Considering of visiting Sarajevo? You positively ought to – it’s a gorgeous metropolis, and it’s excellent for travellers on a price range! With a really wealthy historical past, attractive structure and pleasant locals, it’s probably the greatest quaint cities in Southeastern Europe.
However, there are a number of issues about Sarajevo that each one these articles received’t let you know. Like the truth that you want a winter jacket useful October by way of Might, since you by no means know when it would snow. Sure, it may possibly occur in Might!
So, right here’s a native’s information to all of the stuff you want to know earlier than visiting Sarajevo, so as to actually get pleasure from your keep!
Information to visiting Sarajevo
Everybody Smokes
Smoking is allowed within the overwhelming majority of Sarajevo pubs, eating places and cafes, so be ready to breathe in a number of second hand smoke. The ban on smoking remains to be not one thing the federal government is attempting to implement, principally as a result of there are such a lot of people who smoke within the metropolis that prohibiting it in institutions would significantly harm the native companies.
Some locales do have smoking and non-smoking areas, however that’s principally eating places and cafes – Mrvica, Manolo, Metropolis and many others. Be certain to test TripAdvisor and Google Maps evaluations of a spot you’d like to go to, if you need to make certain that they’ve a non-smoking space – this data is often not marketed wherever else.
Don’t Get An Condo With A ‘Scenic View’
If you’d like to get a cute AirBnB, keep away from something that’s marketed as having a scenic or panoramic view of the town. It’d sound like a good suggestion, however you’ll understand the extent of your mistake when you arrive in Sarajevo.
The town lies in a valley, and it’s surrounded by hills and mountains. All these residences with a scenic view are positioned within the surrounding hills, which have little or no to none public transport. Which means you’d both have to spring for a taxi everytime you need to exit, or stroll uphill for some 20 minutes.
Native Delicacies Is Finger Licking Good
Sarajevans are principally carnivores, so plant-based folks be at liberty to skip to the following factor you want to learn about Sarajevo!
The greatest identified Sarajevan dish is ćevapi – small minced meat kebabs served with flatbread, chopped onion and kajmak. They’re fatty, decadent and scrumptious. It’s the one dish you completely have to attempt, even should you’re not likely within the temper to check out overseas cuisines.
Many of the different native dishes embrace minced meat in some type, so vegans and vegetarians can have a tough time discovering a spot to eat within the metropolis. In the event you’re within the temper to check out Bosnian delicacies, positively check out Sarma, Dolma, Burek and another dish you will discover. The Singing Nettle is without doubt one of the high native eating places within the metropolis, and it’s extremely beneficial by each vacationers and locals.
On high of that, you could have to have a correct dessert – baklava is taken into account the normal must-eat dessert in Sarajevo. And the perfect baklavas are in a small patisseries in Ferhadija road – Sarajbosna. We suggest baklava with kajmak, for a mind-blowing symphony of flavors in your mouth.
You Can Stroll In every single place – Keep away from The Trams
Sarajevo is a small metropolis, and one of the simplest ways to discover it’s to stroll in all places. Particularly the realm across the metropolis heart and the outdated city – it is going to take you lower than 15 minutes to get from BBI purchasing heart (well-liked assembly spot in metropolis heart) to the well-known Sebilj in Baščaršija.
Trams are technically the quickest means to get across the metropolis, because the tracks principally run between the principle roads, however you’ll be greatest off avoiding them solely. They’re soiled, unreliable, and if a controller catches you with out a ticket, they’ll attempt to take all of your cash.
If this occurs, it is best to know that the effective for not having a tram ticket is 15 Euros. Don’t give them a penny extra – be at liberty to name the police, or ask a pleasant native to step in. The one factor Sarajevans have in frequent is the hatred in direction of tram ticket controllers and the willingness to argue with them any time of the day.
The most dependable type of public transport in Sarajevo are Centrotrans busses. You have to get a ticket as quickly as you enter, which prices 1 Euro. They’ve WiFi and screens that point out which cease you’re at present at – you’ll be able to at all times cross reference this with Google Maps, and you’ll by no means get misplaced!
