Fancy hitting somewhere other than Spain this summer? Keen to go somewhere less touristy than Croatia? If you haven’t booked your holiday yet,then may we humbly suggest getting ahead of the masses and heading to Bosnia – more specifically Sarajevo. Book it quickly, though – according to a new poll by AirBnB, visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina are up a whopping 172 per cent.
We asked Debrief reader and Sarajevo native Aleks Bilic to fill us in on what sort of things you can do while you're there. According to her, you're best off starting with the city centre. ‘It’s like a mini Istanbul and harks back to when Sarajevo was under Ottoman rule,' she says. 'Buy some trinkets from the men outside Dibek, then head inside for some shisha and Bosnian coffee.'
Make sure you visit the Austro-Hungarian area, too – apparently it’s where Franz Ferdinand was shot (the archduke, not the band, obvs) and there’s a cool museum and loads of cake shops. ‘Vatra, Cairo, Palma and Sweet Corner are the best,' reveals Aleks.
If it’s nightlife you’re after, you’re best avoiding tourist traps and heading to the same places as the locals. Aleks says: ‘Start your night right in the centre at Barhana for strong local rakija home-brewed brandies, which come in flavours such as cherry, peach, walnut and plum (not for the faint-hearted). Or knock back a Sarajevska beer, brewed with fresh mountain water, which is what they say makes it taste so good. Next, head to
, a nightclub which has been going strong for so many generations (my grandparents went dancing there!) and has various DJs and concerts throughout the week.’
If you’re wondering when to plan your visit, Aleks recommends August, explaining, ‘The Sarajevo Film Festival is usually on in August and the whole city is a nonstop party for 10 days – it feels like one big street festival. Brad and Ange have attended in the past, so have Mickey Rourke ad Juliet Binoche.'
*Here’s a few places to stay....
This apartment that definitely knows the meaning of the word 'distressed' (in a good way)
**This sleek and swanky minimalist number **
**This spacious guy comes with a pool table **
Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.