The city of Sarajevo was founded in 1262 by Hungarian General Cotroman ; it was then called Bosnavar (city of Bosnia). It is necessary to wait the XVth century, the Islamization of the area and the Turkish domination so that the city increases. At the time of the Turkish wars, Bosnavar is often disputed : it falls to the hands from Mathias Corvin, king of Hungary, in 1480. Not less than six fires devastated it between 1480 and 1789. Its rise comes in 1850, where it becomes the head of the highest Islamic authorities. In 1878, it reaches the row of head of the austro-Hungarian administration of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The city is then rebuilt in the style of Central Europe, while the bazaars and the mosques of the Eastern city remain. Its many schools quickly become a serbian center of nationalism and anti-Austrian agitation.
With the agreement of the secret service of Belgrade, young Serbs prepare the terrorist attacks of Sarajevo, aimed against François-Ferdinand, the archduke heir to Austria. He escapes a first attack on June 28, 1914, but during the same day, he is assassinated with his wife by a bosniaque student, Gavrilo Prinzip. The occasion to eliminate Serbia as political element from Balkans is found. This murder was indirectly at the origin of the war of 1914-1918.
In 1918, the notables of the city proclaim the fastening of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Yugoslavia in formation. During the Second World war, the city will suffer much from the allied bombardments. In 1944, during its release by the partisans of Tito, it will be reincorporated in Yugoslavia. The socialist party will found there a university in 1946. The Winter Olympics are organized there in 1984. As from March 1992, Sarajevo underwent, on behalf of the hostile bosniaques Serb forces to the independence of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a long fatal and destroying siege. Today, the city, which counts approximately 500 000 inhabitants, has the administrative, commercial and cultural attributes of a capital. More than 40 % of the working population is employed in industry. To the craft industry, to the work of leather, food and textile industries were added metallurgical industries animating the suburbs located downstream and by which the agglomeration reaches the valley of Bosna today.
Several times destroyed, the city seems to be maintained in life thanks to its artists. Emir Kusturica was born in Sarajevo, and all his first films find their framework there : thus the buffet Titanic is located "street Moutelevitch, at the corner of the park which surrounds the tobacco factory"; Do you remember Dolly Bell ?'s history is entirely held there, and the characters speak their local slang ; the family of When father was away on business lives there before Meša is sent in workcamp ; finally, the gypsy camp of Time of the Gypsies is located in the banlieu of Sarajevo, but safety is elsewhere : in Ljubljana to take care of Perhan's sister, or in Milan to earn easy money.
Sarajevo was since centuries the place where Moslims, Serbs, Croatians, Turks and Jews always cohabited in the tolerance and the peaceful coexistence. A fracture occurred, and we'll observe with patience the return to normality.
Belgrade, the white city, capital of Serbia-Montenegro, was always the most significant crossroads of communication of Balkans. The damages of History made that the city was several times destroyed by wars, in particular at the time of the Second world war, and the various insurrections. History repeats itself as Belgrade was strongly bombarded by NATO forces in 1999. However, the old fortress has many museums which make its fame. The national Museum exposes artistic and archaeological testimonys, since the first traces of human civilization, until the middle of the XXth century. The prehistoric objects are characterized by famous the small votive tank of Dupljaja, which represents a divinity trailed by ducks. Many vestiges of the Hellenic and Roman Antiquity, among which gold masks, portraits, muds out of bronze or terra cotta deserve the visit. The museum comprises various sections covering all the times going until the modern art and contemporary. The Ethnographic museum, located in the downtown area, contains rich folk collections of old objects, costumes, carpet, trunks, painted eggs, jewels and depoteries. The museum of the Frescos has admirable copies of the murals, very interesting, decorating the medieval monasteries with Serbia and Macedonia. One can visit the strategic citadel of Kalemegdan, built on a rocky outcrop, with the junction of Save and the Danube, where the Celtic, Roman, Slavic, Turkish and Austrians elements mix. One should also see the palate of the Ljubica princess, an authentic palate of Balkan style, characterized by a small tower, intended to keep the house.
Located between the Save river and the mount Medvednica (1 035m), Zagreb is a town of blue trams which slip between imposing masonries which point out Vienna or Budapest. There exists in fact 3 Zagreb : the high city "Gornji Grad" with the old inheritance, the low city "Donji Grad" built as from the XIXe century, and the new city, built after 1945. Out of funicular or with foot, to go up in the high city, to stroll in the lanes and on the small paved places, to admire the church Saint-Marc (XIIIe century), the palate of the Ban of baroque style and the many houses of which much are museums today. One can go down again by foot by Radiceva to go to the cathedral, while passing by the Dolac market, very animated in the morning. To visit : the museum of the Town of Zagreb, located in the old convent of Clarisses, as well as the museum of Naïve art and the museum of Contemporary art. The street Ilica (longer than 5 km) leads to the place of Ban-Jelacic. It is here that the heart of the low city beats. It is also in this place most of the tram lines can be found. Many trade, clothing, books, discs and restaurants. One goes by foot or in the tram (fixed price 1 day costs approximately 1.5 €). To visit : the street Tkalciceva and its coffee terraces, the Maksimir park, the Mirogoj cemetery.
Ljubljana is located in the heart of Slovenia. The architectural heritage of the city is rich in monuments of all kinds and all times, from Antiquity to the XIXth century. It is marked by the seal of an architect of international fame, Joze Plecnik, who built famous bridges as well as the market or the national and university Library. The Old Ljubljana is nice for flanery. One reaches it by the triple bridge (Tromostovje), one of the florets of the city. In summer, the narrow lanes are encumbered by the terraces of the cafés. The Pogarcarjev open air market is a recommended place of walk. Do not fail to visit the castle and to admire the panoramic sight, since the walk of the ramparts, allowing to admire all the city and its surroundings.
Although Skopje in the past never had its current importance, "Skupi" was at the first centuries of the Christian era a significant city of the great Roman empire. The first city was destroyed by the earthquake of 518, but was rebuilt soon, near to the ruins, always close to Vardar, so that at the beginning of the 7th century it was still a significant commercial center. It is for the period of the emperor Justinien of Byzance, that the area of Skopje took importance. The Slavics conquered the city in 695 and gave its name. They became so much unmovable at the end of the 10th century and the beginning of 11th that Skopje became a very active commercial center. In Skopje happened a major event of Serbs history, as emperor Dušan of Serbia was crowned here on April 16, 1346. The Turks conquered the city in 1392 and kept it until 1912. That explains why the cultural and historical monuments of Skopje are mainly related to the Turkish periods. The most impressive monument of Skopje is the stone bridge through Vardar, which was built during the time of the Sultan Muarat I (1421 - 1451). Set up in the middle of a city which had been thus burned and destroyed many times, this bridge with its vaults preserves today its function in the rebuilt city. The Hjumcar mosque, equipped by this sultan, was built at the same time. Unfortunately this beautiful structure took fire, and its original beauty did not survive the restoration. The most beautiful of the mosques of Skopje is today that of Mustafa- Pasha, built in 1492. Among other Turkish monuments of the 15th century, one still notes an art gallery. Its structure is memorable for its nonsymmetrical cupolas and its perfectly preserved interior architecture.