July 5, 2009 – Day 192 – Sarajevo, Bosnia

Today we walked all over the smallish city and eventually found ourselves standing in the spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Very strange to be standing on the very spot where the beginning of the first World War was begun. There used to also be a sign showing the exact spot where the assassin stood on the river bank but it has long since disappeared

The bridge

Sarajevo is a really surprising city and quite charming. It is scarred and old, unblemished and modern. It is a place worth visiting and the entire country is quite beautiful all on its own.

Dusk in the square

We came here originally to visit a castle that was used as a US military station in the conflict in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, due to a situation with the bus network it is much more difficult and costly to visit than we imagined and instead we are spending a few days in Sarajevo and loving it! Its such an odd balance between Eastern Europe and the huge Turkish influence here. Mosques and the call to prayer along side pork sausage wraps and traditional dancers.