Photo: Christian Maréchal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
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The siege of Sarajevo and the Tunnel of Hope
Your local guide
Amar Hodžić
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Highlights
- Sniper Alley and the Holiday Inn, explained
- A Sarajevo rose, the red mark of a mortar shell
- The Tunnel of Hope museum in Butmir
- The Olympic bobsled track, later a front line
- History told by a guide who lived through the siege
About this tour
This session follows the siege of Sarajevo through Sniper Alley, a preserved Sarajevo rose and the Tunnel of Hope museum in Butmir. You see the old Olympic bobsled track on the slopes of Trebević, used as a front line only years after it hosted the 1984 Games. Throughout, the guide draws on having lived through the siege as a child.
The guide opens with a sound check on the boulevard, then walks the route in roughly the order events unfolded, from the siege lines into the city to the tunnel that helped it survive. You can ask questions at any point, including about the guide's own memories of that time. A short list of the sites and their history follows afterwards.
This suits anyone with a serious interest in the Bosnian war or in Sarajevo's more recent history rather than its Ottoman old town. It also suits those who want this history explained by someone who lived through part of it.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 10 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Sarajevo before heading out.
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Sniper Alley 21 min
The camera moves along the wide boulevard once known as Sniper Alley, past the Holiday Inn that housed journalists through the siege. The guide points out where snipers had a clear line down the street and how residents crossed it.
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A Sarajevo rose 21 min
On the pavement the camera finds a Sarajevo rose, a mortar scar filled with red resin to mark where a shell killed someone. The guide explains why some scars were marked this way and others left plain.
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The Tunnel of Hope 21 min
Outside the Tunnel of Hope museum in Butmir the camera looks along the preserved section of tunnel that once supplied the city. The guide, who lived through the siege as a child, explains how families used it to move food and people.
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Trebević and the bobsled track 21 min
On the slopes above the city the camera follows the old Olympic bobsled track, its concrete run covered in graffiti and left to the forest. The guide explains its use as a front-line position after hosting the 1984 Winter Olympics.
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Your questions 18 min
Time to ask anything about Sarajevo: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 8 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Ćevapi and Baščaršija, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Sarajevo time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Sarajevo, showing you Sebilj Fountain and Latin Bridge live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Sarajevo live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Sarajevo time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Thu 5 Nov · 8 seats left From 29,00 €
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