Stand on the corner where Gazi Husrev-begova street meets Mula Mustafa Baseskija street at half past ten in the morning and you will hear the city introduce itself: the call to prayer from the mosques of Baščaršija, church bells, and the low hum of a bazaar that has been trading in the same lanes for centuries. Walk a few minutes in any direction and the architecture changes hands — Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, socialist, contemporary — without ever quite settling.
Sarajevo suits travellers who like their cities layered and walkable, who are happy to spend a morning on cobbles and an afternoon on a hillside, and who want history explained by the buildings themselves rather than by a plaque. It rewards curiosity and comfortable shoes more than a checklist.
This guide covers the landmarks of the old town and the few sights beyond it that are worth the trip out, followed by a one-day plan that strings the best of them together. Almost everything below sits within walking distance of Old Town, with two exceptions noted where they arise.
Top things to do in Sarajevo
1. Baščaršija
Baščaršija is the historic district and old bazaar of Sarajevo, and the natural place to begin. Cobbled streets, mosques and oriental-style shops sit at the heart of the city, and dozens of shops sell copperware, woodwork and sweets. Many historic monuments are grouped around Gazi Husrev-begova street.
The district is at its most atmospheric when the call to prayer starts and you can hear it while walking past a Catholic church, an Orthodox church or a synagogue. A free, tip-based walking tour starts every day at 10:30 at the crossing of Gazi Husrev begova street and Mula Mustafa Baseskija street (Velika Avlija 14) and covers most of Baščaršija in about two hours.
2. Sebilj
The Sebilj is a pseudo-Ottoman wooden fountain standing in the middle of an open square in the old town, built by Mehmed Pasha Kukavica in 1753 and moved to its current location in 1891. It offers shade and drinkable water, and the surrounding square takes its name — Pigeon Square — from the birds that swarm around it.
Feeding the pigeons is allowed, and a seller with a trolley sells corn to visitors. The fountain is accessible at all hours and free to use, which makes it an easy meeting point before or after a walk through the bazaar.
3. Sacred Heart Cathedral
The Sacred Heart Cathedral is the largest Christian cathedral in Bosnia and the seat of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, built in a Neo-Gothic style with Romanesque Revival elements and modelled on the Notre-Dame of Dijon. The Romanesque towers appear on the flag and coat of arms of Sarajevo, making the building a symbol of the city.
Inside, look for the main altar of Grisignano marble resting on columns of red Tyrolean marble, the frescoes completed in 1887, the grave of archbishop Stadler, and the stained-glass windows made by the Viennese workshop Tiroler Glasmalerei. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:30, and an English-language mass is held on Sundays at 12:00. Candles are available from the information desk at the entrance for 1 KM each, and photography is not allowed.
4. Morića Inn
Morića Inn, or Morića Han, is the only preserved Ottoman inn in Sarajevo, built in 1551 under Gazi Husrev-Beg's endowment. It once served as a caravanserai and now houses a carpet shop and a traditional restaurant, and occasionally hosts exhibitions.
Stairs on either side of the inner patio lead up to the first-floor rooms, and Persian calligraphic inscriptions from poems by Omar Khayyám decorate the building. The entrance is on the south side of the block, from Sarači street, and it is open 08:00–22:15. Entry is free, and it pairs naturally with the rest of the bazaar around Gazi Husrev-begova street.
5. Clock Tower
The Clock Tower, or Sahat-kula, stands next to the Gazi Husrev-bey's Mosque and dates back to the 17th century. It displays the time on all four sides and is unusual in showing lunar time, counting hours to the moment of sunset rather than to midnight, which is why the hands sit at twelve at every sunset and the mechanism needs recalibrating every two to three days.
The tower cannot be visited, but you can stand at its base by following the tunnel leading to Pekara Imaret right next to the tower. Read it as part of a walk along Gazi Husrev-begova street rather than as a stop in itself.
