| The sentence came out of nowhere:
’If you want to be in Vienna and Istanbul at the
same time, come to Sarajevo,’ and it made everyone
sit up. All morning, government officials, advertising
gurus, spin doctors and assorted creative types had been
sitting in a stuffy room, debating how they could make
the battle-scarred state of Bosnia-Herzegovina more attractive
to tourists and foreign investors. The one thing they
agreed on was that, for those potential visitors who had
actually heard of the country, it had only negative connotations.
But finally here was a suggestion that made sense.
Bosnia-Herzegovina might not be a brand, that holy grail
of marketers, but the city in which the meeting was
being held could well be one. Shattered but proud, tragic
yet vibrant, here was a destination worthy of any swashbuckling
entrepreneur or adventurous tourist – Sarajevo.
Getting here
Sarajevo International Airport is 12km south of the
city centre. The national airline is Air Bosna. The
country’s two railway services, ZBH and ZRS, are
beginning to provide services to most major towns and
cities in the country.
Where to stay
Hotel Grand
http://www.hotelgrand.com/
Holiday Inn
www.holiday-inn.com/sarajevo
What to see
The multi-religious old town of Sarajevo boasts a variety
of historic buildings including the 16th-century Bey’s
Mosque and the old Orthodox church, as well as the Catholic
cathedral and synagogue. On many of the streets traditional
handicrafts are sold and there is a vibrant street-café
culture.
Other attractions
Sarajevo Film Festival
August 15-23.
Tunnel Museum
Tel: (+62) 859 146 6885.
Links
http://www.sarajevo.city-tourism.com/
www.inyourpocket.com/sarajevo-city-guide.html
Even the fact I happened to be in town could be held
up as evidence. The debate was the culmination of No
Limit, a week-long celebration of the country’s
creative energy. The organisers invited around a dozen
foreigners to attend. We all accepted right away. Sarajevo
was the magic word.
It has to be said, however, that the route into the
city does not look promising. After touchdown, the first
thing you notice is the separate line at passport control
for Special Forces troops, stationed here since the
Dayton Agreement ended the bloody civil war of the 1990s,
which tore the lid off a cauldron of religious antagonism
and territorial rivalry. There are soldiers at the airport,
and in the streets. The first two major landmarks are
the skeletal remains of bombed-out factories. Many buildings
are pockmarked with bullet holes. Opposite the Holiday
Inn sits the blackened shell of the former parliament
building.
But further into the centre, the city has considerable
charm. Rattling, clanking old trams, narrow, twisting
streets, and sudden wide squares offering a glimpse
of the snow-capped hills that keep Sarajevo contained
in its little valley. One imagines that the city has
something of the atmosphere of post-war Vienna.
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