistrik·Cable car·€€

    The cable car from Bistrik to Mount Trebević, rebuilt and reopened in 2018, with views over the whole city.

    Explore View on map

  5. Walls on the hill

    White Fortress

    Vratnik·Fortress

    The ruined fortress high above the Miljacka canyon, with wide views.

    Explore View on map

  6. Sunset over the city

    Yellow Fortress

    Vratnik·Fortress & viewpoint

    An 18th-century bastion above the old town, the best place to watch the sun set over Sarajevo.

    Explore View on map

Remembrance 3

Memorials to the 20th century.

  1. Remembering 1945

    Eternal Flame

    Centre·Memorial

    The memorial flame on Ferhadija that has burned since 1946 for the victims of the Second World War.

    Explore View on map

  2. Scars in the pavement

    Sarajevo Roses

    Centre·Memorial

    Mortar scars in the pavement, filled with red resin in memory of the people killed there during the siege.

    Explore View on map

  3. The siege lifeline

    Tunnel of Hope

    Butmir·Museum·€

    The museum at the entrance of the tunnel dug under the airport in 1993, the lifeline of the besieged city.

    Tuneli 1Explore View on map

Explore more of Sarajevo

23 of the best Restaurants14 of the best Cafés11 of the best Bars5 of the best Nightlife19 of the best Hotels21 of the best Culture9 of the best Parks & nature10 of the best ShoppingGetting around Getting around

The ULTIMATE letter

Sarajevo & Bosnia in your inbox

An occasional email with new places, events, trips around Bosnia and Herzegovina and our latest in-depth articles. No spam, ever.