Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo
Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia & Hercegovina, holds a prominent spot in the world history. Having spent nearly 400 years as the stronghold of the Ottoman Empire in Europe before being occupied by Austro-Hungary, it then became infamous in the early 20th century when WWI was sparked here with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. Host to Winter Olympics in 1984, Sarajevo then witnessed the longest siege in modern warfare during the Bosnian War in 1990s. Over centuries. Sarajevo developed into a culturally diverse and unique city and it became known as the “Jerusalem of Europe” – it’s one of the few places in the world where an old mosque, medieval synagogue, catholic cathedral, and an orthodox church stand within a few city blocks from each other. Sarajevo is just fantastic to stroll around its beautiful old town, bazaar, riverfront with the Latin Bridge (where Ferdinand was killed), and sip a cup of a traditional Bosnian coffee.
