The Sarajevska Brewery and other things to see in Sarajevo

An accurate and informative podcast by Sky journalist Nicola Ghittoni “Sarajevo calling” takes us on a wander through the streets of the Bosnian capital now free, after some 30 years, of sandbags and tanks.

The city discovery tour starts at number 15 Franjevacka, a street not far from the Miljacka river. Here, since 1864, the Sarajevska brewery has been brewing and bottling with 0 km water drawn from its own wells. A large red-and-white building hides the machinery and cisterns for brewing and storing piva inside, as well as spacious halls with plenty of wood where beer and full-bodied meat dishes can be enjoyed. Before or after meals, you can also visit the Beer Museum, which is divided into different historical periods: the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the world wars, the socialist period and the period following the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and the ticket costs €5.

 

 

 

 

 

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Un post condiviso da Sarajevsko pivo (@sarajevskopivo)

After leaving the brewery, a short walk will take you to the funicular railway that climbs from the plains up Trebevic, the mountain above the town. This is a protected area of about 400 hectares, criss-crossed with hiking trails and equipped for picnics. From the clean air and soothing view of the forests, we descend back down into the valley to enter the Tunel Spasa, dug during the war to enable the besieged to receive supplies. But here we are already outside the centre of Sarajevo, better to head back towards the river and discover the oldest part of the city, the Bascarsija, with cobbled pedestrian streets and courtyards where you can enjoy a coffee, restaurants, copper workshops and jewellery shops. This is also the site of the Emperor's Mosque, which dates back to the 16th century and is considered the most important example of Islamic architecture in Bosnia.

Much more modern is the Avaz Twist Tower, Sarajevo's only skyscraper: 176 metres high and with a shape that does not go unnoticed, the tower offers, for a fee, a vantage point from which to admire the most beautiful view of Sarajevo. From the top of the Avaz you should also be able to see an unusual building decorated with orange and white horizontal stripes: this is the National Library of Bosnia, built in 1896 and rebuilt in 2014, which hosts events and is also the seat of the City Hall.