Sarajevo Jewish Cemetery

Join us for a comprehensive guided car tour and explore Sarajevo's war history. Our tour offers unique insights into the challenging four-year period when the city and its residents faced constant bombing threats. You will have the opportunity to visit key locations from the 1992 to 1995 war, following the Siege of Sarajevo. Our tour also includes observing remnants of monuments that have been strategically preserved as reminders, emphasizing the collective commitment to preventing such events from recurring. Enhance your understanding of wartime experiences with a narrative about the Tunnel of Hope, accompanied by a short movie created during that period. Take a moment for contemplation at the site of one of the largest massacres at Markale Market. Then, proceed to the Yellow Fortress to witness the best panorama of Sarajevo. Your friendly tour guide will provide insights into the dissolution of Yugoslavia and how Sarajevo came under siege. Let's continue the tour by car to the Olympic complex and its cemetery. Here, we can learn about its role as the host of the 1984 Olympic Games, just a few years before the Bosnian War unfolded. This immersive experience will provide us with a deeper understanding of the historical events that shaped Sarajevo during this tumultuous period.

Travelers that want a comprehensive overview of Sarajevo shouldn't miss this citywide guided tour, combining walking and driving, so you can see all the top sights. From historic churches, mosques and markets of the Old Town, to a museum commemorating the Siege of Sarajevo, visitors get an overview of the city, its history, and culture. Highlights include exploring the older parts of the city, taking in views from Trebevic Mountain, and sipping an included Bosnian coffee. Explore Sarajevo on this comprehensive, small-group sightseeing tour Visit top sights, from the Ottoman Old Town through Austro - Hungarian City Center towards brutalist Yugoslav archithecure. See more than a typical tour, since you walk and drive to top attractions. On this tour we cover History and Culture, War times, Nature and Olympics. Don't worry about getting around, with pickup by private vehicle included

The first stop on your tour will be the city of Konjic, one of the oldest towns in the country with archaeological traces dating back 4,000 years. The written documents date way back from 14th century, but the appearance of the town as it stands today started to form once the Ottomans came onto the scene. Utilizing a well-maintained road, you will then weave through a landscape of beautiful Bosnian canyons, mountains, lakes, and historic towns to reach Sarajevo. Your second stop is the most famous museum: the Tunnel of Hope. There you will learn about the position of the museum and its famous mark in front of the entrance named "Sarajevo Rose". After seeing a short movie, a 1-hour long presentation starts which will explain the fall of Yugoslavia, the war in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the creation and importance of the tunnel.  Following the tunnel, you'll advance towards the 1984 Olympics mountain of Trebević. It is the closest mountain to the center of Sarajevo and was part of the front line during the siege of Sarajevo. At this site you will have the opportunity to see and walk on the former bobsleigh and luge track, experiencing the most beautiful panoramic views of Sarajevo which unfortunately were also the main positions of the enemy army.   Just under the Trebevic Mountain lies the second-largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. The cemetery contains unique-shaped tombstones that can only be seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is believed their shape is influenced by medieval Bosnian tombstones named "Stecak". Once finished with the Jewish Cemetery, you will head to Sarajevo Old Town for a traditional Bosnian lunch. Following lunch the best way to explore the city is a walking tour. Your tour guide will accentuate to you a combination of Oriental, European, and Yugoslav influences, which create uniqueness and beauty seen nowhere else but Sarajevo. You'll see Muslim, Catholic Christian, Orthodox Christian, and Jewish architecture just a few minutes away from each other, whilst listening to Muslim calls to prayer at the same time as the sound of bells from nearby churches. You'll learn about the assassination that triggered World War I, as well as how Muslims and Jews protected each other through the different wars. At the conclusion of your scenic and education experience, it will be time to return to Mostar.

In general, the Jews in the Ottoman Empire were treated well and acknowledged as "the people of the book." Despite certain limitations, Jewish communities thrived with significant autonomy, including the right to purchase real estate. Synagogues were constructed, and trade flourished throughout the Ottoman Empire. By 1856, the Ottoman State granted full equality to Jews and other non-Muslim subjects. When exploring Sarajevo on various tours, rich Jewish history is a prevalent topic. The Sarajevo Jewish Tour commences with a visit to the Old Jewish Temple, now known as The Jewish Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on five centuries of the local Jewish community. The tour delves into Sarajevo's trade network, emphasizing the developmental impact of Jewish merchants. Participants can listen to traditional Bosnian music, such as sevdalinka, and discover its connection to Sefardic religious songs. The tour proceeds to the Ashkenazi Synagogue, the only active synagogue in Sarajevo today. Participants explore former synagogue buildings, including the Bosnian Cultural Center, once a grand Jewish temple with Moorish-style architecture. Additionally, the tour highlights landmarks like the first Jewish school, Jewish Villa AMA, and the Salom Family Palace. A specific segment of the tour concentrates on the enduring traditions and customs of Jews in Sarajevo. Visitors are captivated by the remarkable 700-year-old Sarajevo Haggadah, a compilation of stories written in 14th-century Barcelona, brought to Sarajevo by a Jewish family in the 16th century. Despite surviving three wars, the Haggadah remains a vital artifact at the National Museum, representing an integral part of Jewish heritage in Bosnia. The tour concludes with a visit to the Sarajevo Jewish Cemetery, the second largest in Europe. This mixed cemetery holds the graves of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews, providing insights into important individuals buried there and recounting the tragic history of the Jewish population during World War II. Notably, the cemetery's significance during the Bosnian War in the '90s is explored, highlighting its destruction as a strategic location. Despite many Jews leaving the city during the war, their gratitude for Sarajevo's support is evident through foundations and trusts established to aid the besieged city. The tour visits the following monuments and highlights: • Old Jewish Temple • New Temple Gallery • Ashkenazi Synagogue • First hotel in Sarajevo • Grand Jewish Temple • First Jewish secondary school • First Jewish credit foundation • Jewish villa AMA in Sarajevo • Old Jewish cemetery • Ješua D. Salom Mansion • Second oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe • National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina • Sarajevo Haggadah

