Seduced by Sarajevo

Whenever I travel, there is always one place that I feel especially connected to. It was Hue in Vietnam, Shanghai in China, and Assisi and Stresa in Italy. Who knew on this trip that it would be Sarajevo in Bosnia/Hercegovina?

For some reason – only probably understandable on an intuitive level – I loved Sarajevo. I can’t pinpoint it, but perhaps it’s the city’s history and the part it played in World War 1. Perhaps it’s the embracing of its Turkish history, which is still very visible today and fascinating. Perhaps it’s the beautiful Austrian architecture that is also prominent in the built environment. Perhaps it’s the scars of the war from the early 1990s that are evident in bombed out buildings. Perhaps it’s the rebuilding of the city, which is turning it into a modern metropolis. Perhaps it’s the gypsies begging drivers while cars are stopped at traffic lights. And perhaps it’s the winding drive through stunning scenery: mountains, lakes, rivers, tiny villages. Or perhaps it’s the location of Sarajevo, which is nestled in the Olympic Mountains, 500 feet above sea level. Perhaps it’s the deep empathy I feel for its people, who are dragged frequently into wars.

It’s all of these things and more. I loved Sarajevo.