Bascarsija - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Bascarsija
About
Bascarsija is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Bascarsija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Isakovic founded the town. The word Bascarsija derives from the Turkish language. The word "bas" which is "bas" in Turkish literally means "head", in some contexts however also "primary", "main", "capital" and "carsija" which is "carsi" in Turkish means "bazaar" or "market". Due to the large fire in the 19th century, today Bascarsija is half the size that it once was. Bascarsija is located on the north bank of the river Miljacka, in the municipality of Stari Grad. On Bascarsija there are several important historic buildings, such as the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and sahat-kula. Today Bascarsija is the major tourist attraction of Sarajevo.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • AndyJohn74
    Sans Souci, Australia3,485 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Old Bazaar of Sarajevo.
    This is the name given to the Bazaar in the old part of Sarajevo. This precinct sustained significant damage during the war of the 1990s, however, has been lovingly restored to its former glory. Lots of little stores and lots of eateries.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written May 25, 2023
  • SnowyShasta
    Portland, Oregon2,193 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Heart of Sarajevo's old town
    This bazaar area is the very heart of the old town of Sarajevo. It has lots of shops and mosques, and the large square at the center is wonderful for people (and pigeon!) watching. It was fairly crowded and touristy when we visited, but it's still well worth seeing it and enjoying the streets and shops.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 5, 2023
  • he_man_o
    Bellevue, Washington57 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    perfect old town with lots to see
    charming old town with Austrian and Turkish vibes. tons of hand crafted wares and local eats. worth a couple hours to walk around, snack and piddle. Recommend baklava at 'baklava ducan' and local grilled meat at 'cevabdzinic petica'
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 19, 2023
  • Ellen C
    Bedford, United Kingdom94 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Special Place
    Walking around Bascarsija is like visiting Istanbul. So cosmopolitan with mosques, churches and synagogues within close distance of each other. Beautiful architecture displaying the Ottoman and Austro-Hungrian occupation and influence. This is a very special place with cobbled winding lanes leading to coffee houses, restaurants, shops selling fresh lokum and antiques. It is quite easy to lose a few hours exploring.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 29, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,075 reviews
Excellent
2,115
Very good
754
Average
166
Poor
30
Terrible
10

GDB G
5 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Solo
Old Town Sarajevo is nice. Undoubtedly. Worth a day or even two to explore. Looks lovely mostly, with some tired parts. I'm going to break with tradition though, as I really really disliked the food here! Tried all kinds of Bosnian food but honestly I don't think any of the restaurants I ate at deserve any stars at all. From absolutely unbelievably miserable waiters, downright rudeness, plus the food itself, I wouldn't even recommend 1 restaurant here. Swimming in grease, oil and as touristy as it gets. I ended up totally avoiding eating anywhere near here. But, the old town is genuinely lovely, just avoid the food and horrible souvenir rubbish.
Written April 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

he_man_o
Bellevue, WA57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
charming old town with Austrian and Turkish vibes. tons of hand crafted wares and local eats. worth a couple hours to walk around, snack and piddle. Recommend baklava at 'baklava ducan' and local grilled meat at 'cevabdzinic petica'
Written September 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Olivjl91
Miami, FL15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Solo
Bascarsija is a great place to visit in Sarajevo. You can smell history in the air and if you wanna have a nice Bosnian food, this is the right place. You can buy so many nice souvenirs and if you like crowded places with good options to spend the day, this is one of them. You can take amazing pics and visit so many different restaurants and shops. Don't hesitate visiting it, you won't regret it.
Written November 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WITY TRAVELS
179 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021
The fountain is one of the main symbols of this area of Sarajevo, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. It sits in Baščaršija which is Sarajevo's old bizarre and historical center. One translation of the name means main market. This was once a medieval marketplace during the Ottoman period and it suffered major damage from fires during the Austro-Hungarian time period. When the parts of this area that were destroyed by the fire were rebuilt, it created the style clash that there is today with the original buildings. This market is huge. There are several streets and cross streets allowing you to spend lots of time shopping.
Written March 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SnowyShasta
Portland, OR2,193 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
This bazaar area is the very heart of the old town of Sarajevo. It has lots of shops and mosques, and the large square at the center is wonderful for people (and pigeon!) watching. It was fairly crowded and touristy when we visited, but it's still well worth seeing it and enjoying the streets and shops.
Written July 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AndyJohn74
Sans Souci, Australia3,485 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
This is the name given to the Bazaar in the old part of Sarajevo. This precinct sustained significant damage during the war of the 1990s, however, has been lovingly restored to its former glory. Lots of little stores and lots of eateries.
Written May 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thomas G
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,689 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Yes, it is tourist, yes it is crowded, but it is so cozy and fantastic. There are a lot of restaurant and bars (a lot without alcohol), mosques, great squares, fountains and lovely people. This is the area you will be for most time in Sarajevo.
Written October 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ellen C
Bedford, UK94 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
Walking around Bascarsija is like visiting Istanbul. So cosmopolitan with mosques, churches and synagogues within close distance of each other.

Beautiful architecture displaying the Ottoman and Austro-Hungrian occupation and influence.

This is a very special place with cobbled winding lanes leading to coffee houses, restaurants, shops selling fresh lokum and antiques. It is quite easy to lose a few hours exploring.
Written October 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chel1304
Antigua272 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
Lovely to visit in the day time & try the local food specialities ... nice shops, although to much of the same tourist type (fridge magnets & pashmina galore)...

Nice coffee shops..
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Max S
Yazoo City, MS19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Family
The most interesting place we have ever visited. So different from any other. Felt perfectly safe all the time and can't wait to return. Delicious foods we had never tried and beautiful scenery. Plenty of modern conveniences as well as old world charm and history. The people were always friendly and helpful.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Bascarsija - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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