Visit the most important sights of Sarajevo in one day. We combined Nature, Culture, History, War and Olympics into one full day tour with licensed guide to give you full picture of our capital. We will go through complete history as empires changed, religions that came, people that are still here, our culture that we want to present to you. We make breaks with tasting Bosnian Coffee and traditional Cevapcici lunch. By choosing this tour you don't have to worry about public transportation as we included pick up transfer from your accommodation and entrance fee's to sights. We start in the morning with hotel pick up and drive to the Old Town for a walking tour and learn about the rich Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and modern history of Sarajevo. On the way we stop at handcraft street, taste Bosnian coffee and after walking tour we taste Bosnian traditional Cevapcici dish. From Old Town we drive to Yellow fortress for beautiful panoramic view of the city and ftrom there continue to Olympic mountain Trebevic for visit of the Bobsled track from XIV Winter Olympics. Next topic we cover is War, so we visit Sniper Alley, Snipers nest (Jewish cemetery) and famous Tunnel museum, so you can understand Siege of Sarajevo. One more sight to visit before hotel is Vrelo Bosne - Bosna river springs nature park We finish the tour driving you back to your accommodation, or leaving you in the Old Town - as per your wish

The Siege of Sarajevo | Fall of Yugoslavia Tour is an ideal tour for getting to know better the historical facts about the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina guided by our experienced tourist guides. Sarajevo is famous as a city where the setting for the outbreak for WWI started, but also for the longest siege and war in period from 1992-1995. The political crisis of 1990s led to the fall of Yugoslavia, shortly after that the armed conflicts were initiated. The only capital of the Yugoslav Republics that was besieged was Sarajevo during long 1,425 days, which is considered the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. During the siege, the citizens of Sarajevo experienced shortage of food, water, electricity, medicine, necessities, and atrocities unimaginable for the late 20th century. Step into Sarajevo's powerful history with our Tunnel of Hope tour. This journey takes you through the heart of Sarajevo's resilience and strength during the longest siege in modern history. You'll explore the Tunnel of Hope- a lifeline for the besieged city. You will hear personal stories and insights into how people of Sarajevo survived with courage and unity. Join us for an experience that goes beyond history book and connects you to the city's indomitable spirit. At the beginning of the tour, we will pass by the open market Markale, place where the biggest massacres occurred during the siege, later on by the Eternal Flame, a famous memorial to the victims of WWII, as well as by the memorial to the murdered children of besieged Sarajevo. We will pass by the Presidency building, an important building for the development of events at the beginning of the war, and later on by the former Holiday Inn Hotel, where members of the international press stayed while reporting about the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Afterwards, we will pass through the Sniper Alley, one of the most dangerous zones in the city, and arrive to the one of the most important museums – the Tunnel of Hope, which connected Sarajevo with the exterior world and was the only hope for the survival of the city and its inhabitants. Our tours are always enriched by the interesting and intriguing untold stories about life in Sarajevo before and after the siege.

Explore the dark history of Sarajevo on a guided tour of the city's most significant and somber sites. Visit the Markale Market, the Memorial for the Children Killed in Sarajevo, and the Tunnel of Hope. Pass through Sniper Alley and see the Olympic Bobsleigh Track. Start your tour with a visit to the Markale Market, where tragic massacres occurred. Continue to the Memorial for the Children Killed in Sarajevo, a monument that honors the memory of the children who died as a result of the Siege of Sarajevo. On your way to the Tunnel of Hope, pass through Sniper Alley, the most dangerous street in Sarajevo during the siege, under constant threat of sniper fire. Arrive at the Tunnel of Hope, a crucial site and must-visit landmark for anyone exploring the Siege of Sarajevo. This 800-meter-long underground passage was constructed during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995) and served as a vital lifeline for the city’s residents. Walk through a portion of the tunnel, allowing you to experience firsthand the cramped and challenging conditions faced by those who used it. The museum within the Tunnel of Hope displays a collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents related to the tunnel and the siege. Watch a compelling film that shows how the tunnel was dug and provides dramatic footage of the city under siege. Visit Trebević Mountain, which was once a symbol of Sarajevo's Olympic pride but later became a critical site during the siege. See the Olympic Bobsleigh Track, built for the 1984 Winter Olympics, now stands as a haunting reminder of the conflict, its concrete curves adorned with graffiti that echoes the city's enduring spirit. During the siege, the Jewish Cemetery became a dividing line and suffered damage as it was used as a strategic vantage point by snipers, resulting in significant casualties among Sarajevo’s residents. Visit Lav Cemetery, the final resting place of Sarajevo’s tragic lovers, often referred to as "Romeo and Juliet," and the world-renowned photographer Kurt Schork, whose work brought global attention to the siege. Finally, the Yellow Fortress offers breathtaking panoramic views of Sarajevo, as well as a profound connection to the city’s history and its fight for independence. From this vantage point, see the entire city spread out below, including the cemetery where those who gave their lives for an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina are laid to rest.