Day Seven: Historic Streets and Olympic Tracks

Our full day in Sarajevo kicked off with a familiar face. We met up with our incredibly engaging guide from the day before, Enes, for a group walking tour of the city centre. Enes has this brilliant ability to seamlessly blend heavy historical gravity with a lighthearted energy that kept the whole crew entirely locked in.

Sarajevo is an absolute living museum. As we moved through the historic streets, Enes pointed out the unassuming street corner by the Latin Bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914—the exact catalyst that sparked World War I.

From there, we dove into the bustling labyrinth of the historic Baščaršija (the Old Town markets) and stood outside the magnificent 16th-century Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, the largest historical mosque in the country. One of the coolest details we saw was the famous Sarajevo Clock Tower (Sahat-kula); it’s actually the only public clock in the world that keeps lunar time, resetting to 12:00 exactly at sunset to mark religious and cultural milestones.

The Art of Bosnian Coffee

After logging some serious kilometres on the walking tour, Leah and I decided our feet needed a strategic intermission. We ducked away to find a quiet spot for traditional Bosnian coffee and discovered Djul Cafe.

Let me tell you, Bosnian coffee is not just a quick hit of caffeine: it is a full-blown ritual, and I absolutely loved it. The whole philosophy is centered around slowing down. You are presented with a beautiful, ornate copper tray holding a miniature copper pot (džezva), a tiny ceramic cup (fildžan), and a few sugar cubes.

You learn to slowly pour the thick, rich coffee, nibble gently on a sugar cube, let it melt on your tongue, and sip slowly. It was the most peaceful, lovely pause in the middle of a busy travel itinerary.

Haunted Beauty on Mount Trebević

Re-energized, we made our way over to the Sarajevo Cable Car and hopped into a panoramic glass gondola. In just seven minutes, we soared out of the city bowl and up the forested slopes of Mount Trebević.

Our mission on the mountain was to hike out to the abandoned 1984 Olympic bobsled and luge track.

*Cable car views and the abandoned bobsled track (May 2026)*

As someone who absolutely loves street art and graffiti, this was easily one of my favourite spots of the entire trip. The concrete curves of the track are now completely covered in layers of vibrant, colourful graffiti, weaving through a quiet, reclaimed pine forest.

The juxtaposition of its history is incredibly powerful: it went from hosting a joyous global celebration of sport in '84 to being used as an artillery position during the siege in the '90s. Walking directly down the concrete curves felt simultaneously beautiful and haunting.

Alleyway Pubs and Group Dinners

Down from the mountain, we crossed paths with a few other travellers from our Contiki group and headed back toward the historic core. We tucked into the Dubliner Irish Pub, a fantastic, cozy little spot hidden away down a tiny, picture-perfect stone back alley. A group of us huddled around an outdoor table, enjoying cold drinks and great conversation as the afternoon sun started to dip.

*Drinks and dinner with the crew (May 2026)*

For dinner, the entire tour group reassembled at Aeroplan, a restaurant nestled right in the heart of Baščaršija. The traditional food was pretty good, but the local wine was even better!

By the time dinner wrapped up, my skin was feeling completely cooked after a full day of soaking up the intense Bosnian sunshine. I was more than ready to head back to the comfort of our hotel. However, the good vibes were rolling too smoothly to end the night completely, so a bunch of us converged at the Hotel Grand Sarajevo bar.

We grabbed one final drink and kept the conversation going late into the evening—a wonderfully relaxed, low-key way to wrap up our incredible stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Next up on the blog: Heading into Serbia and discovering the nightlife of Belgrade!