Olympic Tour in Sarajevo | Greatest Winter Olympics story

Olympic Stadium Kosevo

Sarajevo Olympic tour starts with a visit to the Olympic Stadium where the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Winter Olympics took place. This event was thoroughly renovated and expanded. It’s a multi-purpose stadium which was built in 1947 in the period after World War II.

Former Youth Work Brigades from all parts of the country participated in the construction of the stadium. The stadium hosted major soccer teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Inter, etc. Also, it hosted celebrating mass twice. First time in 1997 by Pope John Paul II and the second time in 2015 by Pope Francis.

Now the stadium is home to football club FK Sarajevo and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. The club proposed the new name Asim Ferhatovic – Hase in honour of its former footballer and club’s legend.

Olympic Hall Zetra

Olympic Hall Zetra was constructed for the 1984 Winter Olympics. Described as an “ultramodern” facility, it hosted ice hockey games and speed skating events in the Olympics. 

The complex went up in flames when it was hit by grenade fire in 1992 just like the rest of the facilities was also badly damaged during the last war. With the help of the International Olympic Committee, Zetra was reconstructed at the end of the 1990s.

Since that time, it has been named Juan Antonio Samaranch, in memory of the long-term President of the IOC and a great friend of Sarajevo.  It served as the venue for several international speed skating events. Several world records were broken here.

It was the main venue of the 2019 European Youth Winter Olympic Festival, but we will all remember it by breath-taking performance in ice skating – a bolero danced by Jane Torvill and Cristopher Deen.

Mascot Vucko and Olympic Village

Even more than thirty-five years after the Olympics You can still see Vučko, the Olympic mascot, and the Olympic logo standing on a tower. Vučko came in the guise of a wolf.

An animal is typically found in the forests of the Dinaric Alps region. Through his smiling, frightened or serious facial expressions, Vučko gave the wolf a rather friendly appearance. It changed the usually ferocious image of this animal.

Vučko embodies courage and strength and was a symbol of winter and the triumph of good over evil. The happy Vučko is also the symbol of man’s centuries-old efforts to conquer nature, to gain friendship from a beast, to make a wolf become Vučko. We will see the mascot Vučko at Olympic Village Mojmilo.

Bjelasnica, Igman and Trebevic Mountains

After a panorama of Sarajevo and stories related to the Olympics, our Olympic tour goes on from Sarajevo, and our guide will take you to three beautiful mountains.

First on our way is mountain Bjelasnica which is the highest part of the Dinaric Mountains. It is also the best ski centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina today. Alpine skiing disciplines of the Olympic Games were held on this mountain where you can take a cable car and enjoy the fresh mountain air. In a beautiful mountain house, we can enjoy hot tea.

After Bjelasnica,  Olympic Tour in Sarajevo continues to mountain Igman. This mountain competition was held in Nordic skiing, biathlon, and leaps took place. You can see jumping slopes still standing there.

After Igman we will proceed to the Olympic mountain Trebevic – a beautiful mountain connected with Sarajevo by cable car. From the top of Trebevic, you can enjoy the most beautiful panoramic view of Sarajevo.  The mountain is known for competition in bob and sledging.

For that purpose, huge concrete construction has been built in the middle of the mountain. During your walk on top of the bobsleigh track that became one of the most recognizing landmarks of Sarajevo. you can take amazing photos.