Wikipedia travel invitingly describes Sarajevo as one of the most historically interesting and varied cities in Europe. Set in a mountain valley, it is astounding to look out over the city and realize that for 1,300 days between 1992 and 1995 the city was under a medieval-style siege determined to cut off food, water, electricity and telephones. It was the longest lasting siege in modern European history. Then its population was about 300,000 and today it is still not a huge city.

We came in after a very long drive out of Bulgaria, across Serbia and into Bosnia finally climbing down alpine mountains and through narrow valleys into a city under lock down traffic control–the City Hall was opening after renovation and repair from the siege–all of Sarajevo was turned out to celebrate!! Redirected by the police and helped many times by locals we are in and settled surrounded by the buzz of celebration.

For the most part, the city has physically recovered from the majority of the war damage caused by the Yugoslav Wars. About 400.000 people live in its very livable, vibrant and busy urban areas. The bridge in Sarajevo is directly across the street from where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed by a Serbian assassin, setting in motion the beginning of and World War I.

Last Stretch of Road into Sarajevo

The View from our Room

Today we drove from Bucharest to Sofia (София), capital of Bulgaria and is its largest city. We crossed the brown Danube and easily negotiated the border crossing. The drive was primarily through vast and thriving agricultural valleys with nestled villages and small towns some distance from the highway. The entire 250 miles was unblemished by industry or the urban sprawl that we had noticed in Romania. Development or industrial presence seems to be specifically confined to planned areas which for such small pocket sized country on the quilt of Europe seems wise.

Sofia is a bustling and busy government capital as well as the economic heart of the country. According to locals it is not a tourist destination. The blend of 19th century European and Communist-style architecture sharing neighborhoods with beautiful onion-domed orthodox churches and Ottoman mosques and entrenched Red Army monuments has a kind of shabby charm. The central government and historic district is dotted with lovely parks enjoyed by families and elders. The people hurrying along the busy streets are frequently very stylishly dressed in the latest American and European fashions and appear healthy. We are staying in the heart of the old city in a hotel that is built upon 4th century A.D.Roman ruins evident in open spaces in the hotel lobby and restaurant as an archeological site.

Church of St. George

Bozko Mural

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Around the Corner from our Hotel

National Theater

Guards Outside the President’s Building

Guards Change on the Hour

St. George Rotunda Began as a Roman Bath

St. Sofia Patroness of Sofia

A Icon Shopper

Borisloff, Icon Painter and Vendor

Sun Glinting of the Domes of the Memorial Church

Alexander Nevski’s Memorial Church Cracker Barrell