Balkan Roadtrip - Kazandžiluk: The Coppersmith & Metalworking Souvenir Street in Sarajevo
Sarajevo was the second stop in our Balkan road trip last spring.
We landed in Tuzla in the north and stayed a night in the city. The next morning we set forth down south to Sarajevo. We drove our rental car through valleys and mountains and stopping in between to take pictures of the Bosnian countryside. Finally, we arrive in the capital mid in the afternoon.
We checked in to our hotel, Villa Melody which is approximately 8 minutes walking distance to Baščaršija (the Old Town). Afterwards, we decided to hit the Old Town for our late lunch. We were starving! The lovely young hotel receptionist gave us a Cevapi place suggestion, MRKVA which we were able to find in just a matter of minutes.
When we were in Tuzla, Bubbles and I have promised to eat the famous cevapi as our first meal in Sarajevo.
After the delicious late cevapi lunch, we thought we will walk around a bit, just to get our bearings right in the city. We are staying here for 3 days, and tomorrow, we have a big agenda to follow so why not get familiar with the popular landmarks and streets first.
However, our plan of walking around went down the drain when we passed by this exotic and colourful Kazandžiluk street. It is a cobbled pedestrian antique and metalsmith bazaar street located in the eastern end of the Old Town, very near to MRKVA where we had our cevapi lunch. The fascinating street is lined up with artisanal shops selling local Bosnian metal-based handicrafts. The area is the guild and metalworking trading street of Sarajevo that goes back to the city’s ‘Golden Age’ under the Ottoman Empire.
Well, guess what happened when we saw this street? The locks of our purses went open, lol. Bubbles and I got stuck here for the rest of the afternoon!
We were so excited to see all the handmade artisanal stuff. Many vendors here sell coffee and tea sets made from copper, we saw lots of pots and pans for the kitchen, personal care pieces such as hair combs and hand mirrors as gifts or for own use, heaps of souvenir items and even bullets from the Yugoslav Wars! You can say the items were a lot for us to process, especially the latter. One has to go back at least 2 decades of Bosnia & Hercegovina history to the defunct Yugoslavia in order to understand it.
So we managed to shop a few nice items to bring back home. Bubbles went gaga with her shopping spree in this trip so it was rather difficult for me to keep a tab on what she all bought. I do know one thing, she is collecting (fridge) magnets from all her trips. I, however, bought 2 silver-coloured metal sugar and cream containers which would go well with the silver-coloured teapot that I bought in Marrakesh many years ago. So I thought these 2 containers were good additions.
Speaking of Marrakesh, it looks like I will be visiting the city again next year...
I have to say that Kazandžiluk is distinctly Sarajevo.
On a good weather day, the street can be bustling with hordes of eager tourists. Some of the items on sale here reminded me of the coffee and tea sets I saw in Istanbul and Dubai. The street bazaar has a Middle Eastern flair. However, the whole guild and metalwork scene here and the quirky artisanal shops overflowing with mostly copper handicrafts are something you can only find in Sarajevo.
The place is not that big but considering the size of the Old Town, which is small and walkable within minutes from end-to-end, the metalworking artisanal shops do occupy a considerable amount of area. This street, I reckon, is something not to be missed by every visitor in Sarajevo. It is something one cannot really miss anyway as this forms an important part of the heart that makes the city beat. Must check out!
So now we know that the ancient metalworking tradition in Sarajevo is still very much alive in Kazandžiluk street. Yes, it is touristy, but it is very special and distinctly Sarajevo.
I hope you agree in the pictures below.
Towards the end of the day, the weather changed and we got caught in the rain. Spring in Sarajevo can be rainy sometimes. So Bubbles and I ran for shelter and found this cafe in one of the narrow pedestrian streets in the Old Town -- Havana Cafe.
We sat at the Havana Cafe and ordered some drinks to wait for the rain to stop and to while away time as well. I had a margarita which was too sweet for my liking and Bubbles had a bitter lemon drink. It would have been appropriate I guess if we ordered mojitos, the quintessential Cuban drink. This was also a good time to regroup in the cafe as it gave us the opportunity to inspect and appreciate our shopping loot for the day. We were happy with our purchases =)
When the rain slowed down we realised it was becoming late and that we should be going back to the hotel to prepare for dinner. Our dinner will be at an exclusive address in town and that means we need to freshen up and look good.
See you at our first evening's dinner in Sarajevo in my next post!
Here are some more photos I took in the Old Town on our first day in Sarajevo:
Travel Period: April 2017
Destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
We landed in Tuzla in the north and stayed a night in the city. The next morning we set forth down south to Sarajevo. We drove our rental car through valleys and mountains and stopping in between to take pictures of the Bosnian countryside. Finally, we arrive in the capital mid in the afternoon.
