Sarajevo Free Walking Tour | Every Day at 10:30 AM & 3 PM

A quick introduction to Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,569 within its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo Canton, East Sarajevo and nearby municipalities is home to 555,210 inhabitants. Located within the greater Sarajevo valley of Bosnia, it is surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of the Balkans, a region of Southern Europe.

The name Sarajevo derives from the Turkish noun saray, meaning “palace” or “mansion”. Academia is split on the origin of the evo attached to the end. In Slavic languages, the addition of “evo” may indicate a possessive noun, thereby making the name of Sarajevo, ‘city of the palace. One theory is that it may come from the Ottoman Turkish term saray ovası, first recorded in 1455, meaning “the plains around the palace” or simply “palace plains”.

Sarajevo is the political, financial, social and cultural centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a prominent centre of culture in the Balkans, with region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion and the arts. 

Due to its long history of religious and cultural diversity, Sarajevo is sometimes called the “Jerusalem of Europe” or “Jerusalem of the Balkans”. It is one of only a few major European cities to have a mosque, Catholic church, Orthodox church and synagogue within the same neighbourhood.

Exploring the Old Town of Sarajevo 

In our Free Walking Tour, we will see the Old Orthodox Church, one of the oldest religious objects in Sarajevo. Above all, the most recognizable landmark of Sarajevo is Sebilj, a wooden fountain located on Baščaršija Square. The legend says that drinking water from here means that you will certainly come back to this city in the future. Likewise, you will find the oldest streets of Sarajevo – Kazandziluk Street and walk through Baščaršija, the liveliest part of the city.

Later on, by visiting old Caravan Saray – Morića Han, you will really have a strong feeling of going centuries back in time. Morića Han is considered a true caravanserai because, when operational, it could accommodate about 300 passengers and 70 horses. Evliya Çelebi, an Ottoman traveller, wrote about his visit to Sarajevo in 1659 and described Morića Han as Hadži-Bešir’s han, because Hadži-Bešir was the landlord of the han then. The modern name probably comes from the surname of the han’s tenants at the beginning of the 19th century, Mustafa-aga Morić and his son Ibrahim-aga Morić.

Moreover, during the Free Walking Tour in Sarajevo, you will also see the famous Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque. Nearby this extraordinary beautiful mosque, you will see a unique clock tower famous for showing a very unusual time for the modern world. Furthermore, we will walk nearby the oldest shopping centre of Sarajevo, the “Bezistan” – an old bazaar from the Ottoman period.

After the old town stroll through the modern streets of Sarajevo in our Sarajevo Free Walking Tour

The Sarajevo City Hall is the most recognizable Austro-Hungarian-era building in Bosnia. Since 1949 it served as the National and University Library and now it is the seat of the city council once again.

Additionally, you will hear the story of the Sarajevo Jewish community existing for almost five centuries. The Old Jewish Temple is within the walking distance of Christian and Muslim religious objects. Today it is an important museum related to Balkan Jewish traditions and customs.

After the spot that says “Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures” Sarajevo Free Walking Tour continues westward. Ferhadija street is related to the arrival of the Habsburg monarchy. For instance, one of the iconic buildings on Ferhadija street is the Catholic Cathedral nearby which you will see the statue of Pope John Paul II. Also, we will talk about Sarajevo Roses and famous people that lived here.

Furthermore, we will see the first modern hotel in Sarajevo and hear the stories of the first Waltz dance and celebrities that stayed here. Our recommendation is to drink Bosnian coffee and eat Sacher cake in this place where East meets West. Then the tour continues to the famous Latin Bridge, Franz-Ferdinand’s assassination site. If you are interested to learn more about the assassination, check out our Gavrilo Princip – Shoot that changed the world tour.

Most importantly, in our  Free Walking Tour in Sarajevo, you will have passionate and young guides who were born here. They will be happy to show you even the secret spots of their town where most tourists wouldn’t go themselves. Also, at the end of the Free Walking Tour Sarajevo, our guide will give you notes with local tips which were carefully selected by our company.

Finally, the tour ends in our office, the same place where it starts.