Sarajevo
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Sarajevo proved to be one of the most difficult places to find a bed in my backpacking experience so far. With summer being peak season here, as well as a big concert (Dino Merlin, apparently a star in the Balkans) happening during the weekend, not a single room, bed, or couch was available for me to book online. Luckily, after scavenging for a couple of hours, freshly off the train from Mostar, I managed to find a hotel that was only accepting bookings from contacts or directly at the reception. A huge relief, if you ask me.
The city has a real charm; the noise of the passing tramways, the small bridges jumping over the river, the lush forests surrounding it, as well as the countless mosques, minarets, and cemeteries, scattered all around the hills, give it a very poetic character. The old town is still a tad too touristic for my liking, but I believe its good conservation and cleanliness make up for it.
I finally get to try out the legendary Bosnian coffee I heard so many good things about (to be fair, it’s pretty similar to the Amazigh or Turkish way of doing it, with a traditional copper container being superheated on sand, but it’s definitely very enjoyable).