Sarajevo Museums and Siege History Sites
Sarajevo’s best-known attractions deal with the 1992 to 1995 siege, the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare, which ran from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996. Several of these places are memorials, so the tone below is deliberately plain and respectful. Prices are in convertible marks (BAM), and many small desks take cash only.
Tunnel Museum, Butmir
The Tunnel of Hope, also called Tunel Spasa, is in a family house at Butmir beside the airport, about 12 km west of Baščaršija. The tunnel was dug by hand in 1993 under the airport runway and was the besieged city’s only link to the outside for food, fuel and medical evacuations. Visitors see the shell-scarred house, a film and exhibits, and walk a preserved section of roughly 20 to 25 metres.
Entry is about 20 BAM for adults and 8 BAM for students, cash only, with an audio guide extra. Opening hours are reported as roughly 08:30 to 17:30 from April to October and 09:00 to 16:00 from November to March, but the official site was unreachable at last check, so confirm before travelling. To get there take tram 3 to Ilidža and then bus 32, or a taxi.
War Childhood Museum
The War Childhood Museum at Logavina 32 shows everyday objects and short written memories donated by people who grew up during the war. It is personal rather than graphic. It opens daily from 11:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30. Adults pay 15 BAM, students 12 BAM, and young people aged 6 to 17 pay 7 BAM. It is free on the last Thursday of each month from 17:00 to 19:00. Current details are on warchildhood.org .
Galerija 11/07/95
Galerija 11/07/95, on Trg Fra Grge Martića near the Sacred Heart Cathedral, remembers the genocide at Srebrenica in July 1995, when more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed. It holds photographs and survivor testimony, and it asks for silence and respect. The gallery is open daily from 09:00 to 21:00 according to galerija110795.ba . The ticket is around 12 BAM including a guide, but the price is not on the official site, so treat it as approximate and pay at the door.
Sniper Alley and the Roses
The wide boulevard Zmaja od Bosne was called Sniper Alley during the siege, and today trams run along it. Around the centre, red resin fills mortar scars in pavements where civilians were killed. These Sarajevo Roses are memorials, so step around them and do not treat them as decoration.
National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The National Museum, founded in 1888, is a Neo-Renaissance complex of pavilions around a botanical garden. Adult tickets are about 20 BAM, students 10 BAM, and ages 6 to 18 pay 2 BAM. It is closed on Mondays, open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 19:00, and weekends 10:00 to 18:00. The Sarajevo Haggadah, a 14th-century illuminated Jewish manuscript, is shown in a dedicated room on a limited schedule, so check with the museum for viewing times. It was kept safe through the Second World War by museum staff including director Jozo Petrović and librarian Derviš Korkut.
Planning notes
The memorial sites above are best visited on your own schedule, with the tram and bus connections described. For a general guided overview of the city’s architecture and museums instead, a search such as Sarajevo city tours shows what is currently listed.
Read more: Sarajevo sightseeing , walking tours and day trips .