Taxi Drivers Will Attempt To Rip You Off
Taxi drivers in Sarajevo love ripping off foreigners. So, the very first thing it is best to do whenever you get in a car is ask them to activate the meter. In the event that they refuse, get out of that car and discover one other one.
They may also doubtless take longer routes, simply to squeeze more money out of you – don’t allow them to try this. Particularly should you’re attempting to get someplace that’s shut to the principle street – actually, most driving in Sarajevo goes straight, so don’t allow them to take you thru all these slender alleys simply to get a number of extra Euros out of you.
Money Is King
The foreign money in Sarajevo is Bosnian Convertible Mark (KM), and it’s the one foreign money accepted in all places. Some retailers will settle for Euros, however these are very uncommon, they usually often regionally owned companies.
Money remains to be king in Sarajevo, so be sure to have loads of it readily available for taxi rides, public transport tickets, payments in cafes and many others. Card acceptance is getting higher within the metropolis – the overwhelming majority of upscale eating places will settle for playing cards, particularly institutions which can be positioned inside purchasing facilities. However, a number of locations nonetheless solely take money, significantly smaller pubs, cafes and bakeries which can be positioned in neighbourhoods additional away from the town heart.
It’s greatest to ask if a locale accepts bank cards earlier than you sit down for a drink. In case they don’t, the excellent news is that there’s an ATM on the road each 10 meters or so.
Eating places Don’t Serve Pork
The vast majority of the inhabitants in Sarajevo are muslims, and as you most likely know, muslims don’t eat pork. Which implies that little or no to none eating places can have pork on the menu.
You can nonetheless purchase it in supermarkets, however not in a few of the bigger purchasing facilities within the metropolis – extra on that later. Simply don’t be stunned that you may’t get a burger with bacon wherever in correct Sarajevo.
In the event you’re actually craving it, head to eating places in Istočno Sarajevo. It’s technically a distinct metropolis from Sarajevo as a result of it’s positioned within the entity of Republika Srpska, nevertheless it’s geographically a part of the Sarajevo space – the politics make the excellence complicated even for locals, so let’s not dwell on that. The principle factor to know is that you simply’ll discover loads of eating places there that do serve pork.
Beware Of Pickpockets
Sarajevo nonetheless has a difficulty with pickpockets – it’s not as massive because the Lisbon one, however it’s nonetheless a difficulty. At all times carry your backpack kangaroo fashion, and don’t let your valuables out of your sight.
You must be significantly cautious in trams and trolleybuses. It’s potential to enter these automobiles with out a ticket, in order that they’re type of the office for many pickpockets. And when the afternoon crowds rush residence from work, it’s just about inconceivable to listen to your bag.
You will encounter a number of indicators all through the town heart that warn you of this, so be additional cautious in these areas. However, so long as you retain your purse shut, don’t go round flashing wads of money and costly jewellery, you may be effective.
Some Lodges Don’t Serve Alcohol
Sure resorts and purchasing facilities in Sarajevo that had been constructed previously decade had been financed by traders from the Center East. Which implies alcohol and pork are strictly forbidden there. You can’t purchase them in retailers and you’ll’t get them in eating places on these premises.
This is applicable to BBI and SCC purchasing facilities, in addition to Swissotel and Bristol Resort. The worst half is that the resorts don’t promote this wherever on their web sites, so lots of people make the error of reserving a room, solely to understand too late that they’re unable to get a correct drink within the resort.
The Climate Is Excessive
Saying that the climate in Sarajevo is excessive is placing it mildly. Or to be much more exact, the climate modifications in Sarajevo are excessive. You at all times want to have a jacket and an umbrella, even should you’re visiting in the midst of July and it’s 40 levels Celsius exterior – it’s very a lot potential that the temperature will drop by 20 levels within the night.
The identical goes for climate within the winter – someday it’s snowing a lot that there’s 20 centimeters of snow on the bottom, and the following day the solar is out and all that snow is melting. You can stroll round in a skinny leather-based jacket at the start of December, and want a thick down coat every week later – the temperature modifications are fixed and fairly excessive.
Additionally, it’s sensible to at all times have a small umbrella in your bag. You by no means know whenever you would possibly want it – the opportunity of showers exists even on the clearest and sunniest summer season days.
Journey tip shared by TheAdventourist
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