Tourists give Sarajevo a touch of its former diversity
A hundred years after the First World War was kick-started there, and 20 years since the city itself was devastated in the Bosnian war, Sarajevo has now emerged as a popular tourist destination.
The events of 1914 are brought back to life – and the cosmopolitan city centre is rediscovering some of the diversity it enjoyed when several religions co-existed for centuries.
“Because of the centenary we decided last year and ordered the hotel, so we live just opposite where it happened,” said a Danish tourist, referring to the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
“We didn’t know this was the anniversary, but the media were full of it, we heard about it in the hotel, so we came to the centre out of curiosity to wander around and see what’s going on here,” a Hungarian visitor said.
As well as the regular souvenirs of Sarajevo, the centenary has spawned some other mementos – including the odd keepsake of the murdered Archduke and his assassin.
“Yesterday Gavrilo Princip was more popular, today it’s Franz Ferdinand, we’ll see what tomorrow brings,” said a shop owner.
Euronews correspondent Andrea Hajagos reported from Sarajevo:
“People from many different parts of the world have come here for the anniversary. Although the war here in the 1990s didn’t help relations between the Balkan nations, we even met some tourists from Bosnia’s neighbouring countries as well.”
The events of 1914 are brought back to life – and the cosmopolitan city centre is rediscovering some of the diversity it enjoyed when several religions co-existed for centuries.
“Because of the centenary we decided last year and ordered the hotel, so we live just opposite where it happened,” said a Danish tourist, referring to the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
“We didn’t know this was the anniversary, but the media were full of it, we heard about it in the hotel, so we came to the centre out of curiosity to wander around and see what’s going on here,” a Hungarian visitor said.
As well as the regular souvenirs of Sarajevo, the centenary has spawned some other mementos – including the odd keepsake of the murdered Archduke and his assassin.
“Yesterday Gavrilo Princip was more popular, today it’s Franz Ferdinand, we’ll see what tomorrow brings,” said a shop owner.
Euronews correspondent Andrea Hajagos reported from Sarajevo:
“People from many different parts of the world have come here for the anniversary. Although the war here in the 1990s didn’t help relations between the Balkan nations, we even met some tourists from Bosnia’s neighbouring countries as well.”
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