Sarajevo Sightseeing: Mosques and Bridges

October 29, 2026

Sarajevo packs several centuries into a short walk. In the east the Ottoman bazaar of Baščaršija, founded in 1462, gives way along the pedestrian street Ferhadija to Austro-Hungarian facades from after 1878. Most major sights sit within about two kilometres of each other, so the centre is easy on foot. Prices are in convertible marks (BAM), and a few ticket desks are cash only.

Baščaršija and the Sebilj

The Sebilj is a wooden pseudo-Ottoman drinking fountain built in 1891 on a design from the 18th century, and it is the usual meeting point. Around it, lanes of craft shops lead to Kazandžiluk, the coppersmiths’ street, and to Morića Han, the only surviving Ottoman caravanserai in the city, built in 1551.

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

Commissioned in 1530, the mosque is the main Islamic institution in Bosnia, with a courtyard fountain, a madrasa and a clock tower that tells lunar time. Visitors pay 3 BAM, and an English-speaking guide is included. Interior hours run from 1 April to 31 October at 09:00 to 12:00, 14:30 to 16:00 and 17:30 to 19:00, and from 31 October to 1 April only 09:00 to 11:00. It is a working mosque, so it is closed at prayer times, and modest dress is expected, including a headscarf for women. Phoning ahead is recommended. Current details are on begovadzamija.ba .

Meeting of Cultures

On Ferhadija, a line in the pavement marks where the Ottoman quarter meets the Habsburg one. Looking east you see low stone shops and minarets, and looking west four-storey stucco facades. It is free to see at any hour.

Vijećnica, the City Hall

Vijećnica was finished in 1896 in a Moorish Revival style. It served as the national library until 25 August 1992, when shelling set it alight and destroyed millions of books and manuscripts. It reopened in 2014. Visitors can see the glass-domed atrium and the exhibition about its destruction and rebuilding. It is open daily 09:00 to 17:00, and adults pay about 10 BAM. See vijecnica.ba for current hours.

Latin Bridge and the 1914 corner

The Latin Bridge, an Ottoman stone arch from 1798, crosses the Miljacka. On the corner nearby, Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914. The Museum of Sarajevo 1878 to 1918 at Zelenih beretki 1 stands opposite and is reported open weekdays 10:00 to 16:00 and Saturdays 10:00 to 15:00, with a ticket of about 4 BAM. Footprints and a photo display outside are free.

National Museum

The National Museum, founded in 1888, has four pavilions around a botanical garden. Adults pay about 20 BAM. It is closed on Mondays. The Sarajevo Haggadah has a dedicated room with limited viewing times, so check with the museum before you plan around it.

Reminders of the siege

Sarajevo endured the longest siege of a capital in modern warfare, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996. Along Zmaja od Bosne, once known as Sniper Alley, and in pavements around the centre you will see the Sarajevo Roses, red resin in mortar scars where civilians died. They are memorials, so step around them quietly. The Galerija 11/07/95 near the Sacred Heart Cathedral and the Tunnel Museum at Butmir are covered on the attraction tours page .

Tickets and tours

For a guided look at the old town, a search such as Sarajevo sightseeing tours lists current choices. If you plan to go up Mount Trebević for views, stay on marked paths, because mines remain in the hills.