Our private driver from Medjugorje to Sarajevo (Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina) was outstanding. His English was easy to understand, and his knowledge of the areas we passed through on our 3 + hour drive was very extensive. Although he now lives in Medjugorje, he is from Sarajevo, and was fortunate to access the Tunnel of Hope that allowed Bosnian civilians to flee to a safe zone and get his family to the safe zone during the siege (1992-1995). It was the 'longest siege of a capital city the the history of modern warfare' (Wikipedia). He was able to tell us personal stories of life in Sarajevo at that time. Unbelievable how oppressive their lives were during the siege by Serbian Forces. Part of the highway passed through Mostar and although we didn't stop, we saw the lay out as we zoomed past.
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| Our room on 11th floor - Great view and huge spa bath |
We had 4 nights in Sarajevo, and the day we arrived coincided with a cold, wet weather front. Consequently my photos are not that good due to the lack of sunshine! Our driver told us that our hotel was in a great location, right at the start of the pedestrian only zone leading into the Old Town. He was right, talk about location, location, location! It was fabulous. We walked into Old Town every day, and had dinner there every night. The area is a maze of alleys and bazaars - very interesting to see the old Moor and Turkish influences.
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| View from our floor |
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| Various Bosnian Foods that we taste tested |
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| Stables converted to bazaar |
They have successfully converted what used to be the stables of an old Inn built in 1543 during the Ottoman Empire into market/bazaar stalls. It was fun walking through here and checking out the merchandise. Good to get out of the drizzling rain as well. I could have gone crazy as it was all very tempting, but I limited myself to 2 items. Such restraint!
The tram system here is reportedly the oldest is Europe. There was a tram stop opposite our hotel, so we bought a ticket and took the 35 min trip out to Ilidza which is the closest stop to the Tunnel of Hope.
The Tunnel of Hope was built under a civilian house in mid-1993 during the Siege of Sarajevo. It was designed to allow war supplies, food and humanitarian aid into the city, and for a fee of around $120 USD paid to the Bosnian Army, civilians could use it to escape the Serbian stronghold. It took about 2 hours for a group of civilians to traverse the 800 meter long (1.6 metres high and 1 metre wide) tunnel. There was even a special trolley chair for disabled people to be pushed through the tunnel.
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| Tunnel of Hope |
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| Location of tunnel under runway |
As we travelled along we could see all the bullet and shrapnel damaged buildings. The war lasted from 1992-1996, so many buildings have been repaired and others are still in the process. However many leave their bullet holes and shrapnel or bomb scars as a reminder of what they suffered.
The stories that I have heard from people who actually lived here (our driver and a visionary from Medjugorje for instance) who lived here under siege during the Bosnian War are unimaginable to me. It made me so grateful for the freedom that I enjoyed in my childhood.
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| Bullet scarred buildings |
In many places where a bomb fell and killed civilians, the shell scars have been filled in with red resin and the result is known as the Sarajevo Rose. This one pictured is a few metres along the promenade from our hotel.
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| Sarajevo Rose - opposite the resin placed in damage by mortar - a memorial plaque names those killed at site |
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| On our last day we came across this Turkish Military parade |
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