For many of us the name Sarajevo conjures up images of an awful war so I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for a Photo Tour that started in this Balkan city. 

What I found? Peaceful and pleasant. It is a blend of East and West cultures and religions all living comfortably. The center city, like many old cities around the world,  has been turned into a destinations for tourists. Restaurants. Shops. Ice cream. Visitors from all over.  I saw women in head to toe Burkas and women in shorts and super trendy duds.  

Most memorable is that  there are major Orthodox Christian, Catholic Churches and Mosques all peacefully existing within walking distance of each other.  It’s one thing to read about the diversity of religions, it is another to see and experience it. I could see a Mosque out my hotel window and enjoyed the Call to Prayer through out the day. I loved visiting that Mosque when there were several weddings happening with photography in the courtyard.  I love seeing the happy couples and the brides in their gorgeous gowns. 

The city hall has been restored  Hapsburg style with the requisite city sign in front.  I had to capture that, of course, but really enjoyed finding a spot on the river for a reflection.  Inside our group spent an hour trying to get just the right shot of the ceiling. It was gorgeous.  

We took a drive out of the center city to see the cemetery for the solders of the Bosnian War, an awful time for these people from 1994-1995.  I couldn’t begin to capture the number of grave sites there were so many winding down the hill side.  Nearby I noticed some old Ottoman style graves in a rather random arrangement.  

We did see a burned out barracks that has never been restored, a reminder to all of the awful time this city experienced.

On a happier note, this was a charming encounter.  At one point I spotted this lady watching us out her window. When I indicated I wanted to take her picture she happily smiled, but then ran inside to take the curlers out of her hair and spiffed up a bit for our cameras.  

The Photo Tour was organized by Fantastic Photo Tours.  We traveled to five countries in the Balkan region September 2024.