Vanny On Tour: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina

Much like Kosovo, Bosnia And Hercegovina is a country which I knew about mostly from snippets on the news when growing up. Sarajevo was my next stop and I headed across the Serbian border and down the beautiful River Drina to the city. On arriving, I was advised that my van should be parked in a secure CCTV protected carpark with the stereo removed and the curtains tightly shut.

On entering the hostel, I found the staff in celebratory mood... but only because they had just received news that the terrorist who had opened fire at the US Embassy had been shot and taken into custody by police. I guess it was just another normal day in the BiH capital and I unpacked my things in the cheap Backpackers Hostel and went to bed.

In the morning I headed to Pidgeon Square, where the birds gather to pester old ladies for bread and the traditional coppersmiths churn out charming kitchenware and souvenir gifts at the market stalls. Just along from the market is the Gazi-Husrevbey Mosque which sticks up above the traditional low surroundings almost as much as the clock tower next door, standing right next to the mosque's minaret.

Down by the Miljacka River, there is a significant point in world history, the spot where archduke Franz Ferdinand was assasinated to kick off the beginning of the first world war. A bench now marks the spot by the infamous Latin Bridge with a museum across the road dedictated to the events. Crossing over the river brings you out at the excellent Sarajevskaya Brewery and the Pivnica Bar - the best place to try the excellent dark beer from the brewery.

In the centre of town stands the Eternal Flame which burns in memory of the victims of WW2. Dotted around the area are a number of nice buildings such as the Catholic and Orthodox cathedrals but also plenty of reminders of the complex civil war which ravaged the country between 1992 and 1995. Many buildings are still demolished wrecks surrounded by barbed wire while if you look at the ground, there are a few "Sarajevo Roses" (the points where Mortar shells hit the pavement and have since been filled in with red concrete in rememberance). Other buildings can be seen still covered with a spray of bullet holes.

Indeed, if ever a better explanation of the country's vivid history was needed, it can be found in the brilliant History Museum. Here you can find out plenty of information on the war along with examples of weapons, protective gear, homemade stoves and some pretty brutal pictures.

The neighbouring National Musuem is hardly as evocotive but gives a good indication of past living conditions and plenty of excavated treasures from bygone eras - including the £1-billion-worth Haggadah Book. Across the road is the frankly disgusting looking yellow and brown cube of the Holiday Inn where all the war-reporting journalists stayed to broadcast their news bulletins. The twin business towers next door were left as a flaming wreck and have since been rebuilt.

It takes a tram, a bus, and then a bit of a walk to reach one of the defining structures of Sarajevo's recent history, and even then it's buried underground. The Tunnel Museum next to the airport is a must-see in the city but there is only about 25m of the original passgeway which is still accessable.

When the UN managed to take hold of Sarajevo airport, it brought a small gap in the ring of Serb forces surrounding the city. Escaping through the airport was strictly suicide but an 800m tunnel was dug under the runway from both sides to meet in the middle and this was used to fetch supplies and weapons. It has now become a museum including a video of footage shot from inside the city limits during the conflict.

On my last day in the city I took a hike up to some of the older city fortifications. From here, you can see the recent expanse of little wooden houses stretching up the hills, the huge cemetaries of identical white obilisk gravestones, and the gradual rebuilding of the city centre.