Driving in Sarajevo definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Surrounded by mountains, the roads here can be incredibly narrow; sometimes too narrow for two cars to pass side by side. This is often due to cars parked along one lane or simply because the streets were never meant for modern traffic.
Honestly, having a blue license plate has been my saving grace. It seems like locals spot it and think, “It’ll be quicker and easier if we reverse on this steep mountain road,” and they usually do, graciously and with impressive skill. And for that, I’m genuinely grateful. Thank you, Sarajevo drivers!
As of late 2024 and into early 2025, there’s quite a bit of roadwork happening in the city center. While chatting with a taxi driver, who was clearly frustrated with the situation, he made a joke that stuck with me: “Can you believe it? This village has only two streets, and they decided to work on both at the same time! Brilliant, right?” His humor made the traffic a little easier to bear.
In Sarajevo-and really, throughout the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it sometimes feels like your GPS is playing tricks on you. It doesn’t quite register that there are steep mountains and narrow roads everywhere, and it loves sending you on adventures that end in someone’s driveway! I’ve learned to outsmart it a little by always making my way down to the main road first before heading back up the next hill. It’s not always the shortest route, but definitely the sanest one!