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Exploring the world, one boat at a time.

Bosnia’s capital is being reclaimed by its residents.

The only thing better than chef-owner Azhar Began’s brick-oven pizza is his delightfully unexpected wine list. It’s packed with varietals from lesser-known international growing regions like Croatia, Bulgaria, and even Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ask him to walk you through some of his favorites; his passion and animated personality make it a downright entertaining experience. Began’s pies—there’s a Hatch chili pizza, spice-roasted lamb, and Greek-style pie among the more typical flavors—are fresh and made entirely from scratch. His care in crafting the pies and his warm, welcoming personality are what make this neighborhood joint a draw for locals and in-the-know travelers.
Sacred Pi was formerly called Classic Italian Pizza.

Zlatna Ribica (“goldfish”) Bar in Sarajevo, on Kaptol just north of Marsala Tita, has a Sarajevo-hipster-mixed-with-postwar-intellectual vibe, including the cluttered ephemera-filled decor, the thick cigarette smoke, and the handlebar-mustachioed waiter. Stop by for a rakija or a beer and soak in the atmosphere.

The siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War provided the enduring image of the city for many Westerners. Bullet casings from that conflict have been turned into pens and vases, symbolic souvenirs of the city’s healing. Pick one up on Kazandžiluk (Coppersmith’s Alley) in the Baščaršija quarter. Take a look at Jeremy’s video of Sarajevo’s cafe culture. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue.

Josip Broz Tito ruled Yugoslavia from World War II until his death in 1980. Today he’s a pop-culture icon, celebrated on mugs and T-shirts and at Caffe Tito, a spot behind the National Museum where students born after his reign get their caffeine fixes. Zmaja od Bosne 5, 387/(0) 33-210-418

We stopped for a snack at this sweet shop on the main drag. We got a piece of sticky-sweet kadaif and a hunk of halvah (it’s sold by the kilo; we, being unable to speak Bosnian, simply motioned for a small slice). Kadaif is made from shredded phyllo dough, stuffed with nuts (or sometimes cheese), and soaked in sugar syrup. Extremely sweet, extremely good.

As interesting as the city of Sarajevo is, the tragic side is still very evident. Many of the buildings are still bombed out from the war, with bullet holes in them and also in some signs around town. The most tragic thing however is all the grave markers. This one was especially simple yet sad mostly for the fact that the little person died 8 years old.

Salep is a warm drink made from the tubers of an orchid genus called Orchis (according to Wikipedia at least). It tastes a little like warm horchata—comforting and creamy. In fact, we thought it was rice-based at first. Morica Han is an old caravanserai In the center of the Ottoman side of Sarajevo. It was built in 1551, and used as a roadside inn for a few centuries. The building, all wood, was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 70s. The inner courtyard now is home to a restaurant, a rug-seller, and a bustling cafe. Try salep!

The owner of the place we were staying told us that Bosnians respect their stuffed dough creations enough to give each kind (they have different fillings) unique names. The jab is at Croatians, who refer to all of these filled pies as burek. This one, filled with potatoes, is a krompiruza, and covered with delicious, tangy sour cream. Buregdzinica Bosna, in the old town of Sarajevo, was a hopping little place, with seats inside and outside. The flaky pastry and delicately spiced potatoes served as a very hearty snack for two.

The mountain village of Lukomir, one of the few that retains the traditional Bosnian way of life. The village is the highest continually inhabited in the country.

We spent a day in Bosnia, it’s an easy drive from Dubrovnik. The transition was dramatic: from the Latin alphabet to the Cyrillic; from lazy tourists driving Fiats to vigilant UN peacekeepers driving tanks. This bridge was destroyed in 1993 during the war, and rebuilt in 2004. When we visited, in 2005, many buildings in town were still pockmarked with bullets or fully shelled, but this bridge was fresh—and promising.

History buffs definitely won’t want to miss out on the Museum of Military History, or Heeresgeschichtliches Museum. Focusing on Austria‘s military history from the 16th century up to 1945, exhibition halls are broken down into the Thirty Years’ War and the Ottoman Turks, the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II. Perhaps most notable is the display covering the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, which includes his uniform, the car in which he and his wife were riding, and the pistol used by Serbian Gavrilo Princip.

The most important lesson that I learned from my time in Ljubljana.... is that I love Bosnian/ Serbian food. I may be suffering some serious Ćevapčići withdrawal when I return to Canada. But while the Bosnian excel at food they are masters of coffee. If you end up at Harambasa don’t miss out on the perfect end to a perfect meal...treat yourself to the Bosnian Coffee!

During the Siege of Sarajevo in the spring of 1993, the Bosnian Army built an underground tunnel to link the city of Sarajevo, which was entirely cut off by Serbian forces, with Bosnian-held territory on the other side of the airport, an area controlled by the United Nations. The tunnel allowed food, war supplies, and humanitarian aid into the city, and people out. It also was a way of bypassing the international arms embargo. These days, part of the tunnel that remains standing, and the nondescript house that served as its entrance, has been transformed into a museum dedicated to the war, complete with exhibits and short films.