(Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)

I will admit that my decision to visit Bosnia & Herzegovina (“BiH” for short, as they write it here) elicited some surprised looks, for those who knew about my travel plans.  It’s not a place that has a high tourism profile in Canada.  I will also admit that upon arrival my first impressions were lukewarm at best:  the weather was rainy, the airport was dark and the ride downtown from the airport was uninspiring.  I saw lots of crumbling buildings from the communist era and even my (nice) hotel didn’t inspire a lot of confidence from the outside.   I decided to take a nap, as I really hadn’t slept on the overnight flight to Vienna.

However, once I woke up, walking one block from my hotel made me feel a whole lot better.   After making my way through “Pigeon Square” (pictured above), I saw a completely different Sarajevo.  The old town is a compelling mix of  Ottoman and Central European influences.  At times, I felt like I was in Istanbul, while at others I could have been in Austria or northern Italy.   One key difference is that Sarajevo is markedly cheaper than any of those other places.  One can live and eat very well here, on a Canadian budget.  I had a very nice meal in a rustic old town restaurant that would have cost at least twice as much (if not more) in Rome.

After dinner, even though the sun was long gone, it seemed like the whole town was out for a walk in the (very large) pedestrian district.  I heard many different languages and saw many different styles of dress.  I felt completely safe and it was very peaceful in the soft light and soft rain.

Of course, there is a flip side.  BiH has unemployment that, depending on your source, could be approaching 40%.  The unemployed young people seem to be somewhat restless.  The history and cultural diversity that makes it such a fascinating place to visit can also make it vulnerable…as we saw during the tragic events of the 1990s.

I’m glad that I had a pleasant evening here and saw how BiH could work well.  Tomorrow, I am going on a guided tour concerning the Siege of Sarajevo and will undoubtedly hear some different perspectives on BiH’s recent history.