Hidden Gems of Sarajevo That Most Tourists Never See

There are so many guides of the city of Sarajevo, featuring well known touristic points such as Baščaršija, Sebilj, The Sacred Heart Cathedral, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and so many more. You will find those places easily by typing Sarajevo touristic attractions in your favorite Internet browser. But if you are looking for some off the beaten track places, than this guide is the one for you so continue reading and enjoy.

Dariva 

Our tour starts at national library better known as Vijećnica. Another place you will easily learn about by searching the Internet.

Walk pass Vijećnica going opposite direction from Miljacka river flow. And don’t worry, we will not trick you to leave Sarajevo.
Walk for some 200 hundred meters, pass by wooden pedestrian bridge and just after 50 meters, on your right side, you will see another famous restaurant of Sarajevo named Bentabša (bent – embankment or dam).

Term Bentbasa originates from 1462, and this is where Sarajevo was settled, on the foundations of the medieval village Brodac where Isa Bey chose to construct his endowments.

Just continue your walk following the restaurant and soon you will find yourself in the Ambassadors’ Alley where trees were planted personally by many ambassadors who were part of diplomacy core in Bosnian and Herzegovina. Each tree has a sign indicating the name of the official who planted it.

This entire area is called Dariva after Josef Da Riva, Austrian with Italian roots, who moved in Sarajevo at the end of 19th century. He built his house and tavern where he served his own wine. He is remembered as a first winemaker of Sarajevo.

On this 8 kilometers long walk to Goat bridge (Kozija ćuprija) you will find an climbing area, a favorite spot for anyone enjoying free-climbing and bouldering.

Get in touch with No Comment club to arrange some free-climbing time if you are adrenalin junkie otherwise just continue your walk and soon you will reach a first milestone of our walk 16th century stone bridge built by the Ottomans.

The Goat’s Bridge

The Goat’s bridge is made of white marble stone called hreša, with one main arch and two round openings. The bridge was a part of Carigrad (old name for Istanbul) road, which, during the Ottoman Empire went from Sarajevo to the eastern parts of the empire, and all the way to Istanbul. This place was used to escort pilgrims to Hajj and Jerusalem.

Two legends are telling the story about construction of the Goat’s bridge. According to the first one, a shepherd noticed one of his goats has stayed for a long time at some bushes so he took a look under and found a jar full of gold. He decided to use the gold to educate himself and later on build a bridge in the same place where his goat pointed to the treasures.
Another legend says the gold was found by two brothers, Sinan and Mehmed, and in this story, a goat also pointed to the treasure. Brothers  vowed to build a bridge and a mosque out of this gold. In both legends, the bridge was named in the memory of a goat finding the gold.

Šejhova korija

Once you cross the bridge, on your left side you will notice a country road and eventually reach the leftovers of the old Austrian railroad used by famous Ćiro train leading to town of Visegrad.

This time we will take a turn on the right and walk straight upwards until the road signs Šejhova korija (koru, Turkish=hill, grove) on your right and Ebu Hajat wellhead on your left.
Mevlevi sufis (Sufi order that originated from Konya also known as the “whirling dervishes” due to their famous practice) erected a čardak (wooden house) on the hill you have just reached and named it Šejhova korija after a sheikh (šejh in Bosnian) which is a sufi  authorized to teach, initiate and guide aspiring dervishes (members of a Sufi tekke).
This place was used prior to building an official Mevlevi tekke (meeting and living center of a Sufi fraternity), one kilometer from this spot after Isa Bey Ishaković’s arrival.
But even after building the tekke, this place was used for sufis gatherings “kušanme” festivities, where guild apprentices were promoted to journeymen and then to masters, celebrating the first day of spring (Sultan Nevruz), the birthday of Hazrat Ali, iftars were held here (iftar is a meal served is the evening with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset) and so on.
Unfortunately the čardak was destroyed, so it was the tekke. But over 250 years old turbe (tomb) of sheikh Ahmed and Abdalmahmut, represents this place of spiritual history and so is a small cave in the very foothills near Korija.

The cave was used for the 40-day long solitude of sufis, which they did for the sake of their spiritual progress.
There is no much information about sheikhs Ahmed and Abdalmahmut. Poet Sebleti from Sarajeva has written a poem about Sultan Ahmedu and Abdal Mahmutu in 1662 or 1663 mentioning the turbe where they were buried. Also there is a legend saying these are the graves of the first sejhs of Isa Bey tekke who were also hafizi of Mathnawi (people who knew Mathnawi by heart).
Enjoy the magnificent view to Bijela Tabija, take some photos and than make a short walk to Ebu Hajat spring.

The Ebu Haat wellhead never dried up, and it was believed that the water was holy. Sarajevo’s people would take the water home with them, and it was from this spot that they offered provisions to travelers on the Carigrad road.

Once you take a sip of water and fill up your bottle, go down the hill and CAREFULLY cross the road. It’s really a busy one and there is no real cross over nearby. Once you are on the other side of the road, turn on your left, walk some 50 meters and on your right you will notice a downhill road. Take it and in some minutes you will reach Baščaršija.

Sarajevo’s House of Spite

End your tour by enjoying a delicious Bosnian meal or coffee in Sarajevo’s House of Spite restaurant (Inat kuća) placed just opposite the Vijećnica.

While enjoying your meal, read a story and find out why it was named so.