Baščaršija, Sarajevo

Sarajevo's old Ottoman bazaar, a maze of cobbled lanes lined with copper workshops, cafés and ćevapi grills, centred on the Sebilj, a wooden fountain. Nearby stand the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, the Catholic cathedral, an Orthodox church and the old synagogue, all within a few minutes' walk, which is why Sarajevo is called the 'Jerusalem of Europe'.

Try ćevapi (grilled meat in flatbread) and Bosnian coffee, and look for the Sarajevo Rose, mortar scars filled with red resin in memory of those killed during the siege of 1992–96. A walking tour is worthwhile: Sarajevo has an amazing history, past and present, and the old town is very safe. Good buses run from Dubrovnik and Mostar.