6. Tašlihan
Tašlihan was one of the three stone caravanserais of Sarajevo, alongside the Morića Han and Kolobara Han, and is believed to have been the largest and most representative inn of its kind in the region. It had a square foundation, guest rooms on two levels and a fountain in the courtyard, and was built with lead cupolas unlike the other two inns.
Fires damaged the building repeatedly and the last one, in 1879, destroyed it; the remaining rubble was cleared in 1912 except for the shared wall with the bezestan. The site is open at all hours and free, and sits close to Latinska ćuprija, so it works as a short stop between the bazaar and the river.
7. Avaz Twist Tower
The Avaz Twist Tower is the easiest way to orient yourself in the city: a distinctive twisted tower completed in 2008, hosting the media company Dnevni avaz. A café-bar and restaurant sit on Level 35, reached by lift with free access.
From there you pay 2 KM in coins to pass the turnstile and walk upstairs to Level 36, which has an observation deck with an outside walkway. The tower is open 07:00–22:00 and stands about 100 m east of the railway station, so it is best combined with a arrival or departure by train rather than folded into an old-town walk. Note that the café-bar and restaurant are smoky and the food and service are not a reason to go.
8. Veliki Park
Veliki Park, or Great Park, is the largest green area in the centre of Sarajevo. It sits between Titova, Koševo, Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets, and in its lower part there is a monument dedicated to the Children of Sarajevo.
Use it as a breather between the dense streets of the centre and the hillside neighbourhoods above, particularly on a warm afternoon when you want shade without leaving the city.
9. Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne, the source of the Bosna river near Ilidža in west Sarajevo, is a notable natural landmark and a popular destination for Sarajevans and other tourists. It is one of the two sights in this guide that sit outside the old town, so plan it as a half-day rather than a detour.
Because it lies to the west of the centre, it is best paired with the Avaz Twist Tower, which stands near the railway station on the same side of the city.
10. Tunnel Museum
The Tunnel Museum is the other landmark outside Old Town, and the Wikivoyage listing notes it alongside Vrelo Bosne as an exception to the rule that the city's landmarks cluster in the centre. It is the sight to choose if you want the siege years represented in your visit rather than only the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian layers.
Treat it as a separate trip from the old-town walking route and give it its own slot rather than trying to squeeze it between bazaar stops.
If you only have one day
Morning. Join the free walking tour at 10:30 at the crossing of Gazi Husrev begova street and Mula Mustafa Baseskija street (Velika Avlija 14), which covers most of Baščaršija in about two hours. Stay in the bazaar afterwards: see the Sebilj in Pigeon Square, walk Gazi Husrev-begova street past the Clock Tower, and step into the Morića Inn through the Sarači street entrance.
Afternoon. Visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Trg Fra Grge Martića, open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00–17:30, then walk the short distance to Tašlihan near Latinska ćuprija. If the day is warm, finish with an hour in Veliki Park.
Evening. Take the lift to Level 35 of the Avaz Twist Tower for the café-bar, pay 2 KM in coins to reach the Level 36 observation deck, and watch the city from above before dinner. The tower is open until 22:00.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to leave Old Town to see the main sights?
No. With the exception of the Tunnel Museum and the Bosna spring, all the landmarks covered here are in or within walking distance of Old Town.
Is there a walking tour, and when does it start?
Yes. A free, tip-based walking tour starts every day at 10:30 at the crossing of Gazi Husrev begova street and Mula Mustafa Baseskija street, at Velika Avlija 14, and covers most of Baščaršija over about two hours.
Is there an app for navigating the sights?
The municipality of Sarajevo provides an app called "Guide2Sarajevo" for Android and iOS. It contains a map with sights and restaurants as well as themed walking routes of two to six hours, using your phone as an audio guide, and it works without mobile internet because the files download on installation.
Can I go up the Avaz Twist Tower?
Yes. The lift to the Level 35 café-bar is free, and from there you pay 2 KM in coins to pass the turnstile and reach the Level 36 observation deck with its outside walkway. The tower is open 07:00–22:00.
Pick your dates, book somewhere in or near Old Town, and let the bazaar set the pace of your first morning.