Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cost of living

What a month costs

Sarajevo is one of Europe's cheapest capitals. Rents and eating out stay low, but heating bills climb in the long winter and quality imported goods cost more than you expect.

The scores

How it rates for a moving family

See and do

Top 10 in Sarajevo

1. BascarsijaThe Ottoman-era old bazaar, the beating heart of the city, full of coppersmiths, mosques and cevapi grills.
2. SebiljThe wooden Ottoman fountain on Pigeon Square, the postcard image of Sarajevo.
3. Gazi Husrev-beg MosqueA grand 16th-century Ottoman mosque, the largest historic mosque in the country.
4. Latin BridgeThe spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, the spark of the First World War.
5. Sarajevo City Hall (Vijecnica)A striped pseudo-Moorish Austro-Hungarian landmark, now restored as the city library and a museum.
6. Sacred Heart CathedralThe neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral, a central meeting point on the pedestrian Ferhadija street.
7. Tunnel of HopeThe wartime siege tunnel under the airport runway, now a moving museum of survival.
8. Yellow FortressThe Zuta Tabija bastion above the old town, the go-to sunset viewpoint over the whole valley.
9. Trebevic cable carA short ride up the city mountain to viewpoints and the graffiti-covered abandoned Olympic bobsled track.
10. Vrelo BosneA spring park at the foot of Mount Igman, reached along the leafy Velika Aleja avenue by fiaker carriage.

Where to go

Weekend escapes

1. MostarTwo hours south to the rebuilt Stari Most bridge, turquoise Neretva river and old Herzegovinian stone lanes.
2. JahorinaThe 1984 Olympic ski mountain, half an hour away, with the best pistes and mountain hotels near the city.
3. Bjelasnica and IgmanMore Olympic slopes plus highland villages like Lukomir, great for skiing in winter and hiking in summer.
4. TravnikA ninety-minute drive to the old vizier town, its colourful cemetery, hillside fortress and blue-water Plava Voda spring.
5. JajceA medieval town where a waterfall drops right in the centre, backed by the Pliva lakes and watermills.

Coffee

Best cafes

1. Ministry of CejfA serious specialty coffee roaster and cafe that put third-wave brewing on the Sarajevo map.
2. Franz and SophieA calm tea house near the cathedral with hundreds of loose-leaf teas and light bites.
3. Zlatna RibicaA tiny, gloriously cluttered antique-filled bar and cafe near the eternal flame.
4. Caffe TitoA Yugonostalgia cafe on Wilson's Promenade decked out with old photos and communist memorabilia.
5. Torte i ToA beloved patisserie for coffee and cake, famous for its slices and a good spot to rest mid-stroll.

Restaurants

Where to eat

1. Kibe MahalaA hillside traditional restaurant with sweeping city views and slow-roasted lamb.
2. AvlijaA lively, plant-draped courtyard restaurant serving hearty Balkan home cooking.
3. DveriA cosy, storybook-cluttered spot near the bazaar for traditional Bosnian dishes.
4. Nanina KuhinjaGrandma's kitchen cooking, honest homestyle Bosnian plates near Bascarsija.
5. BarhanaA relaxed old-town courtyard known for cevapi, grilled meats and house rakija.
6. Cevabdzinica ZeljoThe iconic Bascarsija grill for cevapi in fresh somun bread, a local institution.
7. Cevabdzinica MrkvaAnother famous cevapi house with a loyal following and generous portions.

Morning

Best breakfast

1. Buregdzinica BosnaLegendary flaky burek and cheese pita by the Sebilj, the classic Sarajevo morning.
2. Buregdzinica ASDZPita baked under the sac with a big local following, best eaten early and hot.
3. Slasticarna RamisA long-running sweet shop for baklava, tufahija and strong coffee to start the day.
4. Slasticarna MetropolisA well-known cakes and coffee spot on Marsala Tita street for a sit-down morning.
5. Franz and SophieQuiet tea, pastries and a light plate if you want a gentler start than burek.