Experience in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Zlatko

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What is it like to live in Sarajevo? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Sarajevo is a very interesting place, as is living in it. The quality of life varies from numerous circumstances and from person to person. It is great to live in Sarajevo for a short while, up to one year maximum, and know that you will be off to a place not so burdened by lack of perspective, horrible politics, negative media propaganda and corruption. On the brighter side, if you find yourself living in Sarajevo short term, all these long term problems may seem rather interesting and exotic.

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The city is relatively small and most places of interest are located within a thirty minute walk. Also, unless you reside on the outskirts, the city transportation is excellent, only till 11:30 however, allowing you to get from one end of the city to the other in 45 minutes at the most. Taxis are also inexpensive, but the drivers do try to trick you.

Sarajevo also has a rich history and mainly four types of architecture are found throughout the city: Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Socialist and this post-war neo-capitalist modern glass and steel stuff they are building these days that makes even the socialist buildings look like they have some character. There is some architecture from the period between the two world wars, which very much resembles the socialist style, and some Roman ruins can be found around the city as well.

I would certainly recommend finding some transport and enjoying Sarajevo's, and Bosnia's, real beauty - the mountains. Sarajevo is a valley surrounded by mountains, and any direction one may chose to go in he or she will find themselves in the mountains discovering countless amazing sites and natural wonders. For the local people this is a breath of fresh air as well, literally, as the smog in the fall and winter tend to become so bad that it is difficult to breath in the valley. The environment around Sarajevo is also the reason it hosted the 1984 Olympics, a fact the city takes pride in to this day, as it marked a golden era of the city and former country, bringing much development and prosperity to the area, and also because nothing else has happened since. The '84 Olympics did contribute to the development of ski slopes on the two nearby mountains, Jahorina and Bjelasnica, which are located about 45 driving from the city. This is a major plus for winter-sports enthusiasts, such as myself.

Exploring the surroundings of Sarajevo, as well as the rest of Bosnia, Herzegovina, parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, one can also encounter Stećci, stones, some shaped, some with carvings, remnants of Bogumils, a people who have lived in this region. What these stones are exactly is still not established, although the most common belief is that they are grave stones.

All in all, living in Sarajevo and BiH, is quite interesting and can be a lot of fun. It can be very sad and frustrating as well. But it all depends on your perspective, state of mind, character, the amount of funds and time you have and your resourcefulness as to how to utilize them.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Sarajevo?

Student life in Sarajevo can be very fun, there are plenty of cafes and bars, prices are ok, the food is good, the party life is not bad at all, especially in student circles. Sarajevo is also located in the center of BiH, and traveling around the country can be very fun also. The beach is a four hour drive, while there are slopes 45 minutes away.

How much does it cost to live in Sarajevo?

The cost of life in Sarajevo depends very much on your habits and appetites. For example retired people live on their retirement income which can be as low as 300 KM per month (150 EUR), while certain politicians and bankers earn upwards of 5, 000 Euros per month. Granted that the retired people eat out of trash cans while the politicians fly to their lunch with a helicopter. However, I think around 400-800 Euros per month should suffice the majority of students. In comparison to most of Western-Europe, the cost of living in Sarajevo is relatively low.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Sarajevo? Is there any advice you can give?

There are some web sites: pik, market, airbnb.

Word of mouth is still the most common way of transmitting information. There are accommodations in the student dorms also.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The national food is very similar to the Turkish national food. It is base on meat and vegetables. The specialty is cevapi, ground beef, lamb and onion rolled into little fingers and grilled. The other speciality is pita, a thin dough wrapped around either meat, cheese, spinach, potatoes or other vegetables and baked. These are the commercial fast food specialities. There are also numerous bakeries throughout the city offering pastries at very low prices. There are a couple of McDonalds as well and numerous fast food grills, which I think are far better and definitely cheaper than McD's. However, there is real traditional food in Sarajevo also, which can be a combination of stews (Bosanski lonac), or dolmas (also Turkish), usually meat and rice stuffed in vine leaves, cabbage leafs, tomatoes, zucchinis or peppers.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Sarajevo?

• Bascarsija, the old Sarajevo Bazaar;
• Trebevic mountain;
• The History Museum;
• Football Stadium;
• Vratnik neighbourhood;
• Vrelo Bosne forest;
• Goat's Bridge;
• Roman Bridge.

Is it good to eat out in Sarajevo? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Yes. The best spots are Mala Kuhinja and Karuzo. They have nothing to do with Bosnian cuisine, but the food is delicious. They offer varieties of what I think is some Asian food, and they are a bit more expensive than your average food joint in Sarajevo, but they are worth every cent.

Is the nightlife good in Sarajevo? Where is good to go?

This question varies on the night of week and season. The summer season is the best, as all the students and migrants who have left to live in other countries come back to party for a couple of months. This is combined with a large inflow of tourists, making the parties very frequent and good. The rest of the year is a hit or miss, with the parties picking up on Wednesday and going till Saturday. This is not the rule, as if you are persistent and open minded enough you can find something always. Important party holidays: New Year's, Bajram, Kurban Bajram, May 1st, May 25th.

What advice would you give future students heading to Sarajevo?

1. Be open minded, have fun, enjoy yourselves as much as you can.
2. Ask about everything, people love sharing their experiences, especially with foreigners.
3. See a football game.
4. Try: rakija, cevapi, pita.
5. Do not give money to beggars, even if it is a cute little homeless boy or girl, because begging is an organized crime in BiH. Watch out for your belongings, people do steal... a lot.
6. Always ask for the price and establish it before receiving a service - taxi, drinks, food, as people will try to trick you. Example: A taxi fair from the airport to the center costs 15 KAM, but the cabbies at the airport will charge 70 KAM to foreigners. Por cierto, do not grab the taxis at the airports and bus stations, they will surely trick you.
7. Do not sweat if you get fines, such as parking tickets, etc. They will never arrive to your address outside BiH.
8. If you see a red tape with the word "Mine" do not cross it. Also, kids may remove this red tape for fun, so if you are hiking always ask locals about mines.

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