In this cruel world we live in, Sarajevo stands as a reminder that even bad things can turn for the better.
This once magnificent bastion of integration and multicultural splendour has risen from the ashes of the 1992-96 siege and is now a flourishing metropolis and fascinating destination. Narrow alleyways in Baščaršija, the old town, are packed with good cafes and decent well-priced accommodation. Hostels such as Balkan Han, The Doctor’s House and Franz Ferdinand have dorm beds from €11, doubles from €32.
Highlights are the restored City hall, a masterpiece of fin de siècle Moorish fantasy, as well as Svrzo’s House, a dignified museum recalling the atmosphere of 18th-century Sarajevo. More up-to-date, and no less evocative, is the Tunnel Museum, a section of the passageway that kept the city alive during the dark days of the war.
For dinner, Cakum-pakum is something of a legend for its homeliness and well-priced stuffed pancakes. As befits a Winter Olympics location, there’s skiing and snowboarding in Bjelašnica, 20 miles to the south-west. Jahorina Muntain to the south-east is good for off-piste action.
Among the ten leading European tourist destinations Guardian also included: Poprad (Slovakia), Baden-Baden and Memmingen (Germany), Are-Ostersund (Sweden), Poznan (Poland), Zagreb (Croatia), Tromso (Norway), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Sibiu (Romania).
(Source: klix/ the Guardian)
