The siege of Sarajevo lasted 1,425 days, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996, making it the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare. Bosnian Serb forces surrounded the city and shelled it from the hills while snipers targeted civilians in the streets. More than 11,000 people were killed, including over 1,500 children. Today you can visit the Tunnel of Hope, Sniper Alley, the Sarajevo Roses and several museums that tell the story.
Key facts
When Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992, Bosnian Serb forces, backed by the Yugoslav army, took positions on the hills around the city. Sarajevo, a multi-ethnic capital of around 400,000 people, was cut off from the rest of the country. Water, electricity, gas and food were scarce for almost four years.
People queued for water under fire, burned furniture and books for heat, and grew vegetables on balconies. The main road from the airport to the old town became known as Sniper Alley, because crossing it was so dangerous. Yet the city kept living: schools moved into basements, theatres played by candlelight and a film festival was started in 1995. Many survivors describe this resistance as the spirit of Sarajevo.
After the second Markale market massacre in August 1995, NATO launched air strikes against Bosnian Serb positions. The war ended with the Dayton Peace Agreement, signed in December 1995, and the siege was officially lifted on 29 February 1996.
Dug under the airport runway in 1993, the tunnel connected the besieged city to free territory and carried food, weapons and people. At the museum in the family house where it started, you can walk about 100 metres through the tunnel. Read our Tunnel of Hope visitor guide.
Along Zmaja od Bosne street you still see buildings with shrapnel marks, and the yellow Holiday Inn where foreign journalists stayed. In the pavements, mortar scars filled with red resin, the Sarajevo Roses, mark places where people were killed.
The hills above the city were part of the siege ring. The abandoned 1984 Olympic bobsled track on Trebević was used as an artillery position, and the bullet holes are still visible.
The best way to understand the siege is with a guide who lived through it or grew up in the city after the war. Our Sarajevo War Tour with the Tunnel of Hope focuses on the siege, and the Sarajevo Grand Tour combines the Tunnel of Hope with the bobsled track, Sniper Alley and the old town.
History focus
Sarajevo War Tour with Tunnel of Hope
4 hours · siege history with a local guide · from €35
View tourMore than 11,000 people were killed, including over 1,500 children, and tens of thousands were wounded.
Yes. Locals generally want visitors to understand what happened. Be respectful at memorials and cemeteries, and ask before photographing people.
Yes. Sarajevo is a safe, welcoming city. In the surrounding mountains, stay on marked paths, as some remote areas still have landmine warnings.
More in the city: browse all Sarajevo tours and day trips with local guides.
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