There are many amazing viewpoints in Sarajevo. Sarajevo is an amazing city not only thanks to its multiple panoramic viewpoints. On the one hand, Sarajevo is the type of a city where you can touch the history. Some streets and buildings which you can find on old photographs from the Siege look very similar nowadays. Also, a lot of people still remember the war as they experienced it when they were kids. Because of that, history is tangible in Sarajevo. On the other hand, it’s also a capital which is vividly stepping into the future. The youth spends their free time in Sarajevo just like in any other European capital. There are some such cool places which you won’t find anywhere else (take cafes or museums!). In Sarajevo, it’s equally easy to get lost in the puzzle of narrow cobbled streets where the only company are stray cats and to spend a nice afternoon with family or friends in one of many parks.
However, what is the most important for me, is that Sarajevo is a city spread over many hills from which you can get the best panoramic views and the most amazing sunsets ever. This also means that visiting a neighbour or buying bread in the morning could be called a “trekking” if you need to go to a hill next to your own, but hey, that’s an adventure in itself, isn’t it?
Avaz Twist Tower – the best viewpoint in Sarajevo to watch the sunset
Avaz Twis Tower is my favourite viewpoint of Sarajevo. If I had to choose top three places with the best view of Sarajevo, Avaz Twist Tower would be on that list. Avaz Twist Tower is conveniently located in the city centre and it’s a home to the Bosnian newspaper – Avaz. The building which offers a magnificent panorama of Sarajevo is 176 meters high and the observation deck is on the 36th floor. This means you can admire the sunset over Sarajevo, watch the traffic at your feet or even play a spy and see what locals are doing in their flats. ;-) The entrance fee costs 1KM which is a really low price considering how beautiful panoramic views you will get from the top.
Funny fact: each year in the summer there’s an Avaz Twis Tower run organised and those who sign up, have to run to the top of the tower and cover the distance of 780 steps. The winner gets a 800 KM prize. In 2013, a Pole won this race and run to the top of the Avaz Twist Tower in 3 minutes and 32 seconds.
The most popular viewpoint of Sarajevo – Yellow Fortress (Žuta tabija), Vratnik
This is the most popular panoramic spot in Sarajevo where you will also encounter the largest number of both locals and tourists. No wonder – the view from the Yellow Fortress (Žuta tabija) in Sarajevo is breathtaking. It’s conveniently located just a stone’s throw from the historic city centre. From the Yellow Fortress, you will see the panorama of the old town and the most recognisable Muslim cemetery. Also, if you stay AFTER the sunset, you will hear the Muslim prayers and if you add this to a really good view of the city, you will experience one of the best moments in Sarajevo.
It’s also from the Yellow Fortress that at the Holy Month of Ramadan, a cannon is fired after sunset to mark the end of fasting for the day.
Park Princeva, Iza Hrida 7 – perfect panoramic spot in Sarajevo
Park Princeva is one of the best viewpoints of Sarajevo. The story with me walking to Park Princeva is quite funny. I was actually planning to reach the Yellow Fortress but I somehow mixed up the roads and ended up at Park Princeva. Given the sunset and the panorama of Sarajevo that I saw from this restaurant was beautiful, I have no regrets. :)
Park Princeva is basically a restaurant located on one of the hills in Sarajevo. Once you enter, go to the outdoor balcony where you can find some tables. It’s an absolutely perfect spot to drink tea and just forget about everything else but the sunset itself. From that spot, you will see the whole centre of Sarajevo as well as some of the surrounding mountains (e.g. Barice village).
Hotel Hecco Deluxe, Ferhadija 2 – the best panoramic viewpoint in the heart of Sarajevo and the best place to drink coffee in Sarajevo
If you want to see the panorama of Sarajevo while being it the heart of the city, Hotel Hecco Deluxe is the right choice. It’s located on Ferhadija street, just at the Eternal Flame in Sarajevo. All you need to do is to take a lift, go to the top and enjoy the views.
At the top, there is an observation deck which gives you a panorama from all sides and there’s also a cafe. Even if the tables outside will be occupied, there are still some places inside left.
Ciglane neighbourhood – panoramic viewpoint on the past of Sarajevo
Ciglane isn’t a “tourist attraction” in the literal sense. It’s just a neighbourhood spread over a hill where you can take a fancy lift cruising up and down. From the top of Ciglane, you will see the panorama of Sarajevo. To be precise, the first thing that will probably strike you, will be a huge cemetery. A tangible sign of the war and the siege. And a stadium. I recommend going there even if this is not the most spectacular view you can get in Sarajevo. It’s where you can see the city as it is and not just the colourful and touristy centre.
Barice – panoramic viewpoint in Sarajevo for introverts and trekking lovers
It’s one more amazing viewpoint in Sarajevo. Sounds like a perfect spot to see panora of Sarajevo, doesn’t it? I went there totally by incident thanks to Nedim whom I met i Sarajevo. Barice is a village located right beside Sarajevo but it’s far away enough to be completely unavailable for “an average tourist”. We covered A LOT of kilometres hiking up on the hills of Barice and when the sun was slowly setting, we stopped to watch the panorama of Sarajevo. It’s the highest point I’ve been to and from there you will be able to see the whole centre as well as the biggest cemetery in Sarajevo. I didn’t risk staying on the hill until the sunset, though, only because I didn’t have any torch with me and some of the streets didn’t have lights.
If you are an introvert who cherishes moments of silence away form crowds, you will love this place.
Viewpoint from the Trebević mountain on the way to the abandoned bobsleigh track in Sarajevo
Trebevic is a mountain just a stone’s throw from Sarajevo but I didn’t have time to climb it. Instead, I decided to walk to the abandoned bobsleigh track dating back to the winter Olympic games hosted in Sarajevo in 1984. As soon as I left the asphalt road and houses behind and started walking on a path, I looked back and stopped in awe. There’s a really good view over the city from the face of the Trebevic mountain and the next time I am in Sarajevo, I am planning to climb to the top of it. I climbed the abandoned bobsleigh track in Sarajevo during the day and considering there were no sources of light up there, I wouldn’t risk going there after the dark. Not because I would be afraid of humans, but because some parts of the path, especially at the top, were very uneven and I actually managed to fall on my ass while walking during the day…:)
The panoramic spots and viewpoints in Sarajevo from where you can watch the sunset are those I’ve been to myself. I am aware though, that there are MANY more in Sarajevo. This city teems with amazing spots where you can just chill out and watch the sunset (or the sunrise if you are an early bird). If you want to read more, Destination Sarajevo also compiled quite a nice list of panoramic viewpoints in Sarajevo.
