Europe and the Adriatic

We spent the morning touring the old part of Sarajevo. Old is not actually an appropriate description as many old buildings were destroyed or significantly damaged during the Bosnian war that sought the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Bosnian Croats and Bosniacs from 1991 to late 1995.

Many of the buildings damaged have been repaired but we saw many remaining with bullet pockmarks and crumbled walls where mortars and other artillery shells fell.

We drank beer at Sarajevo Brewry, founded in 1864. The underground spring beneath the brewery was, for many residents, the only source of water during the 4 year siege and many were killed by snipers and artillery attacks as they sought to fill water containers.

The population where we are staying is predominantly of a moderate Muslim faith tradition tho there are Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish populations as well.Read more