We checked in to our hotel, Villa Melody which is approximately 8 minutes walking distance to Baščaršija (the Old Town). Afterwards, we decided to hit the Old Town for our late lunch. We were starving! The lovely young hotel receptionist gave us a Cevapi place suggestion, MRKVA which we were able to find in just a matter of minutes.
When we were in Tuzla, Bubbles and I have promised to eat the famous cevapi as our first meal in Sarajevo.
After the delicious late cevapi lunch, we thought we will walk around a bit, just to get our bearings right in the city. We are staying here for 3 days, and tomorrow, we have a big agenda to follow so why not get familiar with the popular landmarks and streets first.
The Pigeon Square in Baskarsija (Old Town).
However, our plan of walking around went down the drain when we passed by this exotic and colourful Kazandžiluk street. It is a cobbled pedestrian antique and metalsmith bazaar street located in the eastern end of the Old Town, very near to MRKVA where we had our cevapi lunch. The fascinating street is lined up with artisanal shops selling local Bosnian metal-based handicrafts. The area is the guild and metalworking trading street of Sarajevo that goes back to the city’s ‘Golden Age’ under the Ottoman Empire.
Well, guess what happened when we saw this street? The locks of our purses went open, lol. Bubbles and I got stuck here for the rest of the afternoon!
We were so excited to see all the handmade artisanal stuff. Many vendors here sell coffee and tea sets made from copper, we saw lots of pots and pans for the kitchen, personal care pieces such as hair combs and hand mirrors as gifts or for own use, heaps of souvenir items and even bullets from the Yugoslav Wars! You can say the items were a lot for us to process, especially the latter. One has to go back at least 2 decades of Bosnia & Hercegovina history to the defunct Yugoslavia in order to understand it.
So we managed to shop a few nice items to bring back home. Bubbles went gaga with her shopping spree in this trip so it was rather difficult for me to keep a tab on what she all bought. I do know one thing, she is collecting (fridge) magnets from all her trips. I, however, bought 2 silver-coloured metal sugar and cream containers which would go well with the silver-coloured teapot that I bought in Marrakesh many years ago. So I thought these 2 containers were good additions.
Speaking of Marrakesh, it looks like I will be visiting the city again next year...
I have to say that Kazandžiluk is distinctly Sarajevo.
On a good weather day, the street can be bustling with hordes of eager tourists. Some of the items on sale here reminded me of the coffee and tea sets I saw in Istanbul and Dubai. The street bazaar has a Middle Eastern flair. However, the whole guild and metalwork scene here and the quirky artisanal shops overflowing with mostly copper handicrafts are something you can only find in Sarajevo.
The place is not that big but considering the size of the Old Town, which is small and walkable within minutes from end-to-end, the metalworking artisanal shops do occupy a considerable amount of area. This street, I reckon, is something not to be missed by every visitor in Sarajevo. It is something one cannot really miss anyway as this forms an important part of the heart that makes the city beat. Must check out!
So now we know that the ancient metalworking tradition in Sarajevo is still very much alive in Kazandžiluk street. Yes, it is touristy, but it is very special and distinctly Sarajevo.
I hope you agree in the pictures below.
There's a lot of Turkish influence here from the Ottoman Empire.
Bullet souvenirs from the Yugoslav Wars between 1991 and 2001.
Lots to buy for the home and for personal use. Copper is the most popular metal used by the smiths here in Sarajevo.
We bought from this smiling lady, that is why she is all smiles.
We sat at the Havana Cafe and ordered some drinks to wait for the rain to stop and to while away time as well. I had a margarita which was too sweet for my liking and Bubbles had a bitter lemon drink. It would have been appropriate I guess if we ordered mojitos, the quintessential Cuban drink. This was also a good time to regroup in the cafe as it gave us the opportunity to inspect and appreciate our shopping loot for the day. We were happy with our purchases =)
When the rain slowed down we realised it was becoming late and that we should be going back to the hotel to prepare for dinner. Our dinner will be at an exclusive address in town and that means we need to freshen up and look good.
See you at our first evening's dinner in Sarajevo in my next post!
Docking here at Havana Cafe from the pouring rain. Ordering a mojito would have been more appropriate perhaps than a margarita and a bitter lemon.
Havana Cafe in the old town of Sarajevo.
Here are some more photos I took in the Old Town on our first day in Sarajevo:
The Old Town has a lot of Muslim influence being a part of the Ottoman Empire before. Sarajevo is multicultural where Muslims, Christians and Jews live together side by side.
An idea of some of the other souvenir items that one can buy in Sarajevo.
The core centre of Sarajevo is pedestrianised with lots of cafes and shops.
Travel Period: April 2017
Destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
