The most historically layered city in the Balkans has a bar and music scene centred on Baščaršija's cobblestone lanes, with the Sarajevo Jazz Festival each November as its annual peak.
The Sarajevo Jazz Festival runs annually in late October or early November. Exact dates are confirmed in September at jazzfest.ba.
Sarajevo sits in the Miljacka River valley at 511m, surrounded by the mountains that formed the 1984 Winter Olympics venues (Bjelašnica, Jahorina) and the same hills from which the city was besieged for 1,425 days from 1992 to 1995. The historical density is unlike anywhere else in Europe: the Baščaršija Ottoman bazaar quarter, the Austro-Hungarian Vijećnica (City Hall, rebuilt after Bosnian War burning), the Latin Bridge where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, and the Tunnel of Hope through which the besieged city was supplied — all within a 2km radius.
The bar and nightlife scene is concentrated in Baščaršija and the Ferhadija pedestrian zone. Zlatna Ribica (literally Golden Fish), a bar with hundreds of hanging objects covering every surface, is the most distinctive venue in the city and a genuinely worth-visiting space beyond its function as a bar. The Sarajevo Jazz Festival in late October or early November has run since 1994 and hosts international jazz artists at the National Theatre and Dom Armije concert hall. Tickets cost BAM 15-50 (£6-20). The city is one of the cheapest in Europe: a beer costs BAM 2-4 (80p-£1.60), a home-cooked Bosnian meal costs BAM 8-15 (£3.20-6).
Party hostels within reach of Sarajevo's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
Start at Baščaršija square (Sebilj fountain is the meeting point). The lanes radiating from it have the highest bar density: Jabučica, Zlatna Ribica, Čajdžinica Džirlo (for Bosnian tea and hookah). Drink prices: beer BAM 2-4, Bosnian coffee BAM 1.50-2.50, burek (pastry) BAM 2-4 from the late-night bakeriesopen until 3am. The Ferhadija pedestrian zone east of Baščaršija has more modern cocktail bars at slightly higher prices (BAM 5-9 for a cocktail).
The National Theatre of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Obala Kulina Bana hosts the main Jazz Festival concerts. Doors at 7.30pm; main performances 8.30pm-11pm. Tickets from BAM 15-50 depending on artist and seat. Dom Armije (the Army House, a grand Austro-Hungarian building) hosts additional festival events. After the concerts, the bar circuit in Baščaršija continues until 2-3